Ki Seitzei 22:06 · unit 14

TT #159 · Parashas Ki Seitzei · Second Aliyah · Passuk 22:06

The Complete Passuk

כִּי יִקָּרֵא קַן־צִפּוֹר לְפָנֶיךָ בַּדֶּרֶךְ בְּכָל־עֵץ אוֹ עַל־הָאָרֶץ אֶפְרֹחִים אוֹ בֵיצִים וְהָאֵם רֹבֶצֶת עַל־הָאֶפְרֹחִים אוֹ עַל־הַבֵּיצִים לֹא־תִקַּח הָאֵם עַל־הַבָּנִים׃

If a bird’s nest chances before you on the road, on any tree or on the ground, with chicks or eggs, and the mother is sitting on the chicks or on the eggs, you shall not take the mother with the young.

Chabad.org — 22:06

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Chullin 141a.

Sefaria — Chullin 141a

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
וְהָאֵם רֹבֶצֶת – פְּרָט לְמַפְרִיחָה.

English: “And the mother is sitting” — excluding [a bird that is] hovering / flying above.

On the daf / in context: The mother must be in a resting position on the nest for the mitzvah to apply.

Type of Learning

Limiting derash on “rovetzet.”

What Is Learned

The mitzvah applies only when the mother bird is sitting on the nest, not when she is merely hovering above it.