דברים רבה ו׳Devarim Rabbah 6

Section 1א׳

כִּי תֵצֵא. (דברים כב, ו): כִּי יִקָּרֵא קַן צִפּוֹר לְפָנֶיךָ. הֲלָכָה תִּינוֹק שֶׁנּוֹלַד כְּשֶׁהוּא מָהוּל, מַהוּ שֶׁיְהֵא מֻתָּר לָמוּל אוֹתוֹ, כָּךְ שָׁנוּ חֲכָמִים תִּינוֹק שֶׁנּוֹלַד מָהוּל צָרִיךְ לְהַטִּיף מִמֶּנּוּ דַּם בְּרִית מִפְּנֵי בְּרִיתוֹ שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם, וּמִנַּיִן אַתָּה לָמֵד מִן הַתּוֹרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית יז, יג): הִמּוֹל יִמּוֹל יְלִיד בֵּיתְךָ וּמִקְנַת כַּסְפֶּךָ. דָּבָר אַחֵר, הִמּוֹל יִמּוֹל, אַל תְּהִי קוֹרֵא בוֹ אֶלָּא שְׁתֵּי מִילוֹת, מִילָה וּפְרִיעָה. רַבִּי לֵוִי אָמַר הִמּוֹל יִמּוֹל, מִכָּאן לְמוֹהֵל צָרִיךְ שֶׁיְהֵא מָהוּל, דִּכְתִיב הִמּוֹל יִמּוֹל, אָמַר רַבִּי יוּדָן בֶּן פָּזִי מַה כְּתִיב בְּצִפּוֹרָה אֵשֶׁת משֶׁה (שמות ד, כו): אָז אָמְרָה חֲתַן דָּמִים וגו', לַמִּילָה, אֵין כְּתִיב כָּאן, אֶלָּא לַמּוּלֹת, שְׁתֵּי מִילוֹת, מִכָּאן לְמִילָה וּמִכָּאן לִפְרִיעָה. וְלָמָּה הַתִּינוֹק נִמּוֹל לִשְׁמוֹנָה יָמִים, שֶׁנָּתַן הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא רַחֲמִים עָלָיו לְהַמְתִּין לוֹ עַד שֶׁיְהֵא בּוֹ כֹּחוֹ, וּכְשֵׁם שֶׁרַחֲמָיו שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עַל הָאָדָם כָּךְ רַחֲמָיו עַל הַבְּהֵמָה, מִנַּיִן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא כב, כז): וּמִיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי וְהָלְאָה וגו', וְלֹא עוֹד אֶלָּא שֶׁאָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא (ויקרא כב, כח): אֹתוֹ וְאֶת בְּנוֹ לֹא תִשְׁחֲטוּ בְּיוֹם אֶחָד. וּכְשֵׁם שֶׁנָּתַן הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא רַחֲמִים עַל הַבְּהֵמָה, כָּךְ נִתְמַלֵּא רַחֲמִים עַל הָעוֹפוֹת, מִנַּיִן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: כִּי יִקָּרֵא קַן צִפּוֹר לְפָנֶיךָ.

“If a bird's nest will happen before you on the way, on any tree or on the ground, with fledglings or eggs, and the mother is crouching on the fledglings or on the eggs, you shall not take the mother with the offspring” (Deuteronomy 22:6). You shall surely send away the mother, and then take the offspring for yourself, so that it will be good for you, and you will have length of days (Deuteronomy 22:7). Ki Tetze. “If a bird's nest will happen before you” – halakha: A baby who was born circumcised, what is the ruling, is it permitted to circumcise him? This is what the Sages taught: A baby who is born circumcised, one must draw covenantal blood from him, because of the covenant of Abraham. From where can you derive this from the Torah? It is as it is stated: “You shall surely circumcise [himol yimol] those born in your house, or those purchased with your money” (Genesis 17:13). Another interpretation, himol yimol – read it only as two acts of circumcision, circumcision and peeling back. Rabbi Levi said: Himol yimol – from here we learn that the circumciser must himself be circumcised, as it is written: “Himol yimol.” Rabbi Yudan ben Pazi said: What is written regarding Tzippora, Moses’s wife? “Then she said: A bridegroom of blood [because of circumcisions…]” (Exodus 4:26). “Because of circumcision” is not written here, but rather, “circumcisions” – from here we learn about circumcision and from here we learn about peeling back. Why is a baby circumcised at eight days? It is because the Holy One blessed be He extended mercy towards him, to wait for him until he has his strength. Just as the mercy of the Holy One blessed be He extends towards people, so does His mercy extend over animals. From where is this derived? It is as it is stated: “From the eighth day on, [it shall be accepted as a fire offering to the Lord]” (Leviticus 22:27). Moreover, the Holy One blessed be He said: “It and its offspring you shall not slaughter on one day” (Leviticus 22:28). And just as the Holy One blessed be He extended mercy towards animals, so did He become filled with mercy towards the birds, as it is stated: “If a bird's nest will happen before you.”

Section 2ב׳

זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב (משלי ה, ו): אֹרַח חַיִּים פֶּן תְּפַלֵּס נָעוּ מַעְגְּלֹתֶיהָ לֹא תֵדָע. מַהוּ אֹרַח חַיִּים פֶּן תְּפַלֵּס, אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּא בַּר כַּהֲנָא, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לֹא תְהֵא יוֹשֵׁב וּמְשַׁקֵּל בְּמִצְווֹתֶיהָ שֶׁל תּוֹרָה, כָּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה מ, יב): וְשָׁקַל בַּפֶּלֶס הָרִים, לֹא תְהֵא אוֹמֵר הוֹאִיל וְהַמִּצְוָה הַזּוֹ גְּדוֹלָה אֲנִי עוֹשֶׂה אוֹתָהּ שֶׁשְֹּׂכָרָהּ מְרֻבֶּה, וְהוֹאִיל וְזוֹ מִצְוָה קַלָּה אֵינִי עוֹשֶׂה אוֹתָהּ, מֶה עָשָׂה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לֹא גִּלָּה לַבְּרִיּוֹת מַהוּ מַתַּן שְׂכָרָהּ שֶׁל כָּל מִצְוָה וּמִצְוָה, כְּדֵי שֶׁיַּעֲשׂוּ כָּל הַמִּצְווֹת בְּתֹם, מִנַּיִן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: נָעוּ מַעְגְּלֹתֶיהָ לֹא תֵדָע. לְמָה הַדָּבָר דּוֹמֶה לְמֶלֶךְ שֶׁשָֹּׂכַר לוֹ פּוֹעֲלִים וְהִכְנִיס אוֹתָן לְתוֹךְ פַּרְדֵּסוֹ, סָתַם וְלֹא גִּלָּה לָהֶן מַהוּ שְׂכָרוֹ שֶׁל פַּרְדֵּס, שֶׁלֹא יַנִּיחוּ דָּבָר שֶׁשְֹּׂכָרוֹ מוּעָט וְיֵלְכוּ וְיַעֲשׂוּ דָּבָר שֶׁשְֹּׂכָרוֹ מְרֻבֶּה, בָּעֶרֶב קָרָא לְכָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד אָמַר לוֹ תַּחַת אֵיזֶה אִילָן עָשִׂיתָ, אָמַר לוֹ תַּחַת זֶה, אָמַר לוֹ פִּלְפֵּל הוּא שְׂכָרוֹ זָהוּב אֶחָד, קָרָא לְאַחֵר אָמַר לוֹ תַּחַת אֵיזֶה אִילָן עָשִׂיתָ, אָמַר לוֹ תַּחַת זֶה, אָמַר לוֹ שְׂכָרוֹ חֲצִי זָהוּב פֶּרַח לָבָן הוּא. קָרָא לְאַחֵר אָמַר לוֹ תַּחַת אֵיזֶה אִילָן עָשִׂיתָ, אָמַר לוֹ תַּחַת זֶה, אָמַר לוֹ זַיִת הוּא שְׂכָרוֹ מָאתַיִם זוּז. אָמְרוּ לוֹ לֹא הָיִיתָ צָרִיךְ לְהוֹדִיעַ אוֹתָנוּ אֵיזֶה אִילָן שְׂכָרוֹ מְרֻבֶּה כְּדֵי שֶׁנַּעֲשֶׂה תַּחְתָּיו, אָמַר לָהֶם הַמֶּלֶךְ, אִלּוּ הוֹדַעְתִּי הֵיאַךְ הָיָה כָּל פַּרְדֵּסִי נַעֲשָׂה. כָּךְ לֹא גִּלָּה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַתַּן שְׂכָרָן שֶׁל מִצְווֹת, חוּץ מִשְׁתֵּי מִצְווֹת, הַחֲמוּרָה שֶׁבַּחֲמוּרוֹת וְהַקַּלָּה שֶׁבַּקַּלּוֹת, כִּבּוּד אָב וָאֵם, חֲמוּרָה שֶׁבַּחֲמוּרוֹת, וּמַתַּן שְׂכָרָהּ אֲרִיכוּת יָמִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות כ, יב): כַּבֵּד אֶת אָבִיךָ וְאֶת אִמֶּךָ לְמַעַן יַאֲרִכוּן יָמֶיךָ. וְהַקַּלָּה, שִׁלּוּחַ הַקֵּן, וּמַהוּ שְׂכָרָהּ, אֲרִיכוּת יָמִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים כב, ז): שַׁלֵּחַ תְּשַׁלַּח אֶת הָאֵם וגו' וְהַאֲרַכְתָּ יָמִים, הֱוֵי כִּי יִקָּרֵא קַן צִפּוֹר.

This is what the verse said: “Lest you delineate a path of life: Her tracks wander; you will not know” (Proverbs 5:6) – what is meant by “lest you delineate [tefales] a path of life”? Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘Do not sit and evaluate the mitzvot of the Torah, as it is stated: “He weighed mountains with a scale [peles]” (Isaiah 40:12). Do not say: Since this mitzva is great, I will perform it, as its reward is substantial, but since that one is a minor mitzva, I will not perform it.’ What did the Holy One blessed be He do? He did not reveal to people what is the reward granted for each and every mitzva, so that they would perform all the mitzvot without guile. From where is this derived? “Her tracks wander; you will not know.” To what is the matter comparable? To a king who hired laborers and took them into his orchard [containing various trees]. He was unspecific, and did not reveal to them the wages for the [different trees of the] orchard, so they should not forsake [working on] those with minimal wages and go and work [only] on those with substantial wages. In the evening, he summoned each one of them and said to him: ‘Beneath which tree did you work?’ He said to him: ‘Beneath this one.’ He said to him: ‘That is a pepper tree, its wages are one gold piece.’ He summoned another and said to him: ‘Beneath which tree did you work?’ He said to him: ‘Beneath this one.’ He said to him: ‘Its wages are one-half gold piece, as it is a [tree with] white blossoms.’ He summoned another and said to him: ‘Beneath which tree did you work?’ He said to him: ‘Beneath this one.’ He said to him: ‘That is an olive tree, its wages are two hundred zuz.’ They said to him: ‘Should you not have informed us [at the outset] which tree has abundant wages so that we could work beneath it?’ The king said to them: ‘Had I informed you, how would all of my orchard have been cultivated?’ So, too, the Holy One blessed be He did not reveal the reward granted for each of the mitzvot, with the exception of two mitzvot – the one of the greatest difficulty, and the one of the least difficulty. Honoring one’s father and mother is of the greatest difficulty, and the reward granted for it is prolonging of one’s days, as it is stated: “Honor your father and your mother, so that your days will be prolonged” (Exodus 20:12). The one of least difficulty is the dispatching of the mother bird, and what is its reward? Prolonging of days, as it is stated: “You shall surely send away the mother…and prolong your days” (Deuteronomy 22:7). That is, “if a bird's nest will happen before you.”

Section 3ג׳

זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב (משלי א, ט): כִּי לִוְיַת חֵן הֵם לְרֹאשֶׁךָ, רַבָּנָן אָמְרֵי נַעֲשָׂה דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה חֵן לְרָשִׁיּוּתֶךָ, כֵּיצַד, אָדָם בֶּן תּוֹרָה בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהוּא מַזְקִין הַכֹּל בָּאִין וּמְסַבְּבִין אוֹתוֹ וְשׁוֹאֲלִין אוֹתוֹ דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה. דָּבָר אַחֵר, מַהוּ כִּי לִוְיַת חֵן, אָמַר רַבִּי פִּינְחָס בַּר חָמָא לְכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁתֵּלֵךְ הַמִּצְווֹת מְלַוּוֹת אוֹתְךָ, (דברים כב, ח): כִּי תִבְנֶה בַּיִת חָדָשׁ וְעָשִׂיתָ מַעֲקֶה לְגַגֶּךָ. אִם עָשִׂיתָ לְךָ דֶּלֶת הַמִּצְווֹת מְלַוּוֹת אוֹתְךָ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים ו, ט): וּכְתַבְתָּם עַל מְזֻזוֹת בֵּיתֶךָ. אִם לָבַשְׁתָּ כֵּלִים חֲדָשִׁים, הַמִּצְווֹת מְלַוּוֹת אוֹתְךָ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים כב, יא): לֹא תִלְבַּשׁ שַׁעַטְנֵז. אִם הָלַכְתָּ לְגַלֵּחַ, הַמִּצְווֹת מְלַוּוֹת אוֹתְךָ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא יט, כז): לֹא תַקִּפוּ פְּאַת רֹאשְׁכֶם, וְאִם הָיָה לְךָ שָׂדֶה וְהָלַכְתָּ לַחֲרשׁ בְּתוֹכָהּ, הַמִּצְווֹת מְלַוּוֹת אוֹתְךָ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים כב, י): לֹא תַחֲרשׁ בְּשׁוֹר וּבַחֲמֹר יַחְדָּו. וְאִם זָרַעְתָּ אוֹתָהּ, הַמִּצְווֹת מְלַוּוֹת אוֹתְךָ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים כב, ט): לֹא תִזְרַע כַּרְמְךָ כִּלְאָיִם. וְאִם קָצַרְתָּ אוֹתָהּ, הַמִּצְווֹת מְלַוּוֹת אוֹתְךָ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים כד, יט): כִּי תִקְצֹר קְצִירְךָ בְשָׂדֶךָ וְשָׁכַחְתָּ עֹמֶר בַּשָֹּׂדֶה, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֲפִלּוּ לֹא הָיִיתָ עוֹסֵק בְּדָבָר אֶלָּא מְהַלֵּךְ בַּדֶּרֶךְ, הַמִּצְווֹת מְלַוּוֹת אוֹתְךָ, מִנַּיִן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: כִּי יִקָּרֵא קַן צִפּוֹר לְפָנֶיךָ.

This is what the verse said: “For they are a graceful adornment for your head [roshekha]” (Proverbs 1:9) – the Rabbis said: Matters of Torah are grace for your infirmity [rashiyutekha]. How so? A learned person, when he grows old, everyone [still] comes and surrounds him and asks him about matters of Torah. Another interpretation, what is “for they are a graceful adornment [livyat] for your head”? Rabbi Pinḥas bar Ḥama said: Wherever you go, mitzvot accompany [melavot] you. “If you build a new house, you shall make a parapet for your roof” (Deuteronomy 22:8). If you install a door for yourself, mitzvot accompany you, as it is stated: “You shall write them on the doorposts of your house” (Deuteronomy 6:9). If you don new garments, mitzvot accompany you, as it is stated: “You shall not wear a mixture of fibers” (Deuteronomy 22:11). If you go to cut your hair, mitzvot accompany you, as it is stated: “You shall not round the edge of your head” (Leviticus 19:27). If you have a field and go to plow in it, mitzvot accompany you, as it is stated: “You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together” (Deuteronomy 22:10). If you sow it, mitzvot accompany you, as is stated: “You shall not sow your vineyard with diverse kinds” (Deuteronomy 22:9). If you reap it, mitzvot accompany you, as it is stated: “When you reap your harvest in your field, and you forget a sheaf in the field, [you shall not return to take it]” (Deuteronomy 24:19). The Holy One blessed be He said, [moreover]: ‘Even when you are not occupied with any activity at all, but are [simply] walking on the road, mitzvot accompany you.’ From where is this derived? It is as it is stated: “If a bird's nest will happen before you.”