(6) The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, The leopard lie down with the kid; The calf, the beast of prey, and the fatling together, With a little boy to herd them. (7) The cow and the bear shall graze, Their young shall lie down together; And the lion, like the ox, shall eat straw.
(א) כִּי תֵצֵא. (דברים כב, ו): כִּי יִקָּרֵא קַן צִפּוֹר לְפָנֶיךָ... 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.
(1) "When you shall go out... When you shall happen upon a birds nest before you..." (Deuteronomy 22:6)
Why is an infant circumcised after eight days? The Holy One, blessed be He, extended mercy to him by waiting until he became strong enough. And just as the Holy One, blessed be He, has mercy on human beings, so does He have mercy on animals; as it is written, “A bullock, a lamb, or a kid goat, when it is born, it shall be seven days under its mother, but from the eighth day and thenceforth it may be accepted as an offering to G-d.” Not only this – but the Holy One, blessed be He, declared, “[A mother cow] and her young you shall not slaughter on the same day.” And just as the Holy One, blessed be He, has mercy upon beasts, so does He have mercy upon birds, as it is written, “When you encounter a bird’s nest…”
דָּבָר אַחֵר, שַׁלֵּחַ תְּשַׁלַּח, רַבָּנָן אָמְרֵי אִם שִׁלַּחְתָּ מִצְוַת הַקֵּן, אַתְּ זוֹכֶה לְשַׁלֵּחַ עֶבֶד עִבְרִי, מִנַּיִן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים טו, יג): וְכִי תְשַׁלְּחֶנּוּ חָפְשִׁי מֵעִמָּךְ. דָּבָר אַחֵר, מַהוּ שַׁלֵּחַ תְּשַׁלַּח אֶת הָאֵם, אִם קִיַּמְתָּ מִצְוָה זוֹ, אַתְּ מְמַהֵר לְבוֹא מֶלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ... דָּבָר אַחֵר, אָמַר רַבִּי תַּנְחוּמָא, אִם קִיַּמְתָּ הַמִּצְוָה הַזֹּאת אַתָּה מְמַהֵר אֶת אֵלִיָּהוּ הַנָּבִיא זָכוּר לַטּוֹב שֶׁיָּבוֹא, שֶׁכָּתוּב בּוֹ שִׁלּוּחַ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (מלאכי ג, כג): הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי שֹׁלֵחַ לָכֶם אֶת אֵלִיָּה הַנָּבִיא, וְהוּא יָבוֹא וִינַחֵם אֶתְכֶם, מִנַּיִן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (מלאכי ג, כד): וְהֵשִׁיב לֵב אָבוֹת עַל בָּנִים.
Why does the verse use a double expression? Because one who fulfills the “sending forth” of this precept will be granted the privilege of “sending forth” a slave to freedom. As it is written, “And when you send him forth free . . .” Another thing, fulfilling the precept of sending forth the mother bird also hastens the advent of the Mashiach. . . Rabbi Tanchuma said: Fulfilling this precept hastens the arrival of Elijah the Prophet, whose coming is associated with the expression “to send forth.” As it states, “Behold, I shall send forth to you Elijah the Prophet before the coming of the great and awesome day of G-d...” and he shall console you as it says, “He will return the hearts of the parents towards the children.”