Dear Rav Lebowitz, Thank you so much for sharing so many of your shiurim over the years! Regarding this one, I was just wondering what haRav may think about R' Dovid Fohrman's interpretation of the mitzvah - he links "eim al banim" to Yaacov in Vayischlach where clearly the phrase refers to the paternal instinct to protect one's children, and hence why the reward is long life for both kibbud av and for shiluach hakan - Hashem 'forced' this instinct onto parents/mother birds, thus we are commanded to honor them. Thus even though the mother bird would be an easy snatch for us as she won't abandon her nest, the Torah tells us NOT to take advantage of her maternal instinct and catch her - you may keep her eggs, but must send her away. Thus it was difficult for me to understand the question in your shiur - why would anyone go out of their way to cause anguish to a mother bird when they want neither the bird nor the eggs. Kind regards, kol tuv, and thank you so much again, Yaacov Safier

Dear Rav Lebowitz, Thank you so much for sharing so many of your shiurim over the years! Regarding this one, I was just wondering what haRav may think about R' Dovid Fohrman's interpretation of the mitzvah - he links "eim al banim" to Yaacov in Vayischlach where clearly the phrase refers to the paternal instinct to protect one's children, and hence why the reward is long life for both kibbud av and for shiluach hakan - Hashem 'forced' this instinct onto parents/mother birds, thus we are commanded to honor them. Thus even though the mother bird would be an easy snatch for us as she won't abandon her nest, the Torah tells us NOT to take advantage of her maternal instinct and catch her - you may keep her eggs, but must send her away. Thus it was difficult for me to understand the question in your shiur - why would anyone go out of their way to cause anguish to a mother bird when they want neither the bird nor the eggs. Kind regards, kol tuv, and thank you so much again, Yaacov Safier