The Importance of Insignificance

 

Near the beginning of Parashat Ki Tetze, we come across a seemingly simple piece of Text that gives instruction on what appears to be basic ethical behavior.  It reads as follows:

 

If a bird's nest happens to be before you on the road...and the mother is roosting on the young birds or on the eggs....  You shall surely send away the mother and take the young for yourself, so that it will be good for you and you will prolong your days. Deuteronomy 22:6-7.

 

It seems straightforward enough.  One must protect the mother bird from being a horrified witness to the kidnapping of her own children; we must shield her from pain.  Through it we learn that ethical behavior extends to all of our actions. Even to those actions which seem insignificant in our human-centered world.

 

But, I believe there is a deeper meaning.  Upon closer examination it would appear that the insertion of this Torah law here, when it will be read during the month of Elul, is not by chance.   Indeed, the Text expresses the essence of our task in the month of Elul. These 29 days represent a time during which we reflect on the past year.  Our tradition beseeches us to review our actions, to examine our relationships, and to fully assess ourselves. We do this in order to try to improve ourselves, but also so that God will look upon us favorably at the time of judging us during the Yamim Noraim, the Days of Awe (The High Holy Days). 

 

In a wonderfully subtle way the two verses cited above provide us with a basic starting point from which we can springboard to accomplish our self-assessment.  We are being taught that we need to recognize that every action we take, no matter how seemingly trivial, has an impact on others around us.  We might be inclined to see the act of taking an egg from a nest as merely an attempt to feed ourselves. We are hungry.  We see an egg.  We take it.  It is simple.  However, this piece of Torah is reminding us that nothing is simple.  If we take that egg, we may well ultimately satisfy our hunger, but we are also taking something hugely precious to the mother bird. 

 

We are being taught that it would be improper to think or say, "It's only a bird."  Instead we must question how our actions will affect those around us, even a bird.  If we must worry about the impact of our actions upon a bird, how much more so must we worry about the effect of our actions upon the people around us?

 

The lesson to be learned is that any action we take, no matter how seemingly insignificant it may seem, has far reaching, and often unconsidered, consequences.  The Torah is imploring us to recognize that before we do something, we should consider not only the initial impact of that action, but the secondary and tertiary effects as well.  We are required to take note of the bigger picture.  The mother bird is not just a bird.  Rather, she also represents all of humanity and the world in which we live.

 

As if to highlight the connection between Parashat Ki Tetze and Elul, verse 7 ends by telling us that if we act as described, we will "prolong" our days.  This hints at our ultimate goal during the Yamim Noraim.  Our introspective reflection during Elul is intended to prepare us for God's ultimate review of us during the High Holy Days. The message in the Text is that if we are mindful of our actions and how they impact those around us (all of those around us), we stand a better chance of being in God's good graces and therefore have a greater possibility of finding ourselves with a positive judgment and looking forward to a happy and healthy New Year. 

 

The mother bird, or the chick, or the egg, or the nest, may seem insignificant, but how we treat them is most definitely not.  Acting with kindness and justice toward others, improves our lives and provides a model for how to make the world a better place. 

 

Shabbat Shalom - Rabbi Michael S. Jay