Daily Mitzvah, Day 104: Sending Away the Mother Bird
Study the daily lesson of Sefer HaMitzvos for day 104 with Rabbi Mendel Kaplan, where he teaches the mitzvah in-depth with added insight and detail.
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Rabbi Mendel Kaplan is the Spiritual Leader and Executive Director of Chabad Flamingo in Thornhill, Ontario, serving one of Canada’s most dynamic Jewish communities. He also serves as Chaplain of the York Regional Police Service. He is an active member of Toronto’s Vaad HaRabbanim (Council of Orthodox Rabbis), and a voting member of the COR Kashruth Council of Canada’s executive rabbinical board. Rabbi Kaplan is featured regularly on many local television and radio shows. He is a sought after speaker, with hundreds of lectures on Chabad.org. He and his wife, Faygie, are blessed with eight children. Artistically endowed, the rabbi enjoys drawing, sketching and creating charcoal portraits.
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Hello Rabb. I recently found out that Muscovy ducks aren’t kosher. I try looking for the reason why this species is not a kosher bird, but did not find any specifics. Can you please elaborate on this issue.
The Torah does not list signs of a kosher bird or lists of kosher birds. Instead, it lists the non-kosher birds. However, over time, the exact meaning of those bird names has been lost. We do not know definitively which ones are kosher and which aren't. So, the custom became to only eat birds for which we have an established tradition that they are kosher.
This leads of to the Muscovy duck. We do not have a direct tradition that it is kosher. But it is very similar biologically to other birds which do have an established tradition. So, what do we do? Do we outlaw it because there is no tradition, or permit it by inference from other similar bird?
Different rabbis have chosen different paths. In France and Israel, it is more common to find those who permit it, while in the U.S., most authorities forbid it.
See chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/3649755/jewish/What-Are-the-Signs-of-a-Kosher-Bird.htm