1When a person takes a mother together with its young and slaughters it, the meat is permitted to be eaten.1 He is, however, liable for lashes for slaughtering the mother,2 as Deuteronomy 22:6 states: “Do not take the mother together with its offspring.” אהַלּוֹקֵחַ אֵם עַל הַבָּנִים וּשְׁחָטָן - הַבָּשָׂר מֻתָּר בַּאֲכִילָה, וְלוֹקֶה עַל שְׁחִיטַת הָאֵם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "לֹא תִקַּח הָאֵם עַל הַבָּנִים" (דברים כב, ו).
Similarly, if it died before he sent it away, he is liable for lashes.3 If he sent it away after he took it, he is not liable.4 וְכֵן אִם מֵתָה קֹדֶם שֶׁיְּשַׁלְּחֶנָּה, לוֹקֶה. וְאִם שִׁלְּחָהּ אַחַר שֶׁלְּקָחָהּ, פָּטוּר.
2Similarly, with regard to all negative commandments that can be corrected by a positive commandment,5 one is obligated to fulfill the positive commandment. If he does not fulfill it, he is liable for lashes. 6בוְכֵן כָּל מִצְוַת לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁנִּתְּקָה לַעֲשֵׂה, חַיָּב לְקַיֵּם עֲשֵׂה שֶׁבָּהּ; וְאִם לֹא קִיְּמוֹ, לוֹקֶה.
3If another person comes and seizes the mother bird from his hands and sends it away or it took flight from his possession without his knowledge, he is liable for lashes. This is implied by ibid.:7: “You shall certainly send away the mother,” i.e., he must send away the mother bird himself. If not, he did not fulfill the related positive commandment.7 גבָּא אֶחָד וְחָטַף הָאֵם מִיָּדוֹ וְשִׁלְּחָהּ, אוֹ שֶׁבָּרְחָה מִתַּחַת יָדוֹ שֶׁלֹּא מִדַּעְתּוֹ - לוֹקֶה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "שַׁלֵּחַ תְּשַׁלַּח" (דברים כב, ז) - עַד שֶׁיְּשַׁלַּח מֵעַצְמוֹ, וַהֲרֵי לֹא קִיַּם עֲשֵׂה שֶׁבָּהּ.
4If he took a mother bird together with its young, cut off its wings so that it cannot fly and sent it away,8 he is given stripes for rebellious conduct.9דנָטַל אֵם עַל הַבָּנִים, וְקָצַץ אֲגַפֶּיהָ כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא תָעוּף, וְשִׁלְּחָהּ - מַכִּין אוֹתוֹ מַכַּת מַרְדּוּת.

Mishneh Torah (Moznaim)

Featuring a modern English translation and a commentary that presents a digest of the centuries of Torah scholarship which have been devoted to the study of the Mishneh Torah by Maimonides.

He must keep the mother bird in his possession until her wings grow back and then send her away. וּמַשְׁהֶה אוֹתָהּ אֶצְלוֹ עַד שֶׁיִּגְדְּלוּ כְּנָפֶיהָ, וּמְשַׁלְּחָהּ.
If the mother died before this or fled and was lost, he is liable for lashes, for he did not fulfill the related positive commandment.וְאִם מֵתָה קֹדֶם לְזֶה אוֹ בָּרְחָה וְאָבְדָה - לוֹקֶה, שֶׁהֲרֵי לֹא קִיַּם עֲשֵׂה שֶׁבָּהּ.
5How must one send away the mother? He holds her by her wings and has her fly away.הוְכֵיצַד מְשַׁלֵּחַ הָאֵם? אוֹחֵז בִּכְנָפֶיהָ וּמַפְרִיחָהּ.
If he sent her away and she returned, he sent her away and she returned10 - even if this happens - four or five times, he is obligated to send her away, as implied by the repetition of the verb in the phrase: “You shall certainly send away.”11 שִׁלְּחָהּ וְחָזְרָה וְשִׁלְּחָהּ וְחָזְרָה, אַפִלּוּ אַרְבָּעָה וַחֲמִשָּׁה פְּעָמִים - חַיָּב לְשַׁלֵּחַ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "שַׁלֵּחַ תְּשַׁלַּח" (דברים כב, ז).
6Although a person says “I will take the mother bird and send away the young,”12 he is obligated to send away the mother bird, as the verse states: “You shall certainly send away the mother.”והָאוֹמֵר 'הֲרֵינִי נוֹטֵל אֶת הָאֵם וּמְשַׁלֵּחַ אֶת הַבָּנִים' - חַיָּב לְשַׁלֵּחַ הָאֵם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "שַׁלֵּחַ תְּשַׁלַּח אֶת הָאֵם" (דברים כב, ז).
7If he sent away the mother,13 took the offspring and then returned them to the nest and the mother came back to them, he is not obligated to send her away.14זלָקַח אֶת הַבָּנִים וְהֶחֱזִירָן לַקֵּן, וְאַחַר כָּךְ חָזְרָה הָאֵם עֲלֵיהֶן - פָּטוּר מִלְּשַׁלֵּחַ.
It is permitted to send away the mother and then snare her again.שִׁלַּח אֶת הָאֵם, וְחָזַר וְצָד אוֹתָהּ - הֲרֵי זֶה מֻתָּר.
The Torah forbade snaring only when she cannot fly away because of her offspring over which she is hovering so that they not be taken,15 as ibid.:6 states: “And the mother is resting on the chicks.” If, however, he removed her from his grasp and then snared her again, it is permitted.לֹא אָסְרָה תּוֹרָה אֶלָא לָצוּד אוֹתָהּ וְהִיא אֵינָהּ יְכוֹלָה לִפְרֹחַ, בִּשְׁבִיל הַבָּנִים שֶׁהִיא מְרַחֶפֶת עֲלֵיהֶן שֶׁלֹּא יִלָּקְחוּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וְהָאֵם רֹבֶצֶת עַל הָאֶפְרֹחִים" (דברים כב, ו); אֲבָל אִם הוֹצִיאָהּ מִתַּחַת יָדוֹ, וְחָזַר וְצָדָהּ - מֻתָּר.
8The mitzvah to send away the mother bird applies only with regard to a kosher species of fowl16 that are not at hand, e.g., doves that rested in a dovecote or on a loft,17 wild fowl that nested in an orchard. This is derived from the phrase (ibid.): “When you will chance upon.”חשִׁלּוּחַ הָאֵם אֵינוֹ נוֹהֵג אֶלָא בְּעוֹף טָהוֹר שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְזֻמָּן, כְּגוֹן יוֹנֵי שׁוֹבָךְ וַעֲלִיָּה וְעוֹפוֹת שֶׁקִּנְּנוּ בַּפַּרְדֵּס - שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "כִּי יִקָּרֵא קַן צִפּוֹר לְפָנֶיךָ" (דברים כב, ו).
When, however, fowl is at hand, e.g., ducks, chicken, and doves that nested in a building, one is not liable to send away the mother.אֲבָל הַמְּזֻמָּן, כְּגוֹן אַוָזִין וְתֻרְנְגוֹלִין וְיוֹנִים שֶׁקִּנְּנוּ בַּבַּיִת - אֵינוֹ חַיָּב לְשַׁלֵּחַ.
9If the chicks could fly and thus they no longer needed their mother or the mother was sitting on unfertilized eggs,18 he is not obligated to send away the mother.19טהָיוּ הָאֶפְרוֹחִין מַפְרִחִין שֶׁאֵינָן צְרִיכִין לְאִמָּן, אוֹ בֵּיצִים מוּזָרוֹת - אֵינוֹ חַיָּב לְשַׁלֵּחַ.
If the chicks were treifot, it is comparable to unfertilized eggs and he is not liable to send away the mother. הָיוּ הָאֶפְרוֹחִין טְרֵפָה - הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ כְּבֵיצִים מוּזָרוֹת, וּפָטוּר מִלְּשַׁלֵּחַ.
10When a male fowl is resting on a nest, one is not obligated to send him away before taking the young.20יזָכָר שֶׁמְּצָאוֹ רוֹבֵץ עַל הַקֵּן, פָּטוּר מִלְּשַׁלֵּחַ.
When a non-kosher bird is resting on the nest of the eggs of a kosher fowl or a kosher fowl is resting on the eggs of a non-kosher fowl, one is not obligated to send away the fowl that is resting.21 עוֹף טָמֵא רוֹבֵץ עַל בֵּיצֵי עוֹף טָהוֹר, אוֹ עוֹף טָהוֹר רוֹבֵץ עַל בֵּיצֵי עוֹף טָמֵא - פָּטוּר מִלְּשַׁלֵּחַ.
11When a kosher fowl was resting on kosher eggs of a different species, one should send the bird away. If, however, one fails to do so, one is not liable.22 If the mother is treifah, he is obligated to send her away.23 יאהָיְתָה רוֹבֶצֶת עַל בֵּיצִים שֶׁאֵינָן מִינָהּ, וְהֵן טְהוֹרִין - הֲרֵי זֶה מְשַׁלֵּחַ; וְאִם לֹא שִׁלַּח, אֵינוֹ לוֹקֶה. הָיְתָה הָאֵם טְרֵפָה, חַיָּב לְשַׁלְּחָהּ.
12When one slits a portion of the gullet24 of the mother25 before he took her, he is liable to send her away. If he did not send her away, he is not liable for lashes.26 יבשָׁחַט מִקְצַת סִימָנִין בְּתוֹךְ הַקֵּן קֹדֶם שֶׁיִּקָּחֶנָּה, חַיָּב לְשַׁלֵּחַ; וְאִם לֹא שִׁלַּח, אֵינוֹ לוֹקֶה.
13The following laws apply if the mother bird was hovering over the nest: If her wings were touching the nest, one is obligated to send her away.27 If not, he is not obligated.יגהָיְתָה מְעַפְעֶפֶת: אִם כְּנָפֶיהָ נוֹגְעוֹת בַּקֵּן, חַיָּב לְשַׁלֵּחַ; וְאִם לֹא הָיוּ נוֹגְעוֹת, פָּטוּר מִלְּשַׁלֵּחַ.
If there was a cloth or feathers intervening between her wings and the nest, he must send her away. If he did not send her away, he is not liable for lashes.28 הָיְתָה מַטְלִית אוֹ כְּנָפַיִם חוֹצְצוֹת בֵּין כְּנָפֶיהָ וּבֵין הַקֵּן, הֲרֵי זֶה מְשַׁלֵּחַ; וְאִם לֹא שִׁלַּח, אֵינוֹ לוֹקֶה.
14If there were two rows of eggs and the mother bird’s wings were touching only the top row, the mother bird was sitting on unfertilized eggs, but there were good eggs below them, one female was sitting on another female, a male was sitting on the nest and the female was sitting on the male - in all these situations, one should not take the mother bird with the offspring. If he takes her, he should send her away. But if he does not send her away, he is not liable for lashes.29 ידהָיוּ שְׁנֵי סִדְרֵי בֵּיצִים, וּכְנָפֶיהָ נוֹגְעוֹת בַּסֵּדֶר הָעֶלְיוֹן, אוֹ שֶׁהָיְתָה רוֹבֶצֶת עַל בֵּיצִים מוּזָרוֹת, וְתַחְתֵּיהֶן בֵּיצִים יָפוֹת, אוֹ שֶׁהָיְתָה אֵם עַל גַּבֵּי אֵם, אוֹ שֶׁהָיָה הַזָּכָר עַל הַקֵּן וְהָאֵם רוֹבֶצֶת עַל הַזָּכָר - הֲרֵי זֶה לֹא יִקַּח; וְאִם לָקַח, יְשַׁלַּח; וְאִם לֹא שִׁלַּח, אֵינוֹ לוֹקֶה.
15If the mother bird was sitting among the young or the eggs and was not touching them,30 one is not liable to send her away.31טוהָיְתָה יוֹשֶׁבֶת בֵּין הָאֶפְרוֹחִים אוֹ בֵּין הַבֵּיצִים, וְאֵינָהּ נוֹגַעַת בָּהֶן - פָּטוּר מִלְּשַׁלֵּחַ.
Similarly, if she was at the side of the nest and her wings were touching the nest from the side, he is not obligated to send her away.וְכֵן אִם הָיְתָה בְּצַד הַקֵּן, וּכְנָפֶיהָ נוֹגְעוֹת בַּקֵּן מִצִּדּוֹ - פָּטוּר מִלְּשַׁלֵּחַ.
16When the mother bird was perched on two branches of a tree and the nest was positioned between them, we make an evaluation. In all instances where the mother would fall on the nest if the branches were removed, one is obligated to send her away.32 טזהָיְתָה עַל שְׁנֵי בַּדֵּי אִילָן וְהַקֵּן בֵּינֵיהֶן - רוֹאִין: כָּל שֶׁאִלּוּ יִנָּטְלוּ הַבַּדִּין תִּפֹּל עַל הַקֵּן, חַיָּב לְשַׁלֵּחַ.
17When the mother is resting on one chick or on one egg, one is obligated to send her away.33 יזהָיְתָה רוֹבֶצֶת עַל אֶפְרוֹחַ אֶחָד אוֹ עַל בֵּיצָה אַחַת - חַיָּב לְשַׁלֵּחַ.
When a person finds a nest floating on the water or positioned on the back of an animal, he is obligated to send the mother away.הַמּוֹצֵא קֵן עַל פְּנֵי הַמַּיִם, אוֹ עַל גַּבֵּי בַּעֲלֵי חַיִּים - חַיָּב לְשַׁלֵּחַ.
The verse mentions “chicks or eggs”34 and “on any tree or on the ground” not as exclusions, but because the Torah speaks about the commonplace situations.35 לֹא נֶאֱמַר "אֶפְרֹחִים אוֹ בֵיצִים" (דברים כב, ו) וְלֹא נֶאֱמַר "בְּכָל עֵץ אוֹ עַל הָאָרֶץ" (שם), אֶלָא שֶׁדִּבֵּר הַכָּתוּב בַּהוֹוֶה.
18It is forbidden to acquire the eggs as long as the mother is resting upon them.יחאָסוּר לִזְכּוֹת בַּבֵּיצִים כָּל זְמַן שֶׁהָאֵם רוֹבֶצֶת עֲלֵיהֶן.
Therefore even if a mother bird was resting on eggs or chicks in one’s loft or dovecote, they are not considered as “at hand” and his courtyard does not acquire them for him.36לְפִיכָךְ אַפִלּוּ הָיְתָה רוֹבֶצֶת עַל הַבֵּיצִים אוֹ עַל הָאֶפְרוֹחִים בַּעֲלִיָּתוֹ וְשׁוֹבָכוֹ - אֵינָן מְזֻמָּנִין, וְלֹא קָנְתָה לוֹ חֲצֵרוֹ.
Just as he cannot acquire them on behalf of others until he sends away the mother, so, too, his courtyard cannot acquire them on his behalf. 37Therefore, he must send her away. 38כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לִזְכּוֹת בָּהֶן לַאֲחֵרִים, כָּךְ לֹא תִזְכֶּה לוֹ חֲצֵרוֹ בָּהֶן. וּלְפִיכָךְ חַיָּב לְשַׁלֵּחַ.
19It is forbidden to take a mother bird together with her offspring, even to purify a person with tzara’at.39יטאָסוּר לִטֹּל אֵם עַל הַבָּנִים, וְאַפִלּוּ לְטַהֵר בָּהֶן אֶת הַמְּצֹרָע שֶׁהִיא מִצְוָה.
If he took the mother, he is obligated to send her away. If he did not, he is liable for lashes.40וְאִם לָקַח, חַיָּב לְשַׁלֵּחַ; וְאִם לֹא שִׁלַּח, לוֹקֶה.
The rationale is that a positive commandment41 does not supersede the observance of a negative commandment that is reinforced by a positive commandment.42 And a positive commandment does not supersede another positive commandment.43 שֶׁאֵין עֲשֵׂה דּוֹחֶה אֶת לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה וַעֲשֵׂה, וְלֹא עֲשֵׂה דּוֹחֶה עֲשֵׂה.
20The following rule applies when a person consecrates a wild fowl to the Temple treasury, it flies away from his hand, but he recognizes it and finds it resting on chicks or on eggs. He should take the entire nest44 and bring it to the Temple treasurer. כהַמַּקְדִּישׁ עוֹף לְבֶדֶק הַבַּיִת, וּפָרַח מִיָּדוֹ וַהֲרֵי הוּא מַכִּירוֹ, וּמְצָאוֹ רוֹבֵץ עַל הָאֶפְרוֹחִים אוֹ עַל הַבֵּיצִים - לוֹקֵחַ הַכֹּל, וּמְבִיאָן לִידֵי גִּזְבָּר.
The rationale is that the mitzvah of sending away the mother bird does not apply with regard to consecrated fowl, as implied by Deuteronomy 22:7: “And you may take the offspring for yourself.” These may not be taken for yourself.45 שֶׁאֵין שִׁלּוּחַ הָאֵם נוֹהֵג בַּמֻּקְדָּשִׁין, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וְאֶת הַבָּנִים תִּקַּח לְךָ" (דברים כב, ז), וְאֵין אֵלּוּ שֶׁלּוֹ.
21When a fowl killed a human being, one is not obligated to send it away. The rationale is that one is commanded to bring it to court so that it will be judged.46 כאעוֹף שֶׁהָרַג אֶת הַנֶּפֶשׁ - פָּטוּר מִלְּשַׁלֵּחַ, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא מְצֻוֶּה לַהֲבִיאוֹ לְבֵית דִּין לָדוּן אוֹתוֹ.