Shiluach Haken - How to Do It Exactly? A Clear and Simple Explanation
- כ"ה אדר א' התשע"ד
a question
Hello! I wanted to know what the mitzvah of Shiluach Haken is and what blessing is said over Bissli... And something else: what is important to know about Mayim Acharonim, can they be done with bottled water and if there is nowhere to do it? And one last question: is it permissible on Shabbat to play a game that forms words from letters? Thanks!
Answer
Greetings and blessings. The Torah instructs in Deuteronomy 22:6-7, "If you encounter a bird's nest in your path, in any tree or on the ground, with chicks or eggs and the mother bird is sitting on the chicks or on the eggs, do not take the mother with the young. You shall surely send away the mother and take the young for yourself, so that it will be good for you and you will have a prolonged life." To summarize briefly: According to peshat (the simple interpretation), the commandment ensures the preservation of species by not taking the mother with the young, promoting the survival of species. Pursuing the spiritual benefits derived from the concern for sustainability earns prolonged life, a measure-for-measure reward. The Rambam (Maimonides) explains in the Guide for the Perplexed Part III, Chapter 48, that the mitzvah is to avoid causing the mother bird sorrow by seeing the taking of her young. Like the mitzvah of not slaughtering a parent and its young on the same day, this mitzvah encourages compassion. According to kabbalah (mystical interpretation), performing this mitzvah arouses mercy upon the world as the mother bird's separation prompts divine compassion, linking to the redemption of Israel. The blessing for Bissli is "Borei Minei Mezonot" (Creator of Various Kinds of Nourishment). Regarding Mayim Acharonim, one only needs to wash up to the second joint of the fingers and lower their hands before drying. There is no requirement to use a vessel for Mayim Acharonim; tap water or other sources are acceptable. The water should not be poured on the ground in walkways due to concerns of harmful spirits; instead, it should be collected in a vessel or under the table, followed by Birkat Hamazon with no interruption between the washing and blessing. Water should not be taken for washing from a drinking vessel. Playing word-forming puzzle games is not permissible on Shabbat. Blessings, Binyamin Shmueli. Here is a lesson from Rabbi Zamir Cohen on the ethics of Shiluach Haken.
