Sending Away The Mother Bird From Her Nest– What the Zohar Reveals

"If a bird’s nest happens to be before you on the way, in any tree or on the ground, with fledglings or eggs, and the mother is sitting upon the fledglings or upon the eggs—you shall surely send away the mother, and take the young for yourself." [Deuteronomy 22:6-7]

You know that in the Zohar it is written that there is an angel appointed over the birds. And when the Nation of Israel fulfill the commandment of sending away the mother bird (Shiluch HaKen), and the mother is driven away and the young are crying, then the angel who advocates for the birds comes and says to the Holy One, blessed be He: "Is it not written, 'His mercies are over all His works'? Why did You decree upon this bird that it be driven from its nest?" And every appointed angel advocates for his own birds. But when Israel fulfills the commandment of sending away the mother bird, what does the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He says to them: "What, is there none among you who will advocate for My children? What about My children? What about the Holy Divine Presence (Shechinah)? She is in exile, and Her nest—Jerusalem—is destroyed, and Her children are in exile under harsh masters, under the nations of the world, and there is no one who seeks mercy and advocates for them?" At that moment, the Holy One, blessed be He, cries out and orders to save the Nation of Israel, for His own sake and for the honor of His Name. And then, compassion is awakened upon the Divine Presence and upon Her children who are in exile. It is a great thing, the sending away of the (mother bird from the) nest.