(Devarim 22:7) "Send, shall you send away the mother-bird": This is a positive commandment. If he sent her away and she returned — even four or five times — he is obligated to continue sending her, it being written "Send shall you send." But if he sent her and she returned to his hand, he is exempt from sending her again.
A male partridge (which is wont to hatch the eggs of other birds) — R. Eliezer says: It is subject to being sent away, it being written "Send shall you send." The sages say: It is exempt, it being written "the mother-bird" — to exclude the male partridge.
If one takes the mother-bird together with the young, (transgressing a negative commandment) — R. Yehudah says: He is lashed and does not send it away. The sages say: He sends it away and does not get lashes. This is the rule: All negative commandments annexed to positive commandments are not liable to stripes, (awaiting the fulfillment of the positive commandment). "You shall not take" — even to cleanse the leper. (Ibid. 7) "so that it shall be good for you and you prolong days": Now does this not follow a fortiori, viz.: If of a (monetarily) negligible mitzvah, (the expense involved in its performance) being no more than an issar, the Torah writes "so that it shall be good for you and you shall prolong days," how much more so is this true of the "formidable" mitzvoth of the Torah! (Ibid. 8).
(דברים כב ז) שַׁלֵּחַ תְּשַׁלַּח – מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה. שִׁלְּחָהּ וְחָזְרָה, שִׁלְּחָהּ וְחָזְרָה, אֲפִלּוּ חָמֵשׁ פְּעָמִים – חַיָּב לְשַׁלֵּחַ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: שַׁלֵּחַ תְּשַׁלַּח.
(Devarim 22:7) "Send, shall you send away the mother-bird": This is a positive commandment. If he sent her away and she returned — even four or five times — he is obligated to continue sending her, it being written "Send shall you send." But if he sent her and she returned to his hand, he is exempt from sending her again.
הָאַוָּזִים וְתַרְנְגוֹלִים שֶׁמָּרְדוּ וְשֶׁקִּנְּנוּ בַּפַּרְדֵּס – חַיָּב לְשַׁלֵּחַ; בַּבַּיִת – פָּטוּר מִלְּשַׁלֵּחַ.
(דברים כב ו) אֶפְרוֹחִים אוֹ בֵיצִים, מָה אֶפְרוֹחִים שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּם צוֹרֶךְ – יָצְאוּ מֵתִים שֶׁאֵין בָּהֶם צוֹרֶךְ, אַף בֵּיצִים שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהֶם צוֹרֶךְ – יָצְאוּ בֵּיצִים מוּזָרוֹת שֶׁאֵין בָּהֶם צוֹרֶךְ. מִעוּט אֶפְרוֹחִים שְׁנַיִם, מִעוּט בֵּיצִים שְׁנַיִם, וַאֲפִלּוּ אֵין שָׁם אֶלָּא בֵּיצָה אַחַת אוֹ אֶפְרוֹחַ אֶחָד – חַיָּב לְשַׁלֵּחַ. דָּבָר אַחֵר: כִּי יִקָּרֵא קַן צִפּוֹר לְפָנֶיךָ מִכָּל מָקוֹם.
בַּדֶּרֶךְ בְּכָל עֵץ אוֹ עַל הָאָרֶץ, מַה דֶּרֶךְ רְשׁוּת – יָצְאוּ מְקֻשָּׁרִים שֶׁהֵן בִּרְשׁוּת אַחֵר.
דָּבָר אַחֵר: (דברים כב ז) שַׁלֵּחַ תְּשַׁלַּח בִּטְהוֹרָה הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר; אוֹ אַף בִּטְמֵאָה? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ״כָּל צִפּוֹר טְהוֹרָה תֹּאכֵלוּ״ זֶה בִּנְיַן אָב, כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר צִפּוֹר – בִּטְהוֹרָה הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר, כְּדִבְרֵי רַבִּי יֹאשִׁיָּה, הָא אִם שִׁלְּחָהּ וְהֶחְזִיר בַּדֶּרֶךְ אֶת פָּנָיו – פָּטוּר מִלְּשַׁלֵּחַ.
שַׁלֵּחַ תְּשַׁלַּח – בַּנְּקֵבוֹת הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר וְלֹא בַּזְּכָרִים.
"Send shall you send the mother-bird": Scripture speaks of (sending away) females and not males.
קוֹרֵא זָכָר – רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר מְחַיֵּב בְּשִׁלּוּחַ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: שַׁלֵּחַ תְּשַׁלַּח, וַחֲכָמִים פּוֹטְרִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: הָאֵם – פְּרָט לְקוֹרֵא זָכָר.
A male partridge (which is wont to hatch the eggs of other birds) — R. Eliezer says: It is subject to being sent away, it being written "Send shall you send." The sages say: It is exempt, it being written "the mother-bird" — to exclude the male partridge.
הַנּוֹטֵל אֵם מֵעַל הַבָּנִים, רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר: לוֹקֶה וְאֵינוֹ מְשַׁלֵּחַ, וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים מְשַׁלֵּחַ וְאֵינוֹ לוֹקֶה וְכוּ׳ מַתְנִי׳ עַד מִצְווֹת חֲמוּרוֹת שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה.
If one takes the mother-bird together with the young, (transgressing a negative commandment) — R. Yehudah says: He is lashed and does not send it away. The sages say: He sends it away and does not get lashes. This is the rule: All negative commandments annexed to positive commandments are not liable to stripes, (awaiting the fulfillment of the positive commandment). "You shall not take" — even to cleanse the leper. (Ibid. 7) "so that it shall be good for you and you prolong days": Now does this not follow a fortiori, viz.: If of a (monetarily) negligible mitzvah, (the expense involved in its performance) being no more than an issar, the Torah writes "so that it shall be good for you and you shall prolong days," how much more so is this true of the "formidable" mitzvoth of the Torah! (Ibid. 8).