Chance Encounters

“If you chance upon a bird nest…. send away the mother and then you can take the young…When you build a new house… make a fence for your roof.” (Devarim 22:6-8)

The wide sweep of topics in this parshah moves from the serene surroundings of a bird’s nest to the bustling building of one’s future home.

The former, the mitzvah of shiluach hakein, commands us to consider the pain of a mother when her children are being endangered. The latter, the mitzvah of maakeh, requires us to prepare a detailed plan for a safe new home. Shiluach hakein is a mitzvah of chance — for one who happens upon come across a nest — while building a home takes preparation.

Different places, different circumstances — and yet they are juxtaposed. Why? (Rabbi Yaakov Neuberger, The TorahWeb Foundation)