The Biblical Museum of Natural History

This week's parasha has a bird-related mitzvah:

“If you happen upon a bird's nest along the road, in any tree or on the ground, with fledglings or eggs, and the mother is crouching over the fledglings or on the eggs, do not take the mother together with the young. Send away the mother, and take the young for yourself, in order that it may be good for you, and your days shall be lengthened.” (Deuteronomy 22:6-7)

For many centuries there have been deep divisions between the rationalist and mystical schools of thought in Judaism, and this mitzvah exemplifies the differences between them. According to the rationalist school of thought, the mitzvah of shiluach hakein is all about compassion; one may not take both mother and young, and when taking the young, one sends away the mother so she does not suffer the trauma of witnessing it. Thus, the entire mitzvah is only relevant if one actually wants the eggs (which historically would generally have been the case); if one doesn’t want the eggs, it would be needlessly cruel to send away the mother bird. According to the mystical school of thought, on the other hand, the mitzvah is not about compassion but rather about setting various supernatural forces into motion; accordingly, one sends away the mother bird even if one does not actually want the eggs.

For extensive discussion, see Rationalism vs. Mysticism: Schisms in Traditional Jewish Thought by museum director Rabbi Dr. Natan Slifkin, available on the museum website (with free shipping in the US).

Please join us in giving a well deserved round of applause for Batya Levin!
Batya has recently finished her year of Sherut Leumi (national service) with us.

Over the past year, Batya has been an invaluable part of our team. From caring for our diverse collection of animals -feeding them, cleaning enclosures, and ensuring their wellbeing- to welcoming visitors and helping create unforgettable museum experiences, she's done it all with dedication, warmth, and an ever-present smile.
One of our favourite parts of her story? Just two years ago, Batya visited the museum on a school trip and immediately knew this was where she wanted to do her national service.

Batya, thank you for everything you've brought to the museum this past year. Your enthusiasm, kindness, and hard work have made a real difference - to our animals, our visitors, and our team. Your chameleon painting will always hang in a place of honour.

We congratulate Batya on a fantastic year of service and wish her every success in the exciting journey ahead! 🩷

You guessed it... We've got a brand new, beautiful Syrian brown bear from Animal Replicas and he needs a name!
Put your suggestions in the comments and we will pin the winner👀🐻
Can't wait to see what you come up with!

We have a new friend joining us! Any guesses on what it could be?

If you've ever visited the museum, met one of our amazing animals, or discovered the Bible in a whole new way, we'd love to stay connected.
Because a museum needs more than visitors.
It needs Friends.
❤️ Learn more: https://www.biblicalnaturalhistory.org/friends

What's happening here? Wrong answers only!

Parashat Shoftim features a word with a reptilian connection:
“When the Lord your God brings you to the land that you are about to enter and possess, and dislodges (nashal) many nations before you—the Hittites, Girgash*tes, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, seven nations much larger than you.” (Deuteronomy 7:1)
The commentaries explain that the word “nashal” refers to something being cast away or dislodged. This word is used in Modern Hebrew to refer to a sloughed skin, such as that of a snake. Many animals shed the outer layer of their skin as they grow. Humans shed their outer layer of skin cells every two to four weeks. With many reptiles, the skin is shed in large sections. With snakes, it is often shed as a single piece, around four times annually. In the picture here, you can even see the skin of the eyes of our large python! We have several shed skins of snakes on exhibit for visitors to see.

Shabbat Shalom!