It was my daughter who realized that we had a mitzvah opportunity on our hands, and after our son consulted with the Rav, we were told that we could perform the mitzvah on this American Robin. First however, we had to make it hefker and then determine which was the mother bird as both the father and the mother of this breed take turns sitting on their blue eggs.  Typically, the mother bird sits at night, and the father sits during the day.  This was confirmed with pictures we took and then looked up on Google. One early morning I saw the mother bird who indeed looked different than the father bird we saw in the daytime. Now it was time to do the mitzvah!  We waited until nighttime and all had turns on different nights, as to spare paining the mother bird from being sent away several times on the same night.  Each person first shooed the mother away, heard her cry (which is supposed to arouse Hashem’s rachamim to bring the Geula) and then lifted the eggs. Some family members felt sad sending the mother bird away and hearing her cry.  Others were intrigued by this unique mitzvah and marveled at the warm eggs, feeling the gift of life inside them.  On another early morning, when I went outside for my daily cup of Joe and hisbodedus, I noticed that TWO  birds flew the coop!  It was both the mother and father!  This was a rare occurrence, another fact that I looked up.  This whole wondrous act of Nature could not have come at a better time.  Hashem’s timing, as they say, is impeccable.  There were some difficult personal situations that family members were enduring that was not in their control and left them feeling upset, frustrated and very hurt. This bird watching gave a new perspective and with every turn of the backyard events, also provided much needed chizuk. This bird built her home in which to lay the eggs and hatch. It was built with chochma that includes temperature control within the parent birds breathing system and in establishing a soft comfortable environment.  This breed also has both parents very much involved with the hatching process. The way the bird sat on the nest, patiently waiting, resolutely doing her job, no matter the outside circumstances, spoke volumes about parenting in general. The birds sat and sat and sat, rain or shine, not giving up, knowing there was purpose in what they were doing. Then one day we decided to check what was happening in the nest.  We did so when the bird flew away, and lo and behold there were two (!) hatchlings born, alongside the other two blue eggs.  We were beyond ecstatic.  We named them Sivan, as it was Rosh Chodesh, and Matan, in honor of Matan Torah. The mother and father birds were also given names initially, as a form of tefillah because of the personal challenges.  We called them Tikvah (hope) and Cheirut (freedom.) How fortifying and rejuvenating as this occurred on the new month when we pray for Yeshuos!  We continued to watch and now worried about the other two eggs.  Would they hatch?  Were the newborns being fed? Could they survive the heat?  I felt very much like a Bird Bubby. Then we checked on them again and to our great delight, there was another birth!  Rus was hatched and now we were waiting for the final egg, which we called Boaz. Boaz joined the Tzipor family on Daled Sivan to our relief and joy.  The nest was whole and the family was complete.  They made it through step one with the hatching. Currently, we anxiously await for the next and final step of flying.  What’s the message for all of us with this lovely little anecdotal observation?  Chag HaShavuos is just about here.  It is almost the end of the school year and what I consider a time for Mechanchim (and parents) to make their own Cheshbon HaNefesh in the classroom (and at home).  Did we establish the right environment for chinuch? Did we do everything we could possibly do and wait patiently during the process?  Did we remain resolute and stay strong in our Emunah of ourselves and our students (and children)?  Did we continue to warm them and feed them, making them feel safe in their unshaken trust of our ability to care for them?  Harbeh Shlucim LaMakom.  I thank Hashem for sending us Tikva and Cheirut, along with Sivan, Matan, Rus and Boaz.  I have learned so much from observing the Briyah and the Niflaos HaBorei, as well as how to look inward into my own home with my children and in my classroom with my students.  Ultimately, we know that Hashem oversees the “nest.” I daven for all of us that  we find our way back home to His home, the Beis HaMikdash, which Dovid HaMelech refers to as our nest. (84:4) Gam Tzipor Matzah Bayis U’Dror Kein Lah… Even a bird has found a home and a sparrow has made a nest for herself.

Written as a zechus for our children to be matzliach on their personal derech in Avodas Hashem at this time of Kabolas Hatorah!