When the Torah chose the expression והאם רובצת על האפרוחים או על הביצים, “and the mother is roosting (reclining) on the chicks or the eggs,” (verse 6) the Torah revealed to us by that that the “eggs” mentioned here are equivalent to the “young ones” mentioned in verse 7 seeing that eventually the young chicks will emerge from these eggs. This also teaches that the command to dispatch the mother bird is applicable only when the eggs have advanced to the stage where it is practically certain that healthy young chicks will emerge from them (Chulin 109). If the eggs are broken or otherwise show signs that they will not be hatched, there is no need to send away the mother bird in order to take the eggs. The reason the Torah mentions both the chicks and the eggs in the plural is because this is the normal scenario. Even if the mother bird is brooding over only a single egg or chick the same legislation applies (Chulin 109).
בשעה שברא הקדוש ברוך הוא את אדם הראשון, נטלו והחזירו על כל אילני גן עדן, ואמר לו: ראה מעשי כמה נאים ומשובחין הן, וכל מה שבראתי, בשבילך בראתי, תן דעתך שלא תקלקל ותחריב את עולמי, שאם קלקלת אין מי שיתקן אחריך.
When the Blessed Holy One created the first human, He took him and led him round all the trees of the Garden of Eden and said to him: “Look at My works, how beautiful and praiseworthy they are! And all that I have created, it was for you that I created it. Pay attention that you do not corrupt and destroy My world: if you corrupt it, there is no one to repair it after you.
(טו) וַיִּקַּ֛ח יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶת־הָֽאָדָ֑ם וַיַּנִּחֵ֣הוּ בְגַן־עֵ֔דֶן לְעָבְדָ֖הּ וּלְשָׁמְרָֽהּ׃
(15) The LORD God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden, to till it and tend it.
(כג) וְהָאָ֗רֶץ לֹ֤א תִמָּכֵר֙ לִצְמִתֻ֔ת כִּי־לִ֖י הָאָ֑רֶץ כִּֽי־גֵרִ֧ים וְתוֹשָׁבִ֛ים אַתֶּ֖ם עִמָּדִֽי׃
(23) But the land must not be sold beyond reclaim, for the land is Mine; you are but strangers resident with Me.
(א) לְדָוִ֗ד מִ֫זְמ֥וֹר לַֽ֭יהוָה הָאָ֣רֶץ וּמְלוֹאָ֑הּ תֵּ֝בֵ֗ל וְיֹ֣שְׁבֵי בָֽהּ׃
A Psalm of David: The earth is the LORD’s and all that it holds, the world and its inhabitants.
(יט) כִּֽי־תָצ֣וּר אֶל־עִיר֩ יָמִ֨ים רַבִּ֜ים לְֽהִלָּחֵ֧ם עָלֶ֣יהָ לְתָפְשָׂ֗הּ לֹֽא־תַשְׁחִ֤ית אֶת־עֵצָהּ֙ לִנְדֹּ֤חַ עָלָיו֙ גַּרְזֶ֔ן כִּ֚י מִמֶּ֣נּוּ תֹאכֵ֔ל וְאֹת֖וֹ לֹ֣א תִכְרֹ֑ת.
(19) When in your war against a city you have to besiege it a long time in order to capture it, you must not destroy its trees, wielding the ax against them. You may eat of them, but you must not cut them down.
וזהו דרך החסידים ואנשי מעשה אוהבים שלום ושמחים בטוב הבריות ומקרבים אותן לתורה, ולא יאבדו אפילו גרגיר של חרדל בעולם, ויצר עליהם בכל אבדון והשחתה שיראו, ואם יוכלו להציל יצילו כל דבר מהשחית בכל כחם, ולא כן הרשעים אחיהם של מזיקים שמחים בהשחתת עולם, והמה משחיתים את עצמם.
And this is the way of the pious and people of [proper] action - they love peace and are happy for the good of the creatures and bring them close to Torah, and they do not destroy even a grain of mustard in the world. And they are distressed by all loss and destruction that they see; and if they can prevent it, they will prevent any destruction with all of their strength. But not so are the wicked - the brothers of the destructive spirits. They rejoice in the destruction of the world, and they destroy themselves.
תנו רבנן נותנין בול של מלח לתוך הנר בשביל שתאיר ותדליק ונותנין טיט וחרסית תחת הנר בשביל שתמתין ותדליק אמר רב זוטרא האי מאן דמיכסי שרגא דמשחא ומגלי נפטא קעבר משום בל תשחית
The Sages taught: One may place a lump of salt into a candle so it will burn brightly; And, one may put mud or clay under a candle so it will burn longer. Rav Zutra said: He who covers an oil lamp or who uncovers a kerosene lamp for no purpose violates the prohibition: Do not destroy, since by doing so the fuel burns more quickly.
(טז) לֹא־תֵלֵ֤ךְ רָכִיל֙ בְּעַמֶּ֔יךָ לֹ֥א תַעֲמֹ֖ד עַל־דַּ֣ם רֵעֶ֑ךָ אֲנִ֖י יְהוָֽה׃ (יז) לֹֽא־תִשְׂנָ֥א אֶת־אָחִ֖יךָ בִּלְבָבֶ֑ךָ הוֹכֵ֤חַ תּוֹכִ֙יחַ֙ אֶת־עֲמִיתֶ֔ךָ וְלֹא־תִשָּׂ֥א עָלָ֖יו חֵֽטְא׃ (יח) לֹֽא־תִקֹּ֤ם וְלֹֽא־תִטֹּר֙ אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י עַמֶּ֔ךָ וְאָֽהַבְתָּ֥ לְרֵעֲךָ֖ כָּמ֑וֹךָ אֲנִ֖י יְהוָֽה׃
(16) Do not gossip about your countrymen. Do not stand idly by the blood of your fellow, for I am the LORD. (17) You shall not hate your kinsfolk in your heart. Reprove your kinsman but incur no guilt because of him. (18) You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against your countrymen. Love your fellow as yourself: I am the LORD.
(א) דְחוּיָה הִיא שַׁבָּת אֵצֶל סַכָּנַת נְפָשׁוֹת כִּשְׁאָר כָּל הַמִּצְוֹת. לְפִיכָךְ חוֹלֶה שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ סַכָּנָה עוֹשִׂין לוֹ כָּל צְרָכָיו בְּשַׁבָּת עַל פִּי רוֹפֵא אֻמָּן שֶׁל אוֹתוֹ מָקוֹם. סָפֵק שֶׁהוּא צָרִיךְ לְחַלֵּל עָלָיו אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת סָפֵק שֶׁאֵינוֹ צָרִיךְ. וְכֵן אִם אָמַר רוֹפֵא לְחַלֵּל עָלָיו אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת וְרוֹפֵא אַחֵר אוֹמֵר אֵינוֹ צָרִיךְ מְחַלְּלִין עָלָיו אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת שֶׁסְּפֵק נְפָשׁוֹת דּוֹחֶה אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת:
(1) The Sabbath is pushed off when it comes to danger to life, like the rest of the commandments. Therefore, they do all the needs of a sick person who is in [lifethreatening] danger on the Sabbath, according to the instructions of the professional doctor of that place. If there is a doubt whether he needs to have Sabbath desecrated for him or not, and so if one doctor said to desecrate the Sabbath and one say he does not need it, they desecrate the Sabbath for him, because a doubt regarding lives pushes off the Sabbath.
“One is forbidden from gaining a livelihood at the expense of another’s health.”
רַבּוֹתֵינוּ אָמְרִין מַהוּ וְיִתְרוֹן אֶרֶץ בַּכֹּל הוּא, אֲפִלּוּ דְּבָרִים שֶׁאַתָּה רוֹאֶה אוֹתָן כְּאִלּוּ הֵם מְיֻתָּרִין בָּעוֹלָם, כְּגוֹן זְבוּבִים וּפַרְעוֹשִׁים וְיַתּוּשִׁין, הֵן הָיוּ בִּכְלַל בְּרִיָּתוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם.
Our sages said: What is [considered] excessive in the world? Even those creatures that appear superfluous in the world – like flies, fleas, and gnats – nevertheless have their allotted task in the scheme of creation."
“It should not be believed that all beings exist for the sake of humanity’s existence … [rather,] all the other beings, too, have been intended for their own sakes… ”
(ח) כִּ֤י תִבְנֶה֙ בַּ֣יִת חָדָ֔שׁ וְעָשִׂ֥יתָ מַעֲקֶ֖ה לְגַגֶּ֑ךָ וְלֹֽא־תָשִׂ֤ים דָּמִים֙ בְּבֵיתֶ֔ךָ כִּֽי־יִפֹּ֥ל הַנֹּפֵ֖ל מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃
(8) When you build a new house, you shall make a parapet for your roof, so that you do not bring bloodguilt on your house if anyone should fall from it.
Commentary on Deuteronomy 22:8
Rambam: MT Hilchot De'ot
“Similarly with all potentially dangerous objects. Remove them far from yourselves and from the way of the community."
Yosef Caro: Shulchan Aruch, Oreh Hayim 334:27; 16th Century Tzfat
“A burning coal/object left in a place where the public can be injured by it – one is allowed to extinguish it [even on Shabbat], whether it’s of metal or of wood.”
Tur: Orech Hayim 328 (14th Century, Spain)
“We don’t need an expert [to save a life by violating other laws like Shabbat], since … [even] doubtful danger to human life [makes the law] lenient. And it’s forbidden to delay the thing [treatment]… ”
Commenting on this, Yosef Caro adds: “The one who rushes to do so, look, this is praiseworthy! But the one who [stops to] ask, look, this is a murderer.”
(5) וירדו בדגת הים This expression may imply dominion as well as descending — if he is worthy he dominates over the beasts and cattle, if he is not worthy he will sink lower than them, and the beast will rule over him (Genesis Rabbah 8:12).