Deuteronomy 22:7
Ver. 7. But thou shall in any wise let the dam go, and take the young to thee,.... Or "in letting go, let go", or "in sending, send away" {a}; that is, willingly, certainly, entirely, frequently, always; so the Jewish canons {b},
"if anyone lets her go, and she returns, even four or five times, he is obliged to let her go, as it is said, "in letting go, let go";''
nay, Maimonides says {c}, even a thousand times; the canon proceeds,
"if anyone says, lo, I take the dam and let go the young, he is obliged to let her go; if he takes the young, and returns them again to the nest, and after that returns the dam to them, he is free from letting her go;''
that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days; the Targum of Jonathan is,
"that it may be well with thee in this world, and thou mayest prolong thy days in the world to come:''
the same blessing that is promised to observers of the fifth command, which is one of the weightier matters of the law, is made to this; which the Jews say {d} is but as the value of a farthing, or of little account in comparison of others; wherefore, as Fagius rightly observes {e}, God, in bestowing such rewards, has regard not to the works of men, but to his own grace and kindness; for what merit can there be in letting go or preserving the life of a little bird?
{a} xlvt xlv "dimittendo dimittes", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus; so Ainsworth. {b} Misn. Cholin, c. 12. sect. 3. {c} In Misn. ib. {d} Misn. ib. sect. 5. {e} In loc.