The Torah promises that one who properly fulfills the mitzva of sending away the mother bird will merit goodness and long life. An incident where this blessing was clearly not fulfilled was a major factor leading to the heresy of Elisha ben Avuya, also known as Aher, a tannaitic Sage.

One time, Elisha ben Avuya was sitting and studying in the Ginosar valley, and he saw a person climb to the top of a palm tree and take the mother bird with its offspring, and he climbed down in peace. The next day, he saw another person climb to the top of a palm tree and take the offspring after sending away its mother, and he climbed down and a snake bit him and he died. Elisha ben Avuya said: It is written: “You shall send forth the mother, and take the offspring for yourself, so that it will be good for you, and you will extend your days” (Deuteronomy 22:7). Where is this person’s goodness? Where are this person’s extended days?

Elisha ben Avuya did not know that Rabbi Yaakov expounded this verse previously: “So that it will be good for you” means it will be good in the World to Come, which is entirely good. “And you will extend [vehaarakhta] your days” means one will have extended days in the future, in the World to Come, which is entirely long [arokh]. (Jerusalem Talmud, Ĥagiga 2:1)