In Parshas Yisro the pasuk says:
“וָאֶשָּׂ֤א אֶתְכֶם֙ עַל־כַּנְפֵ֣י נְשָׁרִ֔ים וָאָבִ֥א אֶתְכֶ֖ם אֵלָֽי”
Why does Hashem compare His relationship with us to the wings of an eagle rather than any other bird?
We’re all familiar with Rashi’s well-known explanation: Most birds carry their young beneath them, fearing predators from above. However, the eagle, which soars higher than all other birds, has no such concern. Its only threat comes from hunters below, so it carries its young on its back, shielding them from danger.
Harav Matisyahu Solomon, זצ”ל, offers another insight. He points out a key difference between how an eagle carries its young and how other birds do. Birds that hold their chicks in their claws simply grab them and take off. But an eagle, carrying its young on its back, first crouches down and waits for the baby eagles to climb up on their own before soaring into the sky.
The lesson is clear: Avodas Hashem requires effort. Spiritual growth—becoming a Talmid Chacham, learning another shiur, finding a chavrusa, engaging in chesed, even pursuing personal success like a good job or a solid relationship—doesn’t just “happen” to us. Opportunities present themselves, but we must take action. We need to make the leap onto the eagle’s back.
There’s a well-known idea that Klal Yisroel will return to Eretz Yisroel during the Geulah “on the wings of eagles.”
Let’s think about why Chazal used this metaphor. As we just learned from Harav Matisyahu Solomon, the eagle doesn’t force its young to come; it crouches, waiting for them to make the move. The time of the Geulah will be the ultimate example of this concept. There will be an opportunity to leave Golus—but only for those who choose to take it. Unlike other birds that grab their young and fly, the eagle waits for them to climb aboard.
Rabbosai, the eagles are waiting— JFK, Newark, LAX, and O’Hare, in every place where Jews reside. The opportunity is here. For 2,000 years, this chance did not exist. But today, we have Eretz Yisroel, and miraculously, we also have “eagles” ready to take us home. In fact, if you make Aliyah, the one-way ticket is free.
Take the next step, and Hashem will do the rest, as the pasuk says:
“וָאֶשָּׂ֤א אֶתְכֶם֙ עַל־כַּנְפֵ֣י נְשָׁרִ֔ים וָאָבִ֥א אֶתְכֶ֖ם אֵלָֽי”
Do it today.
