Are You My Mother?
A spiritual metaphor for the High Holy Days
‘Are You My Mother?’ is a popular children's book. The story is about a baby bird who hatches from his egg while his mother is away. Confused and alone, the baby bird wanders away from the nest, trying to find his mother.
While the author, P. D. Eastman, may have intended to share a simple and charming story, 'Are You My Mother?' holds profound spiritual lessons. Here at Isha Yiras Hashem on Substack, we can extract a beautiful spiritual metaphor from this tale.
(Source for picture1)
‘Are You My Mother?’ can be interpreted as metaphorically describing the human search for meaning, symbolized by a baby bird who wants to find his mother.
The book opens with the heartwarming scene of the mother bird waiting for her egg to hatch. She leaves, momentarily, to get a worm to feed the newly hatched chick, in case it is hungry. The mother was never far from the nest. Nevertheless, the newly hatched chick does not see her.
G-d prepares for the existence of each human, and yet His Presence is not evident to humans. Similarly, the consciousness of human beings emerges, and we find ourselves in a fully made world. Just as a baby bird knows that it must have a mother, people intuitively know that there must be a Maker, a higher being. They feel compelled to find these answers.
“Abraham,” says the Medrash, “was the first person to recognize G-d”. But doesn't the Bible describe2 Adam and Eve speaking to G-d? Yes, Adam and Eve spoke to G-d, but they didn't find Him on their own. They were created knowing Him. Abraham had to find Him on his own.
Ancient sources tell us that Abraham, at the age of three,3 observed the complex and intelligent design of the world. He said, "If I see a house, I look to see who owns and maintains it. How much more so if I see an entire world!" At that moment, G-d appeared to him and said, "I am the owner of the house!”4
Many people embark on this search, but rarely do people find the answers on their own. As seemingly alone in their quest as the newly hatched bird, people don’t know where to look. Compounding the problem, they don't even know what it would look like — if they found it!
Like those who attempt5 to understand and define G-d, the newly hatched chick tries to find his mother. They do not realize that their limited abilities will not be sufficient for them to find something which created them.
Not only do they struggle to find meaning, most human beings are unclear about what exactly it is that they are seeking.
What is a “mother”?
What is "G-d"?
What is "spirituality”?
In Whose Image was I created?
Like the baby bird, these human beings continuously overlook their Creator. The baby bird is certain that he would have noticed his mother, if she was there. He rationalizes that he would know if he had made a mistake, and so the baby bird never even attempts to return to the nest. He simply goes on.
Look at how the baby bird processes the responses. For example, at one point, the baby bird asks a kitten, “Are You My Mother?”
What happens?
“The kitten looked and looked , but it did not say a thing. So the baby bird went on.”
Note how the bird realized that a kitten couldn't be its mother, if it didn't say anything. The baby bird - correctly - concluded that his mother would be able to communicate with him. So he continued searching
Then he meets a hen. The hen says “No”. The baby bird accepts this unquestioningly. He can emotionally accept that if something capable of communication denies being his mother, it isn't.
The baby bird doesn't refine his guesses because he lacks a clear understanding of what he seeks. Similarly, people often pursue goals without a precise vision, leading them to wander without gaining clarity, except for recognizing that their current path is not the right one.
In the same way, the baby bird bravely approaches various creatures – the hen, the dog, the cow, even inanimate objects like planes and boats. His efforts are admirable, but for a newborn bird, it's an exhausting ordeal. As he continues his quest, doubt creeps in. He begins to question if he will ever reunite with his mother. The thought of a world without her becomes a haunting possibility, a vision of a world stripped of meaning and purpose. In his own words —
Did he have a mother?
Finally, the baby bird encounters a massive steam shovel, and in his desperation, he poses the same question, “Are You My Mother?” The response he receives is 'Snort,' leaving him in despair. As the steam shovel lifts him, panic sets in, believing that no one can rescue him now. The thought of jumping off is terrifying, promising instant death. In a surprising turn of events, the steam shovel, in a display of unexpected gentleness, returns him to his nest, where, miraculously, his mother has just returned.
Back in his nest, the baby bird finally grasps the truth. With newfound confidence, he declares,
"Yes, I know who you are!
You are not a kitten, a hen, a dog, a cow, a boat, a plane, or even a Snort! You are a bird, and you are my mother."
At last, the baby bird realizes that his mother had been with him all along, an enduring presence that had never wavered. Similarly, G-d is an enduring presence in our lives. But we sometimes fail to recognize the constant care and love that G-d provides. Worse, we may mistakenly seek meaning and fulfillment in material or transient sources.
The prophet Jeremiah describes this dynamic, which perfectly mirrors the quest of the baby bird.
They [idolators] walk up to a tree and say, 'My father!'
They pick up a stone and say, 'My mother!6
Ultimately, it is often the biggest and most intimidating challenges, those from which escape seems impossible, that lead us back to G-d's embrace.
In conclusion, we have metaphorically interpreted the tale of the mother bird and her baby to serve as a reminder that Divine care and guidance are ever-present, even when we overlook them. Just as the baby bird rediscovered the comforting embrace of his mother's wings, may we also recognize the loving presence of G-d in our lives.
http://pdeastmanbooks.com/books/are-you-my-mother/
Genesis 3:8
Tractate Nedarim 32a
Rashi on Bereishis Rabba 39
ראה שמים וארץ, ארה שמש ביום וירח בלילה וכוכבים מאירין, אמר אפשר שיהא דבר גדול כזה בלא מנהיג, הציץ עליו הקב"ה ואמר לו אני הוא בעל העולם.
He (Abraham) saw the heavens and the earth, the sun by day and the moon by night and the stars shining, he said, “Would it be possible that such a great creation could be without a Creator?” G-d then appeared to him, and said to him, “I am the one who Created all this.”
With their inadequate physical faculties.
Jeremiah 2 27
Loved that book growing up. Fun post.
What a fantastic post!!