A number of times, the Torah discusses the possibility of bringing turtledoves or young doves as an offering to G-d. In each of these instances, the Torah first mentions the turtledove (tor, in Hebrew), and only afterward the young dove (ben yonah, in Hebrew). Thus, our parsha, when discussing the offering brought by the yoledet possessing lesser means, the Torah states, "She shall take two turtledoves or two young doves," first mentioning the option of offering turtledoves, and only afterward the option of young doves.
There is, surprisingly, one exception. In our parsha, while discussing the offering presented by the yoledet of greater means, the Torah states "She shall bring a sheep within its first year for an elevation offering, and a young dove or a turtledove." Here, suddenly, the order is changed. First the young dove, and only afterward the more mature turtledove. Why?
Pairs
The Baal Haturim offers a simple but profoundly moving two-line answer. Wherever a bird offering is mentioned throughout the Torah, says Rabbi Jacob, it is always in the context of a pair of turtledoves or a pair of young doves. The above quote is one example: "But if she cannot afford a sheep, then she shall take two turtledoves or two young doves." Birds are offered in pairs.
The only exception is the woman after childbirth who possesses greater means, who offers one sheep and one bird. Here the Torah states, "She shall bring a sheep... and a young dove or a turtledove." The Torah, in this instance, changes the order of the birds, first mentioning the young dove, then the older turtledove.
The Torah teaches us that in a case when a single bird is offered, preference should be given to the young dove over the older mature dove. The older turtledove should only be brought as a last resort, if a young dove could not be found. This requirement doesn’t apply when a pair of birds is offered together.
The Loyalty of the Dove
Although most animals are non-monogamous, there are a few exceptions; one of them is the dove. Many (though not all) birds of the dove family are loyal to their mates, sometimes over many seasons and even years.
In fact, the Talmud states that if the Torah had not been given, we would have learned how to be loyal to our spouses from the behavior of doves.
The passionate words expressed by the groom to his bride in the Song of Songs "Behold, you are lovely my beloved; behold you are beautiful, your eyes are doves," are understood in the Midrash as G-d's profound compliment to the Jewish people. "Just as a dove, from the moment it recognizes its partner, never exchanges it for anybody else, so the Jewish people, from the moment they recognized G-d, never substituted Him with any other deity."
That is why in the case of a woman offering only one dove, the Torah urges us to avoid taking a single mature dove as an offering, since we might be depriving its partner from his or her mate. The preference must be the young dove that has not yet begun to mate. In all other instances, though, where the instruction is to offer two doves, no partner need lose its mate, hence the Torah does not give preference to the young doves over the mature doves.
The Lesson
This conveys a profound lesson on the sensitivity the Torah demands of us toward feelings of animals, even toward a bird left over after its mate has been offered to G-d. Certainly, it tells us how we must honor the dignity and feelings of a fellow human being. How much more must we deeply honor and cherish the emotions and experiences of our partners in life.
