The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.
This week's parsha includes the interesting mitzva of Shiluach HaKane - sending away the mother bird before taking the eggs/hatchlings. R' Frand noted that the Rambam explains that this miztva as well as the mitzva of Oso V'es B'no (not slaughtering a cow and its calf on the same day) are intended to prevent stress to animals. The Rambam explains that there is no difference between the worry of a mother animal and a human mother as the innate love of the mother is not based on intelligence.
Meanwhile the Ramban explains that the mitzva of Shiluach HaKane is not based on caring for an animal. (R' Frand quipped that the Ramban is not based on PETA). Rather the purpose of the mitzva is to make the human more merciful. Being cruel to an animal and causing it to suffer makes a person a more cruel individual, so being merciful and shooing away the mother bird helps make a person a better person.
R' Frand next quoted R' Shlomo Kluger in his Sefer Imrei Shefer who observes that the language by of the reward for Shiluach HaKane and the language of the reward for honoring one's parents is inverted. The Torah states that for one who performs Shiluach HaKane - לְמַ֨עַן֙ יִ֣יטַב לָ֔ךְ וְהַֽאֲרַכְתָּ֖ יָמִֽים - it will be good for him and he will live a long life. (Devarim 22:7). But a person who honors his parents is rewarded with - לְמַ֣עַן | יַֽאֲרִיכֻ֣ן יָמֶ֗יךָ וּלְמַ֨עַן֙ יִ֣יטַב לָ֔ךְ - it will be good for him and he will live a long life. (Devarim 5:16).
He explains that the two mitzvos are cited as the easiest and most difficult mitzvos. Shooing away the mother bird has no cost and is a quick act. But honoring one's parents properly is life long and very difficult to properly perform.
The person who does honor his parents properly is instantly rewarded with long life and it will be good for him. But the person who performs Shiluach HaKane has done a quick act which does not immediately qualify for long life. Instead this small act of kindness will make him a better person and through continuing to do Chessed he will qualify for the long life.
R' Frand next quoted R' Bukspan who cited a Medrash which states that if a person keeps Shiluach HaKane he will also merit to send out his Eved Ivri at Yovel. But what is the connection?
The Etz Yosef explains that if a person keeps Shiluach HaKane he will become wealthy and have Eved Ivri which he will free at Yovel. But this does not seem to answer the question.
Instead R' Bukspan linked this to a pasuk in Shemos 6:13 which states - יְצַוֵּם֙ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְאֶל־פַּרְעֹ֖ה מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרָ֑יִם לְהוֹצִ֥יא אֶת־בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם - that before Moshe & Aharon went to Pharaoh they were commanded to go speak to the Jews. The Yerushalmi explains that they specifically went to tell the Jews that they should release their Eved Ivri at Yovel.
But why at this juncture would they need this instruction? The Jews would not even experience Yovel until 50 years after the conquered the land of Israel?
R' Bukspan quoted R' Chaim Shmulevitz who explained that it is very hard to release an Eved Ivri. So at this point where the Jews are feeling what it is to be an Eved - remember this when you have your own so that you will be able to release them.
This is the reason that Shiluach HaKane is linked to Eved Ivri. Releasing the Eved Ivri is a merciful act and in order to reach this level a person should train themselves to be merciful, such as sending away the mother bird.
R' Frand closed the vort by quoting the Rambam's explanation of the mishna in Pirkei Avos which instructs one to run to a light mitzva like a heavy mitzva - when you learn how to do a light mitzva it will assist you in performing a heavy mitzva.
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