This
is an important mitzvah, by virtue of which all the mitzvot in the world are fulfilled”
Sefer ha Chinnuch: The Book of [Mitzvah] Education, Aaron HaLevi, vol. 1, p.83
Sefer ha Chinnuch: The Book of [Mitzvah] Education, Aaron HaLevi, vol. 1, p.83
(כז) וַיִּבְרָ֨א אֱלֹקים׀ אֶת־הָֽאָדָם֙ בְּצַלְמ֔וֹ בְּצֶ֥לֶם אֱלֹקים בָּרָ֣א אֹת֑וֹ זָכָ֥ר וּנְקֵבָ֖ה בָּרָ֥א אֹתָֽם׃ (כח) וַיְבָ֣רֶךְ אֹתָם֮ אֱלֹקים֒ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר לָהֶ֜ם אֱלֹקים פְּר֥וּ וּרְב֛וּ וּמִלְא֥וּ אֶת־הָאָ֖רֶץ וְכִבְשֻׁ֑הָ וּרְד֞וּ בִּדְגַ֤ת הַיָּם֙ וּבְע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וּבְכָל־חַיָּ֖ה הָֽרֹמֶ֥שֶׂת עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
(27) And God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them. (28) And God blessed them; and God said unto them: ‘Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that creeps upon the earth.’
(טו) וַיְדַבֵּר אֱלֹקים אֶל נֹחַ לֵאמֹר. (טז) צֵא מִן הַתֵּבָה אַתָּה וְאִשְׁתְּךָ וּבָנֶיךָ וּנְשֵׁי בָנֶיךָ אִתָּךְ. (יז) כָּל הַחַיָּה אֲשֶׁר אִתְּךָ מִכָּל בָּשָׂר בָּעוֹף וּבַבְּהֵמָה וּבְכָל הָרֶמֶשׂ הָרֹמֵשׂ עַל הָאָרֶץ הוצא אִתָּךְ וְשָׁרְצוּ בָאָרֶץ וּפָרוּ וְרָבוּ עַל הָאָרֶץ.
(15) And God spoke unto Noah, saying: (16) ’Go forth from the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons’wives with thee. (17) Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee of all flesh, both fowl, and cattle, and every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth; that they may swarm in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth.’
“Although a man has fulfilled the mitzvah
to be fruitful & multiply, he is commanded by the Rabbis not to desist from
procreation while he still has strength”
Rambam: Mishna Torah, Ishut 15
Rambam: Mishna Torah, Ishut 15
(א) וַיִּקְרָא יִצְחָק אֶל יַעֲקֹב וַיְבָרֶךְ אֹתוֹ וַיְצַוֵּהוּ וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ לֹא תִקַּח אִשָּׁה מִבְּנוֹת כְּנָעַן. (ב) קוּם לֵךְ פַּדֶּנָה אֲרָם בֵּיתָה בְתוּאֵל אֲבִי אִמֶּךָ וְקַח לְךָ מִשָּׁם אִשָּׁה מִבְּנוֹת לָבָן אֲחִי אִמֶּךָ. (ג) וְאֵל שַׁדַּי יְבָרֵךְ אֹתְךָ וְיַפְרְךָ וְיַרְבֶּךָ וְהָיִיתָ לִקְהַל עַמִּים.
(1) And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him: ‘Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan. (2) Arise, go to Paddan-aram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother’s father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother’s brother. (3) And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a congregation of peoples;
(ט) וַיֵּרָא אֱלֹקים אֶל יַעֲקֹב עוֹד בְּבֹאוֹ מִפַּדַּן אֲרָם וַיְבָרֶךְ אֹתוֹ. (י) וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ אֱלֹקים שִׁמְךָ יַעֲקֹב לֹא יִקָּרֵא שִׁמְךָ עוֹד יַעֲקֹב כִּי אִם יִשְׂרָאֵל יִהְיֶה שְׁמֶךָ וַיִּקְרָא אֶת שְׁמוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל. (יא) וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ אֱלֹקים אֲנִי אֵל שַׁדַּי פְּרֵה וּרְבֵה גּוֹי וּקְהַל גּוֹיִם יִהְיֶה מִמֶּךָּ וּמְלָכִים מֵחֲלָצֶיךָ יֵצֵאוּ.
(9) And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came from Paddan-aram, and blessed him. (10) And God said unto him: ‘Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name’; and He called his name Israel. (11) And God said unto him: ‘I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins;
(א) בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם חָלָה חִזְקִיָּהוּ לָמוּת וַיָּבֹא אֵלָיו יְשַׁעְיָהוּ בֶן אָמוֹץ הַנָּבִיא וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה צַו לְבֵיתֶךָ כִּי מֵת אַתָּה וְלֹא תִחְיֶה.
(1) In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him: ‘Thus saith the LORD: Set thy house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.’
Hezekiah asked why he was receiving such a severe punishment. Isaiah answered, "Because you did not try to have children." Hezekiah said, "It is because the holy spirit showed me that children from me would not be worthy." Isaiah responded: "What have you to do with the secrets of the Holy One? What you have been commanded, you should have done, and let God do whatever God wishes."
Berachot 10a
Rabbi Eliezer said, "One who does not engage in being fruitful and multiplying is as though the person shed blood....." Rabbi Akiva said, "It is as though the person diminished God's image." Ben Azzi said, "It is as though the person both sheds blood and diminishes God's image.
Yevamut 63b