Making Meaning of the Mitzvot: Session 1 -- Be Fruitful and Multiply

And God said: 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.' And God created human in God’s own image, in the image of God, God created him; male and female God created them. And God blessed them; and God said unto them: 'Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth... [JPS translation]

6. Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God he made man. 7. And you, be fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply in it.

A man shall continue his attempts to fulfill the mitzvah, “be fruitful and multiply” until he has sons...The house of Hillel says [he must produce] a son and a daughter], as it says: “male and female, he created them (Genesis 1:27) [Translation by Rabbi Steven Greenberg]

Rabbi Eleazar in the name of Rabbi Yose ben Zimra [says: Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and] ‘you [plural] subdue it’ (kivshuha) is read, but ‘subdue her’ (kivshah) is written. [This means that] the man is commanded to ‘be fruitful and multiply’ and not the woman. Rabbi Yohanan ben Beroka says both the man and the woman are meant [since it is written]: ‘And God blessed them (both) saying “Be fruitful and multiply . . .”’ [The reason that there is a difference between the read and written forms of ] kivshuha and kivshah is because the man subdues his wife so that she does not go seeking in the marketplace. [Translation by Rabbi Steve Greenberg]

It is taught: Rabbi Eliezer says: Anyone who does not engage in producing children, it is as if he spills blood. As it is said: “He who spills the blood of adam, by adam shall his blood be spilt,” and later it says, “So then, be fruitful and multiply.” Rabbi Jacob said: It is as if he diminishes the image of God [in the world]. As it says: “for in the image of God did he make the adam” . . . and afterward . . . “So then, be fruitful and multiply.” Ben Azzai said: It is as if he both spills blood and diminishes the image of God, since it says [after both phrases], “So then, be fruitful and multiply.” They said to Ben Azzai: There are those who learn well and fulfill well, those who fulfill well but do not learn so well, [it appears that] you learn well but do not fulfill very well. Ben Azzai said to them: What shall I do? My soul lusts for Torah and likely the world will be sustained by others. [Translation by Rabbi Steve Greenberg]