Jewish Thought and Law III Birth

(1) The commandment of procreation:

(2) It is from the roots of this commandment (i.e the reason behind this commandment) that the world should be settled (Gittin 41b) because God wants the world to be settled, as it says (Isaiah 45:18), "I did not create it for naught, but [rather] formed it for habitation." This is a great commandment, through which all the commandments are observed, as [the Torah] was given to people and not to the ministering angels (Berakhot 25b).

(1) The second blessing deals with being fruitful and multiplying. The reason G’d’s name is mentioned once more in that blessing is to make clear that by reproducing man becomes a partner of G’d in the universe. This is what Chavah had in mind when she said after giving birth to Cain (4,1) קניתי איש את ה', “I and G’d together have acquired a man.” Our sages in Kidushin 30 have said: “three partners between them acquired (contributed to his existence) man. They are: G’d, man’s father and man’s mother.” The purpose of the commandment to procreate profusely is so that the birth of the body be a prelude for the acquisition of the intelligent essence of man, his נפש השכלית. It is this intelligent essence which enables him to serve his Creator. Were it not for that, man’s superiority to the animals would be nil, i.e. מותר האדם מן הבהמה אין, (Kohelet 3,19).
When the prophet Ezekiel 23,37 quotes G’d as saying וגם את בניהן אשר ילדו לי, “and also their children who have been born to Me,” he meant the children whose purpose in being born was to serve G’d. The implication of the verse is that all Israelites were born for the sake of His Holy Name, in order to serve G’d.
The wicked people who see in the purpose of producing children a function of merely populating the universe, to eat and to drink just like the animals, completely misunderstood what the Torah has in mind with this blessing.

MISHNA: A man is commanded with regard to the mitzva to be fruitful and multiply, but not a woman. Rabbi Yoḥanan ben Beroka says that a woman is also commanded, as the verse states with regard to both of them: “And God blessed them, and God said to them: Be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:28). GEMARA: From where are these matters derived, that a woman is not obligated in the mitzva to be fruitful and multiply? Rabbi Ile’a said in the name of Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon: The verse states: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the land and conquer it” (Genesis 1:28). It is the manner of a man to conquer and it is not the manner of a woman to conquer. Consequently, it is evident that the entire command, including the mitzva to be fruitful and multiply, was given only to men and not to women.

(13) A woman is not obligated in the mitzvah of being fruitful and multiplying [this idea is talked about in siman 154] RMA: nonetheless some say that she should not remain unmarried, due to suspicion.

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(3) It is incumbent on every man that they should marry a woman at the age of 18 and the diligent get married at 13 and this mitzvah is for those who choose it, but before the age of 13 one should not marry, because it is similar to harlotry. Under no circumstances should 20 years go by and he has not taken a wife...

Rav Ḥisda would praise Rav Hamnuna to Rav Huna by saying that he is a great man. Rav Huna said to him: When he comes to you, send him to me. When Rav Hamnuna came before him, Rav Huna saw that he did not cover his head with a cloth, as Torah scholars did. Rav Huna said to him: What is the reason that you do not cover your head with a cloth? Rav Hamnuna said to him: The reason is that I am not married, and it was not customary for unmarried men to cover their heads with a cloth. Rav Huna turned his face away from him in rebuke, and he said to him: See to it that you do not see my face until you marry. The Gemara notes: Rav Huna conforms to his standard line of reasoning, as he says: If one is twenty years old and has not yet married a woman, all of his days will be in a state of sin concerning sexual matters. The Gemara asks: Can it enter your mind that he will be in a state of sin all of his days? Rather, say that this means the following: All of his days will be in a state of thoughts of sin, i.e., sexual thoughts. One who does not marry in his youth will become accustomed to thoughts of sexual matters, and the habit will remain with him the rest of his life. Rava said, and similarly, the school of Rabbi Yishmael taught: Until one reaches the age of twenty years the Holy One, Blessed be He, sits and waits for a man, saying: When will he marry a woman. Once he reaches the age of twenty and has not married, He says: Let his bones swell, i.e., he is cursed

(1) Every man is obligated to marry a woman in order to be fruitful, and to multiply and anyone who doesn't engage in being fruitful and multiplying is as if he spills blood, and lessens the appearance, and causes the divine presence to depart from Israel. RMA: He who does not marry is not allowed to make a blessing or to engage in Torah etc. and he is not called a man, and when he marries a woman, his sins are cast into doubt, as it is said: "One who has found a wife has found goodness and obtains favor in the eyes of God." (Proverbs 18:22)

(23) When you enter the land and plant any tree for food, you shall regard its fruit as forbidden. Three years it shall be forbidden for you, not to be eaten.

(5) Once a man has had a son and a daughter, he has fulfilled the obligation to be fruitful and multiply. And a ben siris (castrated son) and a nekivah ayalonit

The Gemara asks: Pharaoh’s daughter bore Moses? But didn’t she merely raise him? Rather, it is telling you that with regard to anyone who raises an orphan boy or girl in his house, the verse ascribes him credit as if he gave birth to him.