(ז) פִּקּוּדָא שְׁתִיתָאָה לְאִתְעַסְּקָא בִּפְרִיָּה וּרְבִיָּה. דְּכָל מָאן דְּאִתְעַסַּק בִּפְרִיָּה וּרְבִיָּה, גָּרִים (וישב קפ''ו ע''ב) לְהַהוּא נָהָר לְמֶהוֵי נְבִיעַ תָּדִיר וְלָא יִפָּסְקוּן מֵימוֹי. וְיַמָּא אִתְמַלְיָיא בְּכָל סִטְרִין. (קנ''ב א) וְנִשְׁמָתִין חַדְתִּין מִתְחַדְּשָׁן וְנָפְקִין מֵהַהוּא אִילָנָא. וְחֵילִין סַגִּיאִין אִתְרַבִּיאוּ לְעֵילָא בַּהֲדֵי אִנּוּן נִשְׁמָתִין. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (בראשית א׳:כ׳) יִשְׁרְצוּ הַמַּיִם שֶׁרֶץ נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה, דָּא בְּרִית קַיָּימָא קַדִּישָׁא נְהָר דְּנָגִיד וְנָפִיק, וּמַיָא דִילֵיהּ אִתְרַבִּיאוּ וְרַחֲשִׁין רִחֲשָׁא וְרִבּוּיָא דְּנִשְׁמָתֵיה לְהַהִיא חַיָּה.
(ח) וּבְאִנּוּן נִשְׁמְתִין דְּעָאלִין בְּהַהִיא חַיָּה נַפְקֵי כַּמָּה עוֹפֵי דְּפָרְחָן וְטָאסָן כָּל עָלְמָא. וְכַד נִשְׁמְתָא נָפְקָא לְהַאי עָלְמָא הַהוּא עוֹפָא דְּפָרַח וְנָפַק בַּהֲדֵי הַאי נִשְׁמְתָא מֵהַהוּא אִילָנָא נָפַק עִמֵיהּ. כַּמָּה נָפְקָן בְּכָל נִשְׁמְתָא וְנִשְׁמְתָא. (קס''א ב', כ''א, מ''א ב) תְּרֵין, חַד מִימִינָא וְחַד מִשְּׂמָאלָא. אִי זָכֵי אִנּוּן נָטְרִין לֵיהּ דִּכְתִיב, (תהילים צ״א:י״א) כִּי מַלְאָכָיו יְצַוֶּה לָךְ. וְאִי לָא אִנּוּן מְקַטְרְגֵי עֲלֵיהּ.
(ט) אָמַר רִבִּי פִּינְחָס
(7) 7. The sixth precept is to procreate. Because he who procreates and begets children causes that river to flow continuously. Its waters shall never fail and the sea shall be filled from all directions. New souls are renewed and shall come forth from that tree, and many hosts of heaven will multiply together with those souls. This is why it is written, "Let the waters swarm abundantly with moving creatures that have life."This refers to the sign of the holy covenant, the river that flows and comes forth, as its waters swell and move with swarms and innumerable souls for that living creature!
(8) 8. Together with those souls that enter the living creature, many birds come forth. They fly around and roam the entire world, so that when a soul comes forth and is on its way down to this world, the bird that flew off and left with that soul from the same tree accompanies it! How many leave together with each soul? Two! One on the right and one on the left. If he is worthy, they guard him. As it is written, "For He will give His angels charge over you" (Psalms 91:11). But if he is not worthy, then they prosecute him.
(9) 9. Rabbi Pinchas said:
(א) תְּלָתָא אִנּוּן דְּקַיְימֵי אַפּוֹטְרוֹפְּסִין עֲלֵיה דְּבַּר נָשׁ כַּד זָכֵי. דִּכְתִיב, (איוב ל״ג:כ״ג) אִם יֵשׁ עָלָיו מַלְאָךְ מֵלִיץ אֶחָד מִנִּי אָלֶף לְהַגִּיד לְאָדָם יָשְׁרוֹ. אִם יֵשׁ עָלָיו מַלְאָךְ הָא חַד. מֵלִיץ תְּרֵי. אֶחָד מִנִּי אָלֶף לְהַגִּיד לְאָדָם יָשְׁרוֹ הָא תְּלַת. אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, חָמֵשׁ, דִּכְתִיב יַתִּיר, וַיְחֻנֶּנוּ וַיֹּאמֶר. וַיְחֻנֶּנּוּ חַד. וַיֹּאמֶר תְּרֵין. אָמַר לֵיהּ לָאו הָכִי, אֶלָּא וַיְחֻנֶּנּוּ דָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי, דְּהָא לֵית רְשׁוּ לְאָחֳרָא אֶלָּא לֵיהּ.
(ב) אָמַר לֵיהּ שַׁפִּיר קָא אֲמַרְתְּ. וּמָאן דְּאִתְמְנַע מִפְּרִיָּה וּרְבִיָּה כִּבְיָכוֹל אַזְעִיר דִּיוּקְנָא דְּכָלִיל כָּל דִּיוּקְנִין. וְגָרִים לְהַהוּא נָהָר דְּלָא נַגְדִין מֵימוֹי וּפָגִים קְיָימָא קַדִּישָׁא בְּכָל סִטְרִין. וְעֲלֵיהּ כְּתִיב, (ישעיהו ס״ו:כ״ד) וְיָצְאוּ וְרָאוּ בְּפִגְרֵי הָאֲנָשִׁים הַפּוֹשְׁעִים בִּי. בִּי וַדַּאי דָּא לְגוּפָא. וְנִשְׁמְתֵיהּ לָא עָיִיל לְפַרְגּוֹדָא (דמלכא) כְּלָל וְאִטְרִיד מֵהַהוּא עָלְמָא,
(1) 1. There are three angels that are guardians over a person, if he is worthy. As it is written, "If there be an angel over him, a defender, one among a thousand to declare to man what is right" (Job 33:23); "if there be an angel," this is one; "a defender," this is two; "one among a thousand," this is three! Rabbi Shimon said: There are five. Because the verse continues, "Then he is gracious to him and says..." (Ibid. 24). "He is gracious," this is one angel, and "and says," this is a second, so there are five. Rabbi Pinchas said: This is not so! "He is gracious to him," refers to the Holy One, blessed be He, by Himself. Because nobody else is permitted to be gracious to Him Himself.
(2) 2. Rabbi Shimon replied: You have said well! And he who abstains from procreating belittles, so to speak, the form that includes all forms. And he blocks the flow of the waters of that river as he renders defective the sign of the holy covenant from all sides. Of such a person, it is written, "And they shall go forth and look upon the carcasses of the men that have rebelled against Me" (Isaiah 66:24). "Against Me" for sure! And this is said about the body, as the soul shall never enter beyond the curtain, and it shall be banished from that world.