לקוטי שיחות חלק ל׳ - נח ב

Parshas Noach

1. The Rambam writes: "Even though a person has fulfilled the mitzvah of being fruitful and multiplying, he is commanded by Rabbinic decree (mi'divrei sofrim) not to refrain from being fruitful and multiplying as long as he has the strength, for whoever adds one soul to Israel is as if he built a world."

A question has been raised on this: the Gemara states explicitly that the source and reason for this law is the verse, "In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening do not withhold your hand…." The Gemara's words are: "Rabbi Yehoshua says: If a man married a wife in his youth, he should marry a wife in his old age; if he had children in his youth, he should have children in his old age, as it is said, 'In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening do not withhold your hand, for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good.'" The Rif likewise copied and ruled this way, citing this verse. Why, then, did the Rambam omit the Gemara's reason and write a new reason of his own ("for whoever adds…")?

2. Now, some commentators explain that two reasons may be derived from the verse: (a) According to the first part of the verse, "for you do not know which will prosper…," this is on account of a doubt (as Rashi explains on the verse): "whether… the children of your youth will survive for you, or perhaps only those of your old age will survive." (b) According to the latter part of the verse, "or whether both alike will be good," this is not on account of doubt and concern; rather, whenever one is able to add by having more children, he is commanded to do so.

That is to say: according to the first reason, the essential obligation stems from the concern that the mitzvah of being fruitful and multiplying might be left unfulfilled; if so, one may say that it is considered a doubt concerning a Torah law — lest he fail to fulfill the mitzvah of being fruitful and multiplying. According to the second reason in the verse, "or whether both alike will be good," however, there is no concern here of failing to fulfill the mitzvah of being fruitful and multiplying, nor a doubt concerning a Torah law; rather, it is a good practice and a mitzvah by Rabbinic decree, that he should have more children.

And this is what the Rambam wrote, "for whoever adds one soul to Israel is as if he built a world": his intent is to the reason "or whether both alike will be good," for in the Rambam's view the main reason is from the latter part of the verse, and the obligation is not on account of the concern of failing to fulfill the Torah mitzvah of being fruitful and multiplying, but is a mitzvah by Rabbinic decree, as above.

This explanation, however, seems forced, for several reasons:

a) It is forced to divide the verse into two reasons, for the plain sense of the verse implies that it is all one reason, and the latter part of the verse is a continuation of the doubt in the first part: "you do not know which of them will prosper, this or that, or (whether) both alike will be good."

b) If we say that the first reason in the verse ("you do not know which of them will prosper") is a concern of failing to fulfill a positive Torah commandment (lest his first children die), it is not understood:

(a) According to this, it would follow that whenever a man's wife (even if she has borne him a son and a daughter) is no longer able to bear children, he would be obligated to marry a wife (able to bear children) in addition to his wife (or to divorce her and marry another) out of concern lest they die. Yet we do not find that Jews have been stringent in this in order to satisfy the view of Rabbi Yehoshua (especially since the Gemara states explicitly, "The halachah follows Rabbi Yehoshua").

(b) Conversely, if it is merely a doubt, this obligation of "in the evening do not withhold your hand" would apply specifically when he has only a son and a daughter (or two males, according to the view of Beis Shammai), for then one may say that although he has fulfilled the mitzvah of being fruitful and multiplying, we are nevertheless concerned lest one of them die, and he would then no longer have fulfilled the mitzvah. But when he has several sons and daughters, there is no reason for this obligation to apply to him, since we are not concerned about the death of two. Yet from Rabbi Yehoshua's unqualified wording, "if he had children in his youth," the plain implication is that he is speaking not specifically of two children (a son and a daughter), but also of one who had many children.

Moreover, this interpretation does not suffice to resolve the Rambam's words, for at the very least the Rambam should have cited the first part of the verse — "as it is said, 'In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening do not withhold your hand'" (without the continuation giving the reason, "you do not know…") — in which the obligation itself is stated (as we find in the Rif, who cited only the first part of this verse; and he too holds that "this matter is Rabbinic," in accordance with the Rambam's view that "he is commanded by Rabbinic decree").

3. Now, the reason the Rambam wrote, "for whoever adds one soul to Israel is as if he built a world," seemingly requires clarification: his wording is "whoever adds," and not the usual wording — "whoever begets." On the other hand, if he adopted the wording "adds," he should have concluded "as if he added a world," in keeping with the opening of the phrase, "whoever adds one soul" (similar to the saying of our Sages in Tractate Sanhedrin, "Whoever sustains one soul of Israel, Scripture regards him as if he sustained an entire world"). Why does he continue "as if he built…"?

It also needs to be understood: in the Laws of De'os the Rambam writes regarding one's intention in having children, "and he should set his heart on having a son, perhaps he will be a sage and a great man in Israel." This would seem to be a simple explanation of "as if he built a world"; why, then, did the Rambam not cite it here as the reason one should not refrain from being fruitful and multiplying — for perhaps the son who is born will be a sage and a great man in Israel, and then it is not merely "as if he built a world," but an actual building of a world?

4. This will be understood after first clarifying what requires examination, especially if we say (as the matter evidently indicates) that this law in the Rambam has its source in the words of Rabbi Yehoshua — "if he had children in his youth, he should have children in his old age": why did the Rambam depart from the wording of Rabbi Yehoshua ("if he had children…") and write a different wording?

The explanation of this may be said simply: regarding the law "if he married a wife in his youth, he should marry a wife in his old age; if he had children in his youth, he should have children in his old age," one may say there are two ways of understanding it:

a) It is (a continuation of) the essential obligation of the mitzvah of being fruitful and multiplying itself: even after he has fulfilled this mitzvah in his youth, he is obligated by Rabbinic decree to continue ("not to refrain") in the mitzvah of being fruitful and multiplying in his old age as well. According to this, the verse in Koheles is a revelation and elucidation of the Torah mitzvah of being fruitful and multiplying. Or:

b) It is an obligation and law in its own right: even though he has fulfilled the mitzvah of being fruitful and multiplying through the children he had in his youth, he is commanded by the words of the Prophetic Writings (divrei kabbalah), "In the morning sow your seed…," to have children in his old age as well [and this would seemingly also be implied by the continuation of Rabbi Yehoshua's words: he does not content himself with the command to have children ("if he had children in his youth…"), but begins as with a new matter — "If he married a wife… if he had children…"].

It may be said that this is the basis of the difference between the two readings found in the Gemara there, in connection with the words of the Mishnah, "A man should not refrain from being fruitful and multiplying unless he has children": in most editions the Gemara reads, "Our Mishnah is not in accordance with Rabbi Yehoshua," whereas the Rif (and others) do not cite these words.

Now, according to the reading "Our Mishnah [which teaches 'unless…,' implying that if he has children he may refrain] is not in accordance with Rabbi Yehoshua," we adopt the first approach above: Rabbi Yehoshua's words stem from (the continuation of) the fulfillment of the mitzvah of being fruitful and multiplying, and so he necessarily disagrees with the Mishnah, from which we infer that if he has children, the mitzvah of being fruitful and multiplying has been fulfilled in full and he may refrain.

But according to the reading in which these words do not appear in the Gemara, one may say that Rabbi Yehoshua's statement does not contradict the Mishnah (which implies that if he has children he may refrain from being fruitful and multiplying), for Rabbi Yehoshua's law is a law and obligation in its own right, from the words of the Prophetic Writings — and the Mishnah is not discussing this.

Accordingly, it may be said that this is why the Rambam departs from Rabbi Yehoshua's wording, "if he had children in his youth, he should have children in his old age," and writes, "Even though a person has fulfilled the mitzvah of being fruitful and multiplying, he is commanded by Rabbinic decree not to refrain from being fruitful and multiplying as long as he has the strength" — to teach us this very point: that the verse's command (in the Prophetic Writings) to have children also in one's old age ("in the evening do not withhold your hand") is not a matter and obligation in its own right, but stems from the category of the mitzvah of being fruitful and multiplying — that there is a constant obligation (by Rabbinic decree) not to refrain from being fruitful and multiplying (from fulfilling the Torah mitzvah of being fruitful and multiplying) as long as he has the strength.

It may be said that the practical halachic difference between these two approaches lies in the law that one may sell a Torah scroll for the sake of children (in order to marry a wife able to bear children) — whether this applies even when he has already fulfilled the mitzvah of being fruitful and multiplying (there are two views on this in the Shulchan Aruch): according to the view that it is a law in its own right, since he has already fulfilled the mitzvah of being fruitful and multiplying completely, he may no longer sell a Torah scroll in order to marry a wife able to bear children. But if it is a constant obligation stemming from the category of the mitzvah of being fruitful and multiplying, it stands to reason that he should sell a Torah scroll in order to marry a wife able to bear children even if he has already fulfilled the Torah mitzvah of being fruitful and multiplying.

5. In light of this, the Rambam's wording, "for whoever adds one soul to Israel is as if he built a world," is simply understood:

This wording and reason express the content explained above — for the definition of the mitzvah of being fruitful and multiplying is the building of the world ("He formed it to be inhabited"), as in the plain sense of the verses, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth (and conquer it…)."

And the Rambam states precisely, "for whoever adds one soul to Israel is as if he built a world," to emphasize that the mitzvah of being fruitful and multiplying is not limited only to the fulfillment of its obligation, the begetting of a son and a daughter; rather, whatever he adds in this is included in the content (and definition) of this mitzvah — the building of the world, "as if he built a world."

By contrast, what is stated in the Laws of De'os, "that he should have a son, perhaps he will be a sage and a great man in Israel," pertains only to his intention in having children; it is not the definition of fulfilling the mitzvah of being fruitful and multiplying, whose content is "the building of the world" through the begetting of sons and daughters (even if the son is not "a sage and a great man in Israel").

6. It may be said that this point — "whoever adds a soul… is as if he built a world" — is emphasized in our parshah, Parshas Noach.

For "be fruitful and multiply" is stated in the Torah in Parshas Bereishis and in Parshas Noach, and one of the differences between them is

[in addition to the fact that the command to be fruitful and multiply (in the plain meaning of Scripture) is stated in our parshah, "And you, be fruitful and multiply," whereas in Parshas Bereishis it is a blessing]:

In Parshas Bereishis it was said to Adam, the first man, and since before this (blessing) command was said Adam had no children, it is understood that it refers mainly to the essential fulfillment of being fruitful and multiplying (the begetting of a son and a daughter).

In our parshah, by contrast, "be fruitful and multiply" was said to Noach and his sons — that is, not only to the sons of Noach, who did not yet have children, but also to Noach himself, who already had three sons. To him too it was said, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth," "Be fruitful and multiply, swarm upon the earth and multiply upon it." It may be said that this alludes to the fact that adding a soul is also included in the fulfillment of being fruitful and multiplying, and is as if he built a world.

7. It may be said that just as it is with the mitzvah of being fruitful and multiplying in its plain sense, so it is also with regard to (the content of) the mitzvah of being fruitful and multiplying in a spiritual sense, which is teaching Torah to students (and more generally — bringing Jews closer to Yiddishkeit, Torah and its mitzvos) — as our Sages say, "Whoever teaches his fellow's son Torah, Scripture regards him as if he had begotten him" — that in this there is no difference between the time of "youth" and the time of "old age." This follows the continuation of the Gemara's words: after the statement of Rabbi Yehoshua comes the statement of Rabbi Akiva, "If he studied Torah in his youth, he should study Torah in his old age; if he had students in his youth, he should have students in his old age, as it is said, 'In the morning sow….'"

That is to say: besides the fact that in the obligation of Torah study (for oneself) there is no difference between a young man and an old man (as the Rambam writes in the Laws of Torah Study), also regarding teaching students (which is a positive Torah commandment) there is the command (from the words of the Prophetic Writings?) of "in the evening do not withhold your hand":

After a person has occupied himself and toiled in influencing others throughout the years of youth and middle age, when he reaches old age he might say that now he will rest from this work and toil of his — in the words of Scripture, "Man goes out to his work and to his labor until evening" [including the "evening" of his life as a whole]. Comes the verse and says: "And in the evening do not withhold your hand" — even then he must continue to occupy himself with "be fruitful and multiply," bringing more and more Jews closer to Yiddishkeit, Torah and its mitzvos.

And to this the Rambam adds that the reason for this is "for whoever adds one soul to Israel is as if he built a world": the necessity to add in this work of his is not only because of the concern that his earlier work was not complete (to the point that there is a concern of "which will prosper…," like the Gemara's story there about the students of Rabbi Akiva); rather, even if his earlier work was utterly complete, he must not be satisfied with that, and he must add in his work also in the "evening," for through every single act of his it is "as if he built a world."

And according to what was explained above in the Rambam's words, it emerges that this obligation — that also "in the evening" one must add in "teaching his fellow's son Torah" — is not an additional obligation, to do something good and lofty, but is the continuation and completion of the fulfillment of the mitzvah of being fruitful and multiplying (in a spiritual sense).

The content of this novel point (that influencing others "in his old age" is also included in the mitzvah of being fruitful and multiplying in a spiritual sense) may be explained in terms of the inner dimension of the matter:

The purpose of all of creation is to make for Him, may He be blessed, a dwelling place in the lower realms; and this is the inner content of "built a world" — to build for Him, may He be blessed, a dwelling place. That is to say, the world, which of itself is in a state of "concealment" and hiddenness, in which it is not apparent that its coming into being is from "His true existence," must be built, and something new must be made — to reveal in it "His true existence."

And this change and innovation in the world is brought about through a change and innovation in the state of the Jewish people:

As long as it is not apparent in every single Jew that he is a son of Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov, and she a daughter of Sarah, Rivkah, Rachel and Leah, the world remains in a state in which its source and root are not apparent. And through the work of revealing in every single Jew his connection and bond with the Holy One, blessed be He, and with His Torah and mitzvos, he brings about that the entire world becomes a dwelling place for Him, may He be blessed — "as if he built a world."

8. In light of the above, one may also explain the reason our Sages made the future Redemption dependent on the fulfillment of the mitzvah of being fruitful and multiplying, as in the saying, "The son of David will not come until all the souls in the (treasury called) Guf are exhausted," and as they said, "Just as Israel was redeemed from Egypt in the merit of their being fruitful and multiplying, so too they will be redeemed in the future in the merit of their being fruitful and multiplying… Israel will not be redeemed unless they are fruitful and multiply and fill the entire world" —

For through completing the fulfillment of the mitzvah of being fruitful and multiplying — both physically, through each person "not refraining" from fulfilling this mitzvah "as long as he has the strength" (as the clear halachic ruling of the Rambam), and spiritually, through bringing every single Jew closer to G‑d and to His Torah and His mitzvos —

one arrives at the completion of the building of the entire world, that is, that the sovereignty of the Holy One, blessed be He, be revealed in it.

And this will be in utmost perfection in the Time to Come, when the promise will be fulfilled, "And the glory of G‑d shall be revealed, and all flesh together shall see that the mouth of G‑d has spoken."

And although all the revelations of the Time to Come depend upon all our deeds and service throughout the time of exile, it is understood that, in particular, the building of the world anew is brought about through adding in the fulfillment of the mitzvah of being fruitful and multiplying, physically and spiritually — the building of the world during the time of exile — for through adding one soul to Israel it is as if he built a world, and all the more so through adding many, many souls of Israel.

And this speeds and hastens the building of the "new world," the new heavens and the new earth of the Time to Come, "and G‑d shall be King over all the earth; on that day G‑d shall be One and His Name One."

(From a talk of Shabbos Parshas Shelach, 5745)

Key Lesson

The Rambam frames the obligation to keep having children, even after the basic mitzvah is fulfilled, as part of the mitzvah of being fruitful and multiplying itself, whose essence is building the world, so that every additional soul is "as if he built a world." Noach, who already had three sons, was still told "be fruitful and multiply." The same applies spiritually: one who has spent a lifetime bringing Jews closer to Torah may not retire from it "in the evening" of life, for each additional soul reached builds another part of G‑d's dwelling place and hastens the new world of the Redemption.