

Three Levels in the Commandment of Procreation:
- The Biblical obligation to have a son and daughter.
- The rabbinic obligation to strive to have four children.
- The enhancement of the commandment to have as many children as the parents are able to.
Reading the Names of Children Who Completed the Tanakh
On Friday night, between the Kabbalat Shabbat and Maariv prayers, I usually give a Torah sermon. However, last Shabbat, since the fast of the 10th of Tevet fell on Friday, I had to shorten the sermon so that immediately after nightfall, we could read the Shema, and those who fasted would not be delayed in breaking their fast. Before the sermon, I am accustomed to mentioning and blessing the children born during the week, as well as the children and youth who completed books, or tractates. This time, I faced a dilemma:
On Sunday, there was going to be a celebration for over 50 girls from the community who had completed the entire Tanakh (Torah, Prophets, and Writings), and on Monday, a similar celebration for about 20 boys. Instead of giving a Torah lecture, I chose to read the names of the girls and boys. I explained this by noting that in the Tanakh, many verses mention the names of the Children of Israel—both when they were leaving Egypt, when they were entering the Land in the Book of Numbers, and when they returned to the Land in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah. Therefore, I thought that the most meaningful Torah sermon would be to recite the names of the wonderful children who had completed the Tanakh.
Completion Ceremony
incidentally, this is the fourth time that girls and boys have completed the entire Tanakh. The study is done every day, 365 days a year, with two chapters a day, and after a year and a quarter, they complete the entire Tanakh. Parents, as well as many grandparents, participated in the elaborate completion ceremonies.
In my blessing at the ceremonies,
I explained to the graduates why the Friday night sermon included the mention of their names. I continued and said, that they must have noticed how the values of settling the Land, and establishing families, are central themes in the Tanakh. From this, I briefly summarized the laws of marriage: the age of marriage for both boys and girls, the Biblical commandment of procreation in having a son and daughter, and the rabbinic commandment to strive to have more. I told them that, in my opinion, the rabbinic commandment is to have four children, and anything beyond that is an enhancement of the commandment, and each additional child fulfills a tremendous mitzvah.
I concluded with a blessing that, through their study of the Tanakh, they will all marry at the appropriate age, establish magnificent families, and continue the path of their parents, who built their home in the front line of settlement in Har Bracha, thereby fulfilling the commandment of settling the Land in the optimal way, and in doing so, they will write a new chapter in the story of the Jewish people—a story that begins in the Tanakh, and continues with them.
Three Levels in Fulfilling the Commandment
At the ceremony, I briefly mentioned the commandment, and here I will expand slightly. There are three levels in fulfilling the commandment of procreation.
- The Biblical obligation to have a son and daughter. Even when the conditions are difficult, one should strive greatly to fulfill it, including by utilizing accepted medical methods such as in vitro fertilization.
- The rabbinic obligation to strive to have four children (see Peninei Halakha:Simchat HaBayit U’Berachato 5:6).
- The enhancement of the commandment to have as many children as the parents are able. That is, parents who know they can raise more children and educate them in Torah, mitzvot, and proper conduct, are commanded to have as many children as they can. The value of this enhancement of the mitzvah is immense—one who brings a soul into the House of Israel, is as if they have created an entire world.
- However, if they know that having more children would overly burden them, and anger and frustration would accompany their lives, it is better not to enhance the mitzvah. Although every additional child fulfills a mitzvah, the negative impact on their emotional state may lead to anger and irritability, which will negatively affect the upbringing of their children. Additionally, those who wish to dedicate their energies to other valuable pursuits that would not leave them the strength to raise more children are permitted to do so (ibid).
From Family to Nation in Egypt
Every nation has its unique essence, and this is the meaning of the special ministering angel each nation has in heaven. The Egyptian kingdom’s unique character is its material strength. They excelled in running the kingdom for the purpose of developing its wealth, however, they were also strongly inclined towards materialistic desires. Therefore, the Torah commands: “Do not do as the land of Egypt, where you dwelled” (Leviticus 18:3). As explained by our Sages in Torat Kohanim there, they were steeped in their desires (see Maharal, Gevurot Hashem, Chapter 4).
During the slavery in Egypt, while the Egyptians exploited us, we absorbed the holy spark embedded in their materialistic inclination. Thanks to this, we were able to proliferate immensely. The material power of Egypt was absorbed by us as a force that enabled vast reproduction. This is how we left Egypt with wealth, as God promised Abraham in the Brit Bein HaBetarim (covenant ‘Between the pieces’): “Your descendants will be strangers in a land not theirs, and they will be enslaved and oppressed… but afterward, they will go out with great wealth.” The “great wealth” was not only money and gold but, even more so, the multiplication of children, as it says: “And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and became exceedingly mighty, and the land was filled with them” (Exodus 1:7).
From 70 Souls to 600,000 Fighting Men
In reality, within 210 years, the family of 70 souls grew into a nation of 600,000 men aged 20 to 60. If we assume that the number of young people was equal to the number of adults, and the number of women equal to the number of men, this would amount to a population of approximately 2.5 million people.
How Many Children Did Each Woman Have in Egypt?
The question is, how many children would each woman have to give birth to, on average, so that over 210 years, a family of 70 souls would turn into a nation of 2.5 million? To emphasize the importance of this issue, I will repeat something I’ve shared before:
One year, when we reached the portion of Shemot, I asked Rabbi Yonadav Zar to calculate how many children each woman in Egypt would need to give birth to. After some time, he came back and said that the question of the average age at which people got married, is just as important as the question of how many children each woman had. If women married at the age of 22, then each woman would need to have about 12 children. But if they married at the age of 15, as was likely common in those generations, then it would be enough for each woman to have six children. It should be noted that this calculation includes the healthy children who reached adulthood, and thus, had an average of six children themselves. Children who died in infancy or childhood, are not counted.
Demographic Progress Depends on the Age of Marriage
This calculation reveals how much the age of marriage affects demographic progress. It is important to note that halakha also guides individuals to marry at a young age (Kiddushin 29b, Shulchan Aruch, Even HaEzer 1:3). Furthermore, reality shows that delaying the age of marriage causes many difficulties in finding a suitable partner. To illustrate the impact of the two main factors—the age of marriage, and the number of children—on the growth of a family, I am including here a table prepared by Rabbi Yonadav Zar.
The Table
The table that can be seen by clicking here shows the number of descendants a couple would have by the time they turn 100. The average marriage age of the family members is listed on the right side, and the average number of children is listed on the top row. The period between births is three years.
Number of Descendants by the Age of 100
Notice that with an average of five children, and an average marriage age of 23, there are 150 descendants, while with seven children on average, and an average marriage age of 26, there are 140 descendants.
When They Oppressed Them, They Increased and Multiplied
When faith is firm, life intensifies with strength, and even the greatest suffering does not diminish life, but strengthens it. Therefore, where the suffering of the terrible slavery in Egypt could have led to despair and reduced birthrates, the Children of Israel continued to multiply, and as the Torah says, “when they oppressed them, they increased and multiplied.” On the other hand, when the strength of life is weak, the reaction is to withdraw from life, and decrease.
Even someone who feels weakened from mourning the brave soldiers of Israel, can strengthen their faith and remember that the soldiers died sanctifying God’s Name. No being can stand in their presence in the World to Come, due to their great virtue. Furthermore, their families can elevate themselves, strengthen themselves with bravery, and instill life into their families, and those around them. It is very difficult, but the greater the difficulty, the greater the comfort, blessing, and salvation that will come from it.
Sometimes, we expect the public to acknowledge the suffering of mourners, and through this, ease their pain. However, comforters can only offer encouragement, while the families of the mourners can make an effort, and begin the process of growth and development, in light of the marvelous sacrifice of their loved ones. Then, the blessing that will come to them, and their families, will be doubled and multiplied.
This article appears in the ‘Besheva’ newspaper and was translated from Hebrew.