Immediately after creating man and woman, God told them, "Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the land and conquer it." (Genesis 1:28)
One would think that a central precept - perhaps the prohibition against idols or the belief in one God - would be chosen as the very first mitzvah in the Torah. What is so important about procreation that it should be God's first command to Man? And why was it necessary for God to command that which comes so naturally to humans?
Foundation for Morality
The fact that "pru u'revu" (procreation) is a mitzvah from God indicates that this activity is rooted in absolute holiness and goodness. Indeed, this viewpoint is the very basis for human morality.
If the existence and continued survival of the human race is not based on goodness, then life itself is merely the lamentable victory of man's natural drives and instincts over the will for good. This dark view is the root for all negative character traits and immoral behavior, both in the family unit and in society. The final conclusion of such an outlook is that 'might is right' - the strong and the fit deserve to rule over the weak.
But when procreation is revealed to us as a holy obligation, we recognize that the true inner cause for the formation of life is sublime goodness. This knowledge deeply impresses upon us the power of morality and justice in all aspects of life.
Bringing Children Into a Flawed World
Nonetheless, we know that life is not easy. Life in this world is full of pain and suffering. The sages even concluded that it would better for the soul not to have been born (Eiruvin 13b). How can we bring children into such a world?
Just as this mitzvah reinforces our natural aspirations for goodness, so too it elevates the mind and expands our horizons to recognize the unity of reality within the dimension of time. The past, present and future are all bound together. It is not for the faulty world of the present, nor for the cruel world of the past, that we bear and raise children. Rather, we bring these souls into the world in order to advance the universe towards the infinitely bountiful world of the future.
The mitzvah of "pru u'rvu" is our participation in the world's gradual progression, from the lowest level to its elevation to Divine goodness. We help advance the loftiest justice and the greatest kindness, as the value of life is revealed in its noblest form. Cognizant, sentient living creatures are brought to a state of incomparably refined and complete life; a state in which life is no longer an onerous burden and obligation, but a delightful benefit and blessing.
The Divine mandate of "Be fruitful and multiply, fill the world" demands that we complete the world in all aspects. We need to perfect the world, both physically and spiritually. We "fill the world" qualitatively and quantitatively. The brutal aspects of the world, which stem from its desolation and emptiness, are overcome by our efforts throughout the generations to settle and refine it.
[Based on Otzorot HaRaya vol. II, p. 518-9]
One would think that a central precept - perhaps the prohibition against idols or the belief in one God - would be chosen as the very first mitzvah in the Torah. What is so important about procreation that it should be God's first command to Man? And why was it necessary for God to command that which comes so naturally to humans?
Foundation for Morality
The fact that "pru u'revu" (procreation) is a mitzvah from God indicates that this activity is rooted in absolute holiness and goodness. Indeed, this viewpoint is the very basis for human morality.
If the existence and continued survival of the human race is not based on goodness, then life itself is merely the lamentable victory of man's natural drives and instincts over the will for good. This dark view is the root for all negative character traits and immoral behavior, both in the family unit and in society. The final conclusion of such an outlook is that 'might is right' - the strong and the fit deserve to rule over the weak.
But when procreation is revealed to us as a holy obligation, we recognize that the true inner cause for the formation of life is sublime goodness. This knowledge deeply impresses upon us the power of morality and justice in all aspects of life.
Bringing Children Into a Flawed World
Nonetheless, we know that life is not easy. Life in this world is full of pain and suffering. The sages even concluded that it would better for the soul not to have been born (Eiruvin 13b). How can we bring children into such a world?
Just as this mitzvah reinforces our natural aspirations for goodness, so too it elevates the mind and expands our horizons to recognize the unity of reality within the dimension of time. The past, present and future are all bound together. It is not for the faulty world of the present, nor for the cruel world of the past, that we bear and raise children. Rather, we bring these souls into the world in order to advance the universe towards the infinitely bountiful world of the future.
The mitzvah of "pru u'rvu" is our participation in the world's gradual progression, from the lowest level to its elevation to Divine goodness. We help advance the loftiest justice and the greatest kindness, as the value of life is revealed in its noblest form. Cognizant, sentient living creatures are brought to a state of incomparably refined and complete life; a state in which life is no longer an onerous burden and obligation, but a delightful benefit and blessing.
The Divine mandate of "Be fruitful and multiply, fill the world" demands that we complete the world in all aspects. We need to perfect the world, both physically and spiritually. We "fill the world" qualitatively and quantitatively. The brutal aspects of the world, which stem from its desolation and emptiness, are overcome by our efforts throughout the generations to settle and refine it.
[Based on Otzorot HaRaya vol. II, p. 518-9]