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Be Fruitful and Multiply! |
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Articles and Writings -
Rabbi Eliahu Leon Levi
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Written by Michael
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Thursday, 06 July 2006 |
Be Fruitful and Multiply!
by the revered Kabbalist, HaRav Eliyahu Leon Levi“And G-d blessed them, and G-d said to them, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill up the land.” (Bereshit, 1:28.)
The very first commandment of the Torah is the mitzvah “to be fruitful and multiply.” This obligation precedes all of the other commandments of the Torah. For the Divine Presence does not descend to illuminate its earthy branches except through the decent of heavenly souls into this world. For this reason, a man must be fruitful and multiply, in order to bring celestial souls into this world. For when a soul is brought into this world, an exalted heavenly light spreads forth below. Thus, this is a very great mitzvah, immeasurable in its worth, and all other commandments are dwarfed beside it.
For this reason, a man who has not yet married and started a home, it is like he has not yet achieved anything. For this mitzvah is the foundation of the world, and all of the other commandments do not come to life except through this commandment, since everything else is dependent upon it, since through it all of the other commandments may be observed in all of their wholeness.
There is no way for any Jew in the world to ascend the ladder of holiness and to enter its inner chambers until he is married.
This can be seen in the life of our forefather, Yaacov, as we learn from our holy Torah, “I sojourned with Lavan and I kept the 613 commandments.” This means that it was Lavan the Arami who caused Yaacov to observe all of the mitzvot by giving him his daughters to Yaacov in marriage, even though Lavan did not intend it for Yaacov’s spiritual advantage. Getting married was what caused the celestial gates to be opened for Yaacov, enabling him to enter the treasure house of Torah and to observe G-d’s commandments with love and endearment. When Yaacov had children and multiplied, the Shechinah attached itself to him in every place and every moment. Even Lavan, who was a powerful and evil sorcerer, could not harm Yaacov, for the L-rd was with him.
Therefore my cherished son, what a serious self-accounting you must undertake starting today in order to enter the halls of holiness. Be fruitful and multiply - all in a spirit of holiness and purity, with the pristine awareness that in your marriage relations you bring down priceless souls from the upper realms into this world. In doing this, your reward will be multiplied greatly by the Master of the Universe. Great blessing will be granted you, and you will not lack anything, as it says regarding our forefather, Yitzhak, “And the man grew great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great.”
The foolish individual who does not busy himself with having children, and who deceives himself with facetious arguments, saying, “What does the Rabbi want from me – I don’t have an apartment spacious enough for a wife, nor a big enough salary,” and other vain and selfish excuses; this won’t save him at all. Let him ask his forefathers with what hardships they brought him into the world, and yet he is healthy and living a good life. Only a fool does not understand that it is precisely because he is procrastinating in this, and sinking in a deep slumber by not getting married and not bringing children into the world that he is not blessed . For this reason, he is passing his days without true joy and struggling to earn a good livelihood. People who purposefully delay from fulfilling this mitzvah, may G-d save us from this sin, exist without Torah, wisdom, happiness, wealth, and without a fear of Heaven. They cause their fortune to fall, and bring it about that blessings are withheld from them. They are banished in the eyes of Heaven, and the Celestial Hosts bring accusations against them. They weaken G-d’s supernal chariots, and transgress the Torah, and bring Heavenly judgments down on themselves.
Behold, with all of Hezkiahu’s righteousness and saintliness, these attributes did not come to his aid at all when he refused to marry. And concerning Nadav and Avihu, when they brought an offering before G-d and died, the verse emphasizes, “and they did not have children,” implying that if they had had children, they would have been saved. We see from the lives of these righteous individuals the great obligation to be married and to have children. In doing so we give strength to the upper spiritual worlds, as it says, “Give strength to G-d.”
May Hashem be with you in being a valiant warrior in His service. May all those who take heed to my words be blessed with saintly wives, holy marital relations, a prosperous and proper Jewish home, and with righteous children.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 27 September 2006 )
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