The first mitzvah

Hi,

The first Mitzvah in the Torah is that of bearing children, manifested in G-d’s instructions and berachot to Adam and Chavah, as well as to Noach. The Sefer haChinuch explains that one reason for this mitzvah is G-d’s desire that the world be populated.

It is generally understood that this mitzvah is fulfilled when parents biologically produce one boy and one girl (Yevamot 61b-62a, Mishneh Torah Hilchot Ishut 15:4, Shulchan Aruch Even haEzer 1:5), but some authorities suggest that adoption may also fulfill this obligation. Writing in the 19th century, Rav Shlomo Kluger (Chachmat Shlomo to Even haEzer 1:1) pointed out that we are taught, “One who raises an orphan is considered as though he had birthed the orphan.” He concluded that adoption is considered a partial, and perhaps even complete, fulfillment of this mitzvah of procreation.

חג אורים שמח,

Mordechai

The global mitzvah of reproduction

Hi,

[On the mitzvah of attempting to reproduce]

"Certainly, the entire human race is equally obligated. Granted that the mitzvah is not incumbent upon each individual person, the obligation to settle the world is incumbent upon the general human race, per Gd’s desire as expressed in blessing Adam, as well as Noach and his sons, with the blessing of bearing fruit and multiplying. Gd then instructed them, ‘And you shall bear fruit and multiply,’ meaning, ‘This is My desire.’

"For Jews this is established as a mitzvah for each Jew to fulfill, as we were instructed individually in all of the mitzvoth, but others, who were not instructed individually in all of the mitzvoth, were not instructed individually in this obligation. Rather, the Divine blessing of bearing fruit and multiplying, and the expression of Divine desire that they should be involved in settling the world, was upon the nation as a whole."

(Aruch haShulchan Even haEzer 1:5)

Have a great day,
Mordechai