Sent by Reb Y.A. - a HUGE thanks to him. We have children to give - not to get!
Rabbi Yissocher Frand recounts the following story that he heard from Rav Moshe Shapiro.
A man came to visit his nephew in Yerushalayim. This nephew was a young talmid chochom with a large family. The uncle was impressed with how attentive and patient his nephew was with all the children. "How will your children ever repay you for what you have done for them?" asked the uncle. "By giving me a measure of immortality, by carrying my name forward" answered the nephew. Later the nephew asked the Brisker Rov what he thought about the question and his response. The Brisker Rov shook his head in disapproval. "The answer you gave is close to apikorsus. Children have nothing to do with repayment. They are not an investment for future nachas. You can daven for nachas, just like you daven for health and prosperity, but that is not why you have children. Children are about giving. It's the way Hashem wants us to emulate His ways."
