One of the six questions that we will be asked after our time is up is whether we were involved in פריה ורביה. Why is THIS one of the six questions. Having children is a mitzva like all other mitzvos. Why is this mitzva singled out? Why do we say "singled out" and not "singled in"?
The question is HUUUUUGGGEE - Did you think about the here and now, or were you interested in building a strong future that will lead to the ultimate fulfillment of Hashem's GRAND PLAN? It is not just about this or that mitzva but much more. Not about a detail but about a grand scheme.
A secular "career woman" - or man - thinks about NOW. I want fulfillment, I want to "make it", I want to enhance MY life. A lot of "I"s and usually always about NOW. So the average US family had in 2006, 1.86 kids. Like, the second baby is missing G-d forbid 0.14 of himself. After a decade it rose to 2.07. If the family lives on the Upper West Side there are also at least 3 dogs.
A Hashem-centered Torah personality thinks in broad terms - how am I contributing to the future? 2.07? That is after 3 years of marriage and they are just getting warmed up. One child will produce - we hope - approximately 5-10 of his or her own children, each serving Hashem and Am Yisrael in their unique way. And those 5-10 will have another 5-10. I have a friend with 13 [I don't know if he is done - the oldest is about 20]. I told him that an entire nation will emanate from him. Isn't that much greater than anything I the individual can do?
This is a lesson not only in physical offspring and an advertisement against birth control [unless necessary] but a call to view your actions in the context of the future and not just getting through the day, week or month. Expand your vision to include the elevation of all of the cosmos and the actualization of Hashem's plan for mankind.
אחרי הצדק ההוה [שבשאלה הקודמת] יאיר אור הצדק העתיד, שבהתגברות כח הנפש הזכה הנאצלת מאור החכמה העליונה הכל נסקר בסקירה אחת כוללת ומקפת, עד שלא רק את אשר יכול הוא בעצמו להוציא אל הפועל מכלל האושר והשלימות נגול כספר לפניו, כ"א את אשר יוכלו שאת הדורות הבאים בהמשך החיים, התלויים הרבה באיכות הטבת דרכי חייו, הוא, גם הם נגללים, והשאלה נשאלת במלא רחבה עסקת כפריה ורביה, הנשאך לבך לדעת כמה טוב גנוז בחיים הבאים, ההולכים ומתרבים והולכים ומתפתחים יפה להיות הולך ואור הולך וקרב אל המטרה העליונה אשר הציב אדון כל העולמים, ואיך כל כח טוב שיצא אל ההויה הוא הולך ועושה פירות, עד שצריך להוקירו בשבילו עצמו ובשביל העתיד שלו ותולדותיו. ע"כ כל משפט המעשים מתיחסים יפה לשאלת העתיד המתיחש לעסקת כפריה ורביה.
Shoshana Ovitz, 104 year old survivor of Auschwitz, had a birthday wish that all her descendants be photographed at the Kotel.
