The commandment "be fruitful and multiply" was given to all mankind and then given again to Noach (Noah). However, it was not included in the 7 commandments that were given to bnei Noach (the righteous Gentiles) when G-d spoke to the entire Jewish people at Har Sinai (Mount Sinai).
This situation has created a machloket (difference of opinion) among Chazal (the Rabbinic sages of the Talmud) as to whether bnei Noach are also commanded to have children.
Clearly, it is a blessed deed for righteous Gentiles to have children and to raise them to be righteous. The question is, are righteous Gentiles commanded to do so? And will righteous Gentiles who fail to do so face punishment? Because the Jews are commanded to have children, and Jews who fail to do so do face the prospect of punishment.
According to Tosfot (see Chagigah) and Shealtot (see Midrash Sechel Tov), bnei Noach are indeed commanded to have children. However, bnei Noach are not punished if they do not have children because this is not one of the 7 commandments given at Sinai. There is a blessing for having children, but no punishment for not having children. (Unlike the Jews, who do face the prospect of punishment if they do not have children).
Two questions Chaim:
1: I do not at all intend to be disrespectful to the great Torah Sages (zt"l), but is it at all possible that this was left out of the Noahide Laws in error?
2: How can procreation be commanded for all human beings and yet righteous Gentiles are not punished for not procreating? Wouldn't that mean that it is not a commandment?
בס''ד
1. The Noahide laws cannot have any errors. The rabbis did not create the Noahide laws. The Noahide laws were given by G-d Himself at Mount Sinai.
2. Sometimes, there are commandments which bring blessings if someone does them, but no punishment if someone doesn't do them. This is because of G-d's great mercy.
For example, there have been times in history when evil people have ordered righteous Gentiles to bow before idols. These wicked people threatened to murder the righteous Gentiles unless they bow before the idols. Are the righteous Gentiles allowed to bow in order to save their lives? According to Chazal (the Rabbinic sages of the Talmud), the righteous Gentiles are permitted to bow to save their lives. The Biblical source for this Rabbinic ruling comes from the story of Naaman, a righteous Gentile who asked the Jewish prophet Elisha if he would be permitted to bow before idols when his king orders him to do so:
"In this thing will the L-rd pardon thy servant, that when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my hand, and I myself bow in the house of Rimmon...will the L-rd pardon thy servant in this thing?" (Kings II, 5:18).
Elisha answers Naaman, "Go in peace."
So G-d does not punish the righteous Gentiles for saving their lives even though not worshipping idols is one of the 7 Torah commandments imposed upon the Gentiles.
The Jews, on the other hand, are commanded to die al kiddush hashem (sanctifying G-d's name) if they are ordered to bow before idols or worship idols. Many Jewish men, women and children throughout history willingly gave their lives and were brutally tortured to death rather than bow before idols.
Why the much stricter commandment for the Jews? Because the Jews carry G-d's name, He is the G-d of Israel, and for the Jews to bow before idols is ultimate desecration of G-d's name.
But G-d, in His mercy, does not demand that His righteous Gentile servants give up their lives in a situation like that. Of course, if their lives are not threatened, then righteous Gentiles are
not allowed to bow before idols.
The same rule of mercy toward the righteous Gentiles applies in the case of having children. Many times in history, righteous Gentiles were forced to live in the cruelest and most barbaric societies. Should these righteous Gentiles be punished if they choose not to bring children into the world where their children may be subjected to murder, torture, rape, mutiliation? For example, should righteous Gentiles who live in Muslim countries be forced to have children? Should righteous Gentiles who decide not to have children in Muslim countries be punished for that decision?
Topic: Is it a mitzvah for Righteous Gentiles to procreate? (Read 6905 times)