Q&A: In the Evening Do Not Let Your Hand Rest
In the Evening Do Not Let Your Hand Rest
Question
In the Talmud in Yevamot, the following passage appears:
Mishnah not in accordance with Rabbi Yehoshua, as it was taught in a baraita: Rabbi Yehoshua says: If a man married a woman in his youth, he should marry a woman in his old age; if he had children in his youth, he should have children in his old age, as it is said: “In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening do not let your hand rest, for you do not know which will prosper, this one or that one, or whether both alike will be good” (Ecclesiastes 11:6). Rabbi Akiva says: If one studied Torah in his youth, he should study Torah in his old age; if he had students in his youth, he should have students in his old age, as it is said: “In the morning sow your seed,” etc.
The context in the baraita, and also in Rashi’s explanation, is that Rabbi Yehoshua’s words were said on the spiritual plane — which son will “prosper,” meaning be worthy. From where does the Talmud see here a dispute about the commandment of being fruitful and multiplying? Is there a question whether someone whose son is not worthy has not fulfilled being fruitful and multiplying?
Seemingly these are two separate planes.
Thank you very much in advance
Answer
I didn’t understand the question. This is not about the commandment of being fruitful and multiplying, but about recommendations. The question is whether it is advisable to continue even if you already have children, or not. In the Mishnah it says that one should not refrain from being fruitful and multiplying unless he has children, which implies that if he has them, he may refrain. And that is not in accordance with Rabbi Yehoshua, who does recommend continuing, because we do not know which one will prosper.
Discussion on Answer
It says, “A man should not refrain from being fruitful and multiplying unless…,” meaning there is a statement here beyond the halakhic definition of how many descendants are needed to fulfill one’s obligation. It says not to refrain. From here the Talmud infers that if he has children, he may refrain—not merely that he has fulfilled his obligation, since that is obvious, because he has indeed fulfilled it.
Rashi there noticed this: “Mishnah”—since it teaches “unless…” — this implies that if he has children, he may refrain, unlike Rabbi Yehoshua.
If the Mishnah is saying only the definition of the halakhic obligation, there is no room for the inference Rashi brings. Obviously, if he has children he may refrain, since he has fulfilled his obligation.
But the Mishnah states the basic law, not a recommendation.
That really does not contradict Rabbi Yehoshua, who seemingly approaches it from a different direction.