פרו ורבו - What's the פסק?

What exactly is the mitsvah of פרו ורבו? How does one fulfill it? How far should one go in order to fulfill this mitsvah?

Read the situation you have been assigned. You need to be able to explain:

1. What is the mitzvah of having children? Is this person obligated to fulfill it? Be very specific: How and why are they obligated? Is this obligation doraita or deraban? Be sure to cite texts to support your answer.

1. Each of these people has an idea about how they might have children. Will this work? If they do it, will they fulfill the mitzvah? Why or why not? Be sure to cite texts to support your answer?

1. What do you recommend that this person or couple do? Think about who this person or couple is. Should they move ahead in order to fulfill פרו ורבו? Why or why not? Be sure to mention other halakhic factors that you think are relevant to your recommendation. Write out your bottom line recommendation, and be sure to cite texts in support of your answer.

You and your hevruta (you will turn in one copy of these materials per hevruta) will research these questions. You may use any of the material we have learned, Sefaria, and Google to research your questions. I am happy to point your towards specific materials that address the issue you are working on once you have done some independent research.

You will write a short essay answering the questions above, and also summarize the main points in a Sefaria sheet to be presented to the class. The sheet should include:

- at least four texts that you feel are important in addressing the question that you were asked. (Note: If you quote a text, an article, or any source at all, I expect you to know who wrote it and to have a sense of who that author is and why they are important).

- a brief summary of your main points

- any graphics, charts, or outside information that may be important in understanding the issue

Here’s the situation (you'll be assigned one of these):

1. A single man wants to fulfill the mitzvah of פרו ורבו. He is 50 years old and never married. He hopes to find his bashert, but in the meantime, is interested in exploring adoption. How will you advise him? What are the issues he needs to consider?

1. A single woman wants to have a child. She is 35 and feels she is running out of time. She is thinking about IVF with donor sperm. How would you advise her? Can she fulfill a mitsvah in this way? What are the issues she needs to consider?

1. A happily married couple, the proud parents of five daughters, would like to stop having children. couple already has five girls. They want to stop having children, but are not sure it is permissible. What would you tell them? What are the issues they need to consider?

1. A couple is celebrating their tenth wedding anniversary but they are sad because they have not been able to conceive. Doctors have indicated that it is unlikely that she will get pregnant naturally, and several IVF cycles have failed. They want to pursue surrogacy. First, though, they want to be sure that this is halakhically permissible, and that they will fulfill the mitsvah of פרו ורבו this way. What would you tell them? What are the issues they need to consider?

1. A single woman is interested in helping her best friend have children. Her friend has been married for many years and has been unable to conceive. IVF has not worked for them. If she acts as their surrogate, is she fulfilling a mitsvah? Will it “count” towards פרו ורבו for her? What are the issues she needs to consider?

1. A man and his wife decided to freeze embryos early in their marriage, knowing that he would have a career in Tzahal that could be dangerous at times. The man is tragically killed in an attack. His parents come to his widow to demand that either she have one of the embryos implanted, or that they be given custody, so that they can adequately fulfill פרו ורבו. Are they correct? What should be done? What are the issues they need to consider?