לְסֻסָתִי֙ בְּרִכְבֵ֣י פַרְעֹ֔ה דִּמִּיתִ֖יךְ רַעְיָתִֽי׃
Hai manisku, aku mengumpamakan engkau dengan kuda betina di antara kereta-kereta Firaun.
Rabbeinu Bahya
The words ואתם פרו ורבו “and you be fruitful and multiply,” have been placed here in order to teach that anyone who fails to practice the commandment to procreate is just as bad as someone who has committed murder. In fact, the sages in Yevamot 63 go so far as to say that failure to try and procreate is not only akin to bloodshed but that he is guilty of diminishing G-d’s image in the world. Different scholars phrase this idea slightly differently but they all agree that failure to attempt to procreate is equivalent to damaging G-d’s image in the eyes of His creatures. The idea underlying such statements is Genesis 17,7 in which the covenant between Avraham and G-d stipulates להיות לך לאלוקים ולזרעך אחריך, “to be your G-d and the G-d of your descendants after you.” G-d meant that as long as you will do your best to have descendants G-d’s benevolent presence will be manifest amongst you. If you leave no descendants after you, on whom is G-d’s benevolent presence supposed to manifest itself? On the trees? On the stones?
We need to explore the precise meaning of Rabbi Akiva who speaks of man who does not try and start a family as diminishing the image of G-d.” How can man “diminish” G-d’s image? Rabbi Akiva was careful not to say that such people “void” G-d’s image. We have a verse in Isaiah 13,4 קול המון בהרים דמות עם רב, “the sound of a great multitude of people, creating the impression (image) of a great many people.” There are similar verses in the Bible, and our sages explain that the expression דמות עם רב is a reference to G-d Himself.
There is another homiletical explanation of the verse in Song of Songs 1,9 דמיתיך רעיתי as meaning that on occasion a human being has the impression as if he had seen an image of G-d similar to what is described in Exodus 15,2 This is my G-d and I want to exalt Him.” This is why Solomon wrote in Song of Songs דמיתיך רעיתי “I have had an image of You as my beloved companion.”
We need to explore the precise meaning of Rabbi Akiva who speaks of man who does not try and start a family as diminishing the image of G-d.” How can man “diminish” G-d’s image? Rabbi Akiva was careful not to say that such people “void” G-d’s image. We have a verse in Isaiah 13,4 קול המון בהרים דמות עם רב, “the sound of a great multitude of people, creating the impression (image) of a great many people.” There are similar verses in the Bible, and our sages explain that the expression דמות עם רב is a reference to G-d Himself.
There is another homiletical explanation of the verse in Song of Songs 1,9 דמיתיך רעיתי as meaning that on occasion a human being has the impression as if he had seen an image of G-d similar to what is described in Exodus 15,2 This is my G-d and I want to exalt Him.” This is why Solomon wrote in Song of Songs דמיתיך רעיתי “I have had an image of You as my beloved companion.”