These sources explore the obligation to procreate (pru u'rvu) as commanded to both Adam at creation and Noah after the Flood, examining whether the initial command was a blessing or an obligatory mitzvah, and what the repetition signifies for Noahides and Israelites. The Talmud and Rishonim debate the legal status and scope of this foundational commandment.
פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ וּמִלְאוּ אֶת־הָאָרֶץ
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Genesis 9:1
After the Flood, God repeats the command 'be fruitful and multiply' to Noah and his sons — the second issuing of this commandment, this time to a post-diluvian humanity and serving as a renewal or fresh obligation.
וַיְבָ֣רֶךְ אֱלֹהִ֔ים אֶת־נֹ֖חַ וְאֶת־בָּנָ֑יו וַיֹּ֧אמֶר לָהֶ֛ם פְּר֥וּ וּרְב֖וּ וּמִלְא֥וּ אֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, “Be fertile and increase, and fill the earth.
Genesis 1:28
God commands Adam and Eve 'be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth' — the foundational text for the commandment of procreation (pru u'rvu), given at the very moment of humanity's creation.
וַיְבָ֣רֶךְ אֹתָם֮ אֱלֹהִים֒ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר לָהֶ֜ם אֱלֹהִ֗ים פְּר֥וּ וּרְב֛וּ וּמִלְא֥וּ אֶת־הָאָ֖רֶץ וְכִבְשֻׁ֑הָ וּרְד֞וּ בִּדְגַ֤ת הַיָּם֙ וּבְע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וּבְכׇל־חַיָּ֖ה הָֽרֹמֶ֥שֶׂת עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
God blessed them and God said to them, “Be fertile and increase, fill the earth and master it; and rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and all the living things that creep on earth.”
Yevamot 65b
The Gemara derives from the verse 'be fruitful and multiply' that men are obligated in procreation while women are not, and discusses the scope of the obligation. This sugya is the primary halachic analysis of the commandment and its parameters.
מַתְנִי׳ הָאִישׁ מְצֻוֶּוה עַל פְּרִיָּה וּרְבִיָּה, אֲבָל לֹא הָאִשָּׁה. רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן בֶּן בְּרוֹקָה אוֹמֵר: עַל שְׁנֵיהֶם הוּא אוֹמֵר: ״וַיְבָרֶךְ אוֹתָם אֱלֹהִים וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם [אֱלֹהִים] פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ״. גְּמָ׳ מְנָא הָנֵי מִילֵּי? אָמַר רַבִּי אִילְעָא מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן: אָמַר קְרָא: ״וּמִלְאוּ אֶת הָאָרֶץ וְכִבְשׁוּהָ״. אִישׁ דַּרְכּוֹ לְכַבֵּשׁ, וְאֵין אִשָּׁה דַּרְכָּהּ לְכַבֵּשׁ. אַדְּרַבָּה: ״וְכִבְשׁוּהָ״ תַּרְתֵּי מַשְׁמַע! אָמַר רַב נַחְמָן בַּר יִצְחָק: ״וְכׇבְשֶׁהָ״ כְּתִיב. רַב יוֹסֵף אָמַר, מֵהָכָא: ״אֲנִי אֵל שַׁדַּי פְּרֵה וּרְבֵה״, וְלָא קָאָמַר ״פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ״.
MISHNA: A man is commanded with regard to the mitzva to be fruitful and multiply, but not a woman. Rabbi Yoḥanan ben Beroka says that a woman is also commanded, as the verse states with regard to both of them: “And God blessed them, and God said to them: Be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:28). GEMARA: From where are these matters derived, that a woman is not obligated in the mitzva to be fruitful and multiply? Rabbi Ile’a said in the name of Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon: The verse states: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the land and conquer it” (Genesis 1:28). It is the manner of a man to conquer and it is not the manner of a woman to conquer. Consequently, it is evident that the entire command, including the mitzva to be fruitful and multiply, was given only to men and not to women. The Gemara raises a difficulty. On the contrary, the plural term: “And conquer it [vekhivshuha],” indicates that the two of them are included. Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: It is written in the Torah without the letter vav, so that it can be read: And conquer it [vekhivsha], in the singular. Rav Yosef said: The proof is from here: “And God said to him: I am God Almighty, be fruitful and multiply [perei urvei]” (Genesis 35:11), which is in singular, and it does not state: Be fruitful and multiply [peru urvu] in the plural.
Sanhedrin 59b
The Gemara debates whether 'be fruitful and multiply' said to Adam constitutes a commandment (mitzvah) or merely a blessing. This is the foundational Talmudic locus for determining whether Bnei Noach are commanded in procreation and whether the later repetition to Noah changes the legal status.
וַהֲרֵי פְּרִיָּה וּרְבִיָּה, שֶׁנֶּאֶמְרָה לִבְנֵי נֹחַ, דִּכְתִיב: ״וְאַתֶּם פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ״, וְנִשְׁנֵית בְּסִינַי: ״לֵךְ אֱמֹר לָהֶם שׁוּבוּ לָכֶם לְאׇהֳלֵיכֶם״ – לְיִשְׂרָאֵל נֶאֶמְרָה וְלֹא לִבְנֵי נֹחַ! הָהוּא, לְכׇל דָּבָר שֶׁבְּמִנְיָן צָרִיךְ מִנְיָן אַחֵר לְהַתִּירוֹ הוּא דַּאֲתָא.
The Gemara asks: But isn’t there the mitzva of procreation, which was stated with regard to the descendants of Noah? As it is written: “And you, be fruitful and multiply, swarm in the land and multiply in it” (Genesis 9:7). And it was repeated at Sinai, in the verse: “Go say to them: Return to your tents” (Deuteronomy 5:27), when the Jewish men were commanded to resume conjugal relations with their wives after having been commanded to separate from them in preparation for the giving of the Torah. Nevertheless, the mitzva of procreation was stated for the Jewish people and not for the descendants of Noah. The Gemara answers: That verse stated at Sinai is not necessary for the mitzva itself, but rather it comes to teach another halakha: That any matter that was prohibited by an official vote of the Sanhedrin requires another vote to permit it. Even if a rabbinic prohibition is no longer relevant, it is not automatically canceled, but rather a special ruling is required to cancel it. This is derived from the fact that it was necessary for God to issue a declaration (Deuteronomy 5:26) specifically canceling the prohibition that had been issued before the giving of the Torah.
Sefer HaMitzvot, Positive Commandments 212
Rambam counts the commandment of procreation as Positive Mitzvah 212, citing Genesis 9:7 (the Noahide repetition to Noah) as the scriptural source for the obligatory nature of the mitzvah, implying the first command to Adam was a blessing.
היא שצונו לפרות ולרבות לכוין לקיום המין, והיא מצות פריה ורביה. והוא אמרו יתעלה ואתם פרו ורבו. וכבר בארו (ברכות ט"ו) שהחתן פטור מקריאת שמע כשישא בתולה מפני שהיא עסוק במצוה.
That is that He commanded us to be fruitful and multiply, with the intention of preserving the species. And that is the commandment of piryah verivyah. And that is His, may He be exalted, saying, "And you, be fruitful and multiply" (Genesis 9:7).
Rabbeinu Bahya, Bereshit 9:1
Rabbeinu Bahya analyzes the parallel between the command given to Adam and the one given to Noah, noting differences in wording and context, and explains that the repetition to Noah elevates the commandment from a natural instinct/blessing to a conscious divine imperative binding on all mankind.
Chizkuni, Genesis 9:1
The Chizkuni explains that God repeated the blessing/command to Noah specifically because Noah emerged into a depopulated world and required explicit divine instruction and encouragement to fill the earth again — the repetition is contextually motivated by the new demographic reality after the Flood.
Akeidat Yitzchak, Bereshit, Gate 3
Rav Yitzchak Arama explains that the command was given twice because Adam's world and Noah's world represent two distinct stages of human civilization; the renewal after the Flood required a fresh mandate to populate a world that had been entirely destroyed.
Toldot Yaakov Yosef, Noach
The Toldot Yaakov Yosef, a foundational Chassidic text, comments on the repetition of 'pru u'rvu' to Noah as reflecting that each righteous individual who survives a spiritual or physical catastrophe bears a renewed personal obligation to rebuild and multiply — both physically and in disciples.
ופירש רש"י, שבור מלכא מלך פרס, ואמרי לי' זה שמואל, ואינו מיושב וכו'. ובזה יובן, שתי גנות זו ע"ג זו והירק בנתיים, ר"ל שנשאר בנתיים כנ"ל.
And this is what it says, "And Noah begot"—that the restfulness and settledness of Shabbat involves three levels: one, to acquire [an expression of the three levels of the soul:] nefesh-ruach-neshama on Shabbat. And one must prepare for this during the six weekdays—three [days] after Shabbat and three [days] before it.