Arukh HaShulchan, Orach Chaim 247:9-248:1

Sugya Map

• Issue: Distinguishing Mitzvat Pru U'Rvu (procreation) from Mitzvat Shevet (settlement/habitation of the world).
• Nafka Mina(s): Does Shevet apply to women? Does it obligate remarriage even if one cannot procreate further?
• Primary Sources: Yevamot 61b, 64a; Yeshayahu 45:18; Ramban (Yevamot 64a s.v. האומר לאשה); Arukh HaShulchan, Orach Chaim 247:9-248:1.

Text Snapshot

The Arukh HaShulchan's exposition hinges on a critical expansion of Shevet:

• "וזהו דאף האשה מצווה משום לא תוהו בראה לשבת יצרה [ישעיהו מ"ה י"ח] והיא מצות ישוב עולם."^Arukh HaShulchan, Orach Chaim 247:9
• "וכתב הרמב"ן דמצות ישוב עולם הוא שיהיו לו כמה בנים ובנות כדי שיתרבה זרעו בעולם. ואף האשה מצווה בזה וכמו שכתב הרמב"ן שם ועל כן אשה שנתגרשה או נתאלמנה ואין לה בנים מבעלה ואינה יכולה ללדת מצווה להינשא."^Arukh HaShulchan, Orach Chaim 248:1 The phrasing "ואינה יכולה ללדת מצווה להינשא" is particularly striking, suggesting Shevet isn't solely about biological procreation for women.

Readings

• Ramban (Yevamot 64a s.v. האומר לאשה): Chiddush – Shevet is a distinct, ongoing mitzvah, applicable even after Pru U'Rvu is fulfilled, and obligates men to have many children. Critically, he extends this obligation to women, positing that they too are commanded in יישוב העולם.
• Arukh HaShulchan (OC 247:9-248:1): Chiddush – Synthesizes Ramban, emphasizing that Shevet for women is so encompassing that it mandates remarriage even if they are beyond childbearing age or otherwise unable to procreate, thereby defining Shevet beyond mere biological fertility to include the establishment of a family unit.

Friction

• Kushya: If Mitzvat Shevet is about "settling the world" and "multiplying progeny" (as Ramban himself is cited, Arukh HaShulchan 247:10), how can an infertile woman fulfill this mitzvah by remarrying? What "settlement" or "multiplication" does she contribute?
• Terutz: The Arukh HaShulchan, following Ramban, interprets Shevet for women as a broader imperative to build and maintain a family unit, contributing to the social and spiritual fabric of יישוב העולם. The act of being married, providing a home, and raising children (even if not biologically hers or already grown) constitutes a vital part of "settling the world," irrespective of further procreation.

Intertext

• Yeshayahu 45:18: "לֹא תֹהוּ בְרָאָהּ לָשֶׁבֶת יְצָרָהּ" – The foundational source for Mitzvat Shevet, underscoring God's intent for the world to be inhabited, not desolate.
• Yevamot 61b: The primary Talmudic source for Mitzvat Pru U'Rvu, defining its minimum requirement of a boy and a girl.

Psak/Practice

The Arukh HaShulchan's rigorous analysis solidifies the mitzvah of Shevet as distinct from Pru U'Rvu. For women, this translates into a practical halachic imperative to remarry (if widowed/divorced), even if no further biological children are possible. This meta-psak heuristic redefines familial obligation beyond fertility.

Takeaway

Mitzvat Shevet transcends mere biological propagation, demanding active participation in building and sustaining Jewish family life, an obligation extending even to women whose procreative years are behind them.