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Date: Sun, 3 Jan 1999 11:19:32 -0500 (EST)
From: Russell Hendel <  rhendel@mcs.drexel.edu>
Subject: Re: Seven Sons

Rabbi Danny in Bais Medrash, V1 #65 asks for a source or reason for the
dictum >  >  Whoever raises 7 children has a share in the next world<  <

This was recently thoroughly discussed and solved in Mail Jewish Vol 28.

I cited a law that Biblically one is only obligated to raise children till
6. After 6, raising children is considered an act of charity.

So if you are raising 7 children and some are above 6 then you are
contiuously performing charity. It is this continual performance of charity
that gives you a share in the next world.

Some clever woman (whose name I forget) pointed out that if you have 7
children (at the reasonable rate of at least one a year) then by the time
you have the 7th your youngest must be 7 and hence you are performing charity.

Russell Jay Hendel; Phd ASA
RHendel @ mcs drexel edu

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