וּנְטַעְתֶּם וַעֲרַלְתֶּם. הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר בְּתִינוֹק. שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים יִהְיֶה לָכֶם עֲרֵלִים, שֶׁאֵינוֹ יָכֹל לֹא לְהָשִׂיחַ וְלֹא לְדַבֵּר. וּבַשָּׁנָה הָרְבִיעִית יִהְיֶה כָּל פִּרְיוֹ קֹדֶשׁ, שֶׁאָבִיו מַקְדִּישׁוֹ לַתּוֹרָה. הִלּוּלִים לַה'. מַהוּ הִלּוּלִים, שֶׁבְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהוּא מְהוֹלָל לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא. וּבַשָּׁנָה הַחֲמִישִׁית תֹּאכְלוּ אֶת פִּרְיוֹ, מִשָּׁעָה שֶׁהוּא מִתְחַיֵּב לִקְרוֹת בַּתּוֹרָה. מִכָּאן וָאֵילָךְ, לְהוֹסִיף לָכֶם תְּבוּאָתוֹ. מִכָּאן שָׁנוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ, בֶּן חָמֵשׁ שָׁנִים לַמִּקְרָא, בֶּן עֶשֶׂר שָׁנִים לַמִּשְׁנָה. לְפִי שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה אָדָם מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל מוֹלִיד בֵּן, מוֹלִיכוֹ לְבֵית הַמִּדְרָשׁ יָגֵעַ עִמּוֹ וּמְלַמְּדוֹ תּוֹרָה. גָּרְמוּ עֲוֹנוֹת, הוּא מֵת וְאֵינוֹ שָׂמֵחַ מִמֶּנּוּ. אָמַר לָהֶן הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה עַל יְדֵי שֶׁיֵּצֶר הָרַע מָצוּי בָּכֶם, אַתֶּם חוֹטְאִים וּבְנֵיכֶם מֵתִים. אֲבָל לֶעָתִיד לָבֹא, אֲנִי מֵסִיר יֵצֶר הָרַע מִכֶּם וּמִבְּנֵיכֶם וְאַתֶּם מוֹלִידִים וּשְׂמֵחִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: לֹא יִיגְעוּ לָרִיק וְלֹא יֵלְדוּ לַבֶּהָלָה (ישעיה סה, כג). (Lev. 19:23:) “And plant [any tree for food], you shall count (rt.: 'rl) [its fruit] as forbidden (literally, as foreskin, rt.: 'rl)….” [This verse] is teaching about an infant: (ibid., cont.) “three years it shall be forbidden (rt.: 'rl) for you,” when [an infant] can neither talk nor speak; (vs. 24:) “In the fourth year all its fruit shall be [set aside (rt.: qdsh)],” when his father dedicates (rt.: qdsh) him to the Torah; (ibid., cont.) “for praises to the Lord.” What is the meaning of “praises’ (with reference to an infant)? [That] from [that] time, he praises the Holy One, blessed be He. (Vs. 25:) “But in the fifth year you may eat its fruit,” [i.e.] from the time that he is obligated to read in the Torah; from here onwards [it is] (ibid., cont.) “to increase its yield for you.” Hence our masters have taught (in Avot 5:21): At five years of age [he is ready] for [the study of] Scripture; at ten, for Mishnah. While in this world, one begets a son for himself, brings him to the primary school, labors with him, and teaches him Torah. [But] if there are iniquities that cause it, he dies. [And] so [the father] derives no happiness from him. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, “In this world, because the evil drive is found in you, you sin and your children die; but in the world to come I will remove the evil drive from among you and your children. Then you shall beget and be happy.” So is it stated (in Is. 65:23), “They shall not labor in vain, nor bear children in terror, because they are a seed blessed of the Lord, and their offspring along with them.”