Reply To: Marriage

gaw-

Lav davka does he mean it’s a mitzva in that sense. For example, the Rambam counts as a ‘mitzva’ the way to go to the mikva and become tahor, in circumstances where one is not required to do so. He also counts the order of yerusha as a mitzva. The Rambam seems to have a trend, which the Ramban in the sefer Hamitzvos argues vociferously against, that when a certain method is delineated by the Torah and no other, that is called a mitzva. (I apologize that I don’t have those sources offhand, but it should be pretty easy to find those two by checking the index in the back, of the pesukim) Therefore he could simply be saying if one wishes to marry a woman, the way to do it post-matan-torah is with kiddushin, and since that is the only way that the Torah says works, it is called a mitzvas aseh. But not that there is a mitzva for one to get married. I hope I’m being clear.

By the way, the Ramban in that letter interprets this Rambam as not necessarily saying the only Torah-sanctioned way to live together with a woman is through kiddushin, but rather the only way to marry a woman is through kiddushin. I am not coming to judge the validity of this position, only to note the Ramban’s opinion.

Also, hey, doesn’t the fact that there is a birchas hashevach for getting married prove that chazal viewed it as a good thing? I share similar sentiments to you regarding kabbalah though.