GEN702 Rabbi Elazar ben Azaria says: Whoever does not attempt to be fruitful and multiply, it is as if he had spilled blood and annihilated the likeness, as it says: “He who spills the blood of a person by a person shall his blood be shed for He made humanity in the image of God. Be fruitful and multiply … (this verse and Genesis 9:7). [Tosefta, Yevamot 8:5, with variant of Ben Azzai for R. Elazar.]  COMMENT: This midrash follows the principle-prooftext form and uses the same verse cited above [See “image” BANAL 150]. Here, Rabbi Elazar draws the conclusion that whoever refuses to reproduce has in effect “killed” the unborn. He does this by reading Genesis 9:6 in the context of the next verse which deals with the divine command to reproduce.  It is the juxtaposition of the injunction against killing, with its reference to image, to the command to reproduce that leads him to his conclusion.  BANAL 151