(Genesis 17:7) Others say: Anyone who does not engage in the duty of being fruitful and multiplying causes the Divine Presence to depart from Israel, as it is said, "to be a God to you and to your seed after you" — at a time when your seed comes after you, the Divine Presence rests; when there is no seed after you, upon whom does the Divine Presence rest? Upon the trees or upon the stones? Abba Hanan, in the name of Rabbi Eliezer, says: He is liable to death, as it is said (Numbers 3:4), "and they had no children" — implying that had they had children, they would not have died.
Why Neglecting Children Drives the Divine Presence Away
Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 81:9
(בראשית יז ז) אֲחֵרִים אוֹמְרִים, כָּל מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ עוֹסֵק בִּפְרִיָּה וּרְבִיָּה גּוֹרֵם לַשְּׁכִינָה שֶׁתִּסְתַּלֵּק מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר, לִהְיוֹת לְךָ לֵאלֹהִים וּלְזַרְעֲךָ אַחֲרֶיךָ, בִּזְמַן שֶׁזַּרְעֲךָ אַחֲרֶיךָ, שְׁכִינָה שׁוֹרָה, אֵין זַרְעֲךָ אַחֲרֶיךָ, שְׁכִינָה עַל מִי שׁוֹרָה, עַל הָעֵצִים אוֹ עַל הָאֲבָנִים. אַבָּא חָנָן מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי אֶלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר, חַיָּב מִיתָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר, (במדבר ג, ד) "וּבָנִים לֹא הָיוּ לָהֶם", אִם הָיוּ לָהֶם בָּנִים לֹא מֵתוּ.