דברים, פרק כ״ח, פסוק מ״א

A profound family tragedy unfolds when the natural cycle of bringing children into the world transforms into a source of deep pain and loss. Parents pour enormous effort and resources into raising their sons and daughters. However, this heavy investment ultimately yields no personal benefit for the family. Instead, all their hard work only serves the enemies who will eventually enslave their children [בכור שור].

The circumstances leading to this captivity reflect a state of total vulnerability. One perspective suggests that this outcome is driven by severe famine and deprivation. Forced to wander from place to place in a desperate search for food, the children stumble into the hands of enemies who take them captive [רלב״ג]. Alternatively, this loss takes place when the people are already living in exile. If the host nation where they reside goes to war against another country, the children find themselves caught on the front lines and are captured by the foreign enemy [העמק דבר].