שופטים, פרק ב׳, פסוק י׳

The transition between generations often carries the risk of a deep spiritual crisis and the forgetting of past kindnesses. Following the initial settlement in the Land of Israel, a significant shift occurs as the older era passes away in death [מצודת ציון]. However, the passing of an entire generation does not imply that every individual from that time died at once [רלב״ג]. Chronologically, many older adults who lived through the earlier historical events were likely still alive. Instead, this transition refers specifically to the loss of the elders and leaders. These leaders were the only ones who possessed the necessary wisdom and authority to prevent the people from sinning during their lifetimes. The remaining older adults simply lacked the influence and insight required to halt the impending spiritual decline.

As a new generation rises, they are defined by their lack of knowledge of God. This ignorance is not merely an absence of historical facts, but a profound lack of deep, intellectual understanding [מצודת דוד]. These younger individuals were born and raised within the established routine of life in the Land of Israel. To them, the great miracles of the past were nothing more than stories. Because they never experienced these events personally, the wonders God performed for the Israelites gradually faded from their collective memory [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ].