ויקרא, פרק כ״ו, פסוק כ״ט

The devastating reality of famine eventually reaches a horrifying extreme where desperation and deprivation completely strip away basic human nature. At the absolute lowest point of starvation [אבן עזרא], the natural order collapses entirely. This serves as a tragic reversal and a direct punishment for the earlier blessing of extreme fruitfulness [בכור שור, חזקוני]. Driven by an overwhelming hunger and divine wrath, people are pushed to the unthinkable act of consuming human flesh, specifically that of their own children [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This agonizing reality actually unfolded during the Chaldean siege of Jerusalem [ביאור יש״ר], mirroring the shocking historical account of Doeg ben Yosef, whose own mother consumed him [מלבי״ם, אדרת אליהו].

The specific fate of the sons compared to the daughters reveals layers of escalating horror. One approach views this as a progression in brutality. Sons typically wander outside searching for food or fall in battle, meaning fathers consume their already lifeless bodies out of severe hunger. Daughters, however, remain at home, implying that fathers actively murder them to use as food [ביאור יש״ר, העמק דבר, רש ר הירש].

From a psychological perspective of emotional numbness, fathers might target their sons first because sons are physically stronger and could escape if they witness the daughters being killed, a risk that does not exist with the weaker daughters. Alternatively, because a father's compassion is usually stronger for his sons, he forces himself to consume them first. Once that ultimate mental barrier is shattered, it becomes much easier to do the same to the daughters. The recurring nature of the act highlights that even after committing such an atrocity, the parents feel no remorse or sorrow. Instead, they continue the gruesome behavior out of habit if they find additional victims [אור החיים].

Another perspective suggests a cruel, mutual struggle for survival. The horror is not limited to parents consuming their offspring; sons will also rise up against their fathers and eat their flesh [מלבי״ם, אדרת אליהו]. This dual tragedy also counts as two separate curses within the broader sequence of disasters surrounding the destruction of the First Temple [אלשיך].

Beyond the literal nightmare, this tragedy can be understood metaphorically. It reflects a respected individual who marries off his children to an unworthy family purely for financial gain, effectively consuming them for profit [חזקוני]. Another interpretation offers a less gruesome reality, suggesting that if the Israelites merit it, the curse transforms into a blessing, though it retains a painful sting. In this scenario, consuming the children means that parents will lose their financial independence and be forced to rely on their children for support, eating at their tables. This state of complete dependency is viewed as a painful curse in its own right [פרדס יוסף].