Commentary for Deuteronomy 28:53
וְאָכַלְתָּ֣ פְרִֽי־בִטְנְךָ֗ בְּשַׂ֤ר בָּנֶ֙יךָ֙ וּבְנֹתֶ֔יךָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָֽתַן־לְךָ֖ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ בְּמָצוֹר֙ וּבְמָצ֔וֹק אֲשֶׁר־יָצִ֥יק לְךָ֖ אֹיְבֶֽךָ׃
And thou shalt eat the fruit of thine own body, the flesh of thy sons and of thy daughters whom the LORD thy God hath given thee; in the siege and in the straitness, wherewith thine enemies shall straiten thee.
Rashi on Deuteronomy
ואכלת … בשר בניך … במצור AND THOU SHALT EAT … THE FLESH OF THY SONS … IN THE SIEGE, [AND IN THE DISTRESS] — Because they (the enemies) will besiege the city and there will consequently be distress— i.e. the stress of famine.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Siftei Chakhamim
Because they will lay siege to the city, etc. It is not the siege that causes the starvation which leads to people eating the flesh of their sons. Rather, the siege causes torment and agony of starvation that leads to people eating the flesh of their sons. Thus the וי"ו of ובמצוק is superfluous like the וי"ו of (Bereishis 36:24), “[These are the sons of Tzivon:] (and) Ayoh and Anoh (ואיה וענה).”
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy