Chapter 30 of Sefer Mishlei continues the words of Agur ben Yakeh, and in this section we address a sequence of verses depicting a corrupt generation: four classes of "a generation" (dor), followed by the parable of the leech and her two daughters. We will examine the approach of the Vilna Gaon (the Gra), who links all these verses to the verse "Do not slander a servant to his master," as well as the approach of the Malbim, who sees in them a description of a wicked king and his generation.
אַל־תַּלְשֵׁן עֶבֶד אֶל־אֲדֹנָו פֶּן־יְקַלֶּלְךָ וְאָשָׁמְתָּ׃ - Do not slander a servant to his master, lest he curse you, and you incur guilt.
According to the approach explained by the Gra, the following verses are a direct continuation of this verse. We explained: do not slander a servant to his master, which in simple terms means do not cast your judgment to Heaven (praying for Hashem to punish your fellow). Now the verse continues and says: when I tell you not to slander, I am speaking to you even if this servant is thoroughly wicked, even if there is every reason in the world to report him.
דּוֹר אָבִיו יְקַלֵּל וְאֶת־אִמּוֹ לֹא יְבָרֵךְ׃ דּוֹר טָהוֹר בְּעֵינָיו וּמִצֹּאָתוֹ לֹא רֻחָץ׃ דּוֹר מָה־רָמוּ עֵינָיו וְעַפְעַפָּיו יִנָּשֵׂאוּ׃ דּוֹר חֲרָבוֹת שִׁנָּיו וּמַאֲכָלוֹת מְתַלְּעֹתָיו לֶאֱכֹל עֲנִיִּים מֵאֶרֶץ וְאֶבְיוֹנִים מֵאָדָם׃ - A generation that curses its father and does not bless its mother. A generation pure in its own eyes, yet not washed of its filth. A generation - how haughty are its eyes, and its eyelids are lifted high! A generation whose teeth are swords and whose jaw teeth are knives, to devour the poor from the earth and the needy from among mankind.
Even if one is dealing with someone who is of the "generation that curses its father," even if he is "pure in its own eyes, yet not washed of its filth," even if "how haughty are its eyes," and even if "whose teeth are swords" - nevertheless: do not slander a servant to his master. And the Gra concludes by saying: nevertheless, do not slander, and there is no wonder greater than this! In other words, so severe is the matter of invoking Heavenly judgment against someone that even regarding the lowest of the low, it is said: do not hand over your judgment to Heaven.
The Gra notes a nuance: why is the active term "curses" (yekalel) used for the father, while for the mother it says "does not bless" (lo yevarech)? Because the father corresponds to positive commandments (mitzvot aseh), whereas the mother corresponds to negative commandments (mitzvot lo ta'aseh). Therefore, regarding the father an active deed is mentioned - "curses," while regarding the mother a passive omission is mentioned - "does not bless," corresponding to negative prohibitions.
The Gra further cites the Gemara regarding the difference between "Honor your father and your mother," where the verse mentions the father first, and "Every person shall revere his mother and his father," where the verse mentions the mother first. Chazal explain: naturally, a son reveres his father but tends to honor him less, so he is commanded "Honor your father" first; conversely, he naturally honors and loves his mother but reveres her less, so it is said "Every person shall revere his mother and his father" - that one must revere the mother as well.
Children are naturally attached to their mother; that is simply how it is. When a child calls home: "Hi Dad, how are you? Is Mom there?" - the father is often just the intermediary to pass the phone to the mother. But with the father, the connection is generally less intimate. Especially in earlier times, a father's role was to discipline and demand of the son, creating more distance and awe. From this, says the Gra, the verse becomes clear: when there is estrangement, he actively curses his father, whereas toward his mother his attitude remains gentler; he does not go so far as to curse her, but merely "does not bless" her. And this dynamic can still be seen today among children who become estranged.
Here the Malbim explains a point belonging to the conceptual realm (derech hamoskal), which is also connected to this matter: Itiel and Uchal argued to Agur ben Yakeh that we are not obligated in honoring father and mother. The root of their argument stems from the philosophical view that the world came into being on its own, and that man's entire existence in this world is to his detriment - a concept elaborated upon in Sefer Iyov, where the Malbim explains their view that there is more evil than good for man in this world, and it would have been better for him had he not been created. Accordingly, in their view, the father did the child harm by bringing him into the world. Hence, "a generation that curses its father and does not bless its mother" - for they brought him into a negative existence.
דּוֹר טָהוֹר בְּעֵינָיו וּמִצֹּאָתוֹ לֹא רֻחָץ׃ - A generation that is pure in its own eyes, yet is not cleansed of its filth.
He feels so pure, as though he has never committed any transgression. Yet in truth, not only is he a sinner, but he is as soiled as excrement: "yet is not cleansed of its filth" - that very filth is still upon him.
דּוֹר מָה־רָמוּ עֵינָיו וְעַפְעַפָּיו יִנָּשֵׂאוּ׃ - A generation - how lofty are their eyes, and their eyelids are lifted up!
Rashi explains that this refers to haughtiness: lofty eyes belong to a person who looks down on others from on high, full of self-importance. The Vilna Gaon adds that there are two distinct types of pride: a ge'eh (one who boasts) and a ga'on (one who dominates). A ge'eh is someone who boasts even though he is truly worthless; he has no substance, yet he puts on airs and behaves arrogantly. A ga'on is someone who seeks to rule over everyone, driven by an ambition for dominion and control.
This is the meaning of "a generation - how lofty are their eyes": this generation boasts exceedingly, considering themselves vastly wise, righteous, and wealthy. "And their eyelids are lifted up" - denoting condescension, raising and exalting oneself above others. The expression "how lofty" (mah ramu) is an exclamation of astonishment: see how immense his pride is, and by the same measure, how immense is his lowliness, as testified by his haughty eyes.
דּוֹר חֲרָבוֹת שִׁנָּיו וּמַאֲכָלוֹת מְתַלְּעֹתָיו לֶאֱכֹל עֲנִיִּים מֵאֶרֶץ וְאֶבְיוֹנִים מֵאָדָם׃ - A generation whose teeth are swords, and its molars knives, to devour the poor from the earth and the needy from among men.
Rashi clarifies the terms: "His teeth" refers to the front teeth with which a person cuts his food; "his molars" (matle'otav) are the inner, grinding teeth; "knives" (ma'akhalot) refers to cutting blades, as in the slaughtering knife (ma'akhelet). Thus, his front teeth are swords, and his inner teeth are like knives. And why does he need teeth that are swords and knives? "To devour the poor from the earth and the needy from among men."
The Vilna Gaon adds: with the front teeth, a person cuts and severs the food, and with the molars, the back grinding teeth, he grinds and crushes the food into fine pieces; this is why they are compared to knives. Furthermore, ma'akhalot shares a root with akhilah (eating), pointing to the part used for actual consumption, for it is through the molars that chewing and eating are accomplished.
To what does this refer? The Vilna Gaon explains that there are two kinds of robbers. There is one who steals his fellow's money but leaves him alive - he takes the cash and that is the end of it. Then there is one who robs and also kills the victim. As is well known in America, if someone comes to take your money, be glad it is only that and do not lose your life as well; if you are confronted on a street corner and told, "Hand over the money," it is best to take it out and give it to him, otherwise you risk a bullet to the head. It is far better to give the money and be done with it.
Accordingly, "a generation whose teeth are swords" refers to the robber who also kills: his teeth, with which he seizes his fellow's property, are like a sword, for he takes his victim's life as well. In contrast, "and its molars knives" refers to the second type of robber, who consumes the stolen money but leaves the person alive; he steals merely to sustain himself and does not murder.
And this explains the end of the verse. "The poor" (aniyyim), explains the Gra, refers to people who were once wealthy and became poor - the wheel of fortune turned against them, as it says, "Woe to those who join house to house," lending him money specifically in order to seize his house. In contrast, "the destitute" (evyon) refers to someone who never had anything, inherently impoverished. Therefore, the one with jaw teeth, whose sole desire is to consume wealth, "devours the poor from the earth" - he extends a high-interest loan that the borrower cannot repay, in order to seize his house and land so that he cannot remain on his land; yet he does not harm him physically, but merely expels him from his estate. In contrast, the generation whose "teeth are swords" takes "the destitute from among mankind" - the destitute person who has no land at all, he removes from human society entirely, meaning he kills him and eradicates him completely from existence.
The Gra notes: Shlomo counted the word "generation" (dor) four times here, corresponding to the four categories of the evil inclination: the inclination toward lust, pride, anger, and covetousness. All human desires and yearnings for transgression are contained within these four inclinations. And come and see: despite all this, Agur ben Yakeh says, nonetheless do not slander a servant to his master, do not surrender judgment to Heaven, even if a person is wicked to such an extent. There is no greater wonder than this.
The Malbim explains these three verses as a single unit. "A generation that curses its father" - as we have seen, the king disgraced his parents, killed his father and mother, cast them from their throne, and arose to rule. Because the king acted this way, it served as a precedent and people learned from him, until the entire generation treated their parents with such contempt.
This is similar to what was said to Achashverosh, that now "the conduct of the queen will spread" to cause women to hold their husbands in contempt: if they see the king's wife disrespecting her husband, each woman will say, "The king summoned the queen and she did not come; so if you tell me to come, must I come running?" Consequently, wives will disdain their husbands. So too here: because the king arose and murdered his parents to take the throne, it caused children throughout the entire kingdom to treat their parents with contempt.
So too, "A generation that is pure in its own eyes" - though it has not washed from its filth, committing all manner of abominations; and "A generation, how haughty are its eyes" - walking in pride, arrogance, and an evil way; and "A generation whose teeth are swords" - devouring the poor of the land. Thus, this king is evil both toward Heaven and toward people, both in actions and in character traits, and therefore the Holy One, blessed is He, punishes them.
לַעֲלוּקָה שְׁתֵּי בָנוֹת הַב הַב שָׁלוֹשׁ הֵנָּה לֹא תִשְׂבַּעְנָה אַרְבַּע לֹא־אָמְרוּ הוֹן׃ - The leech has two daughters, "Give! Give!" There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, "Enough!"
According to the Malbim, the verse continues to describe the wickedness of the king, the kingdom, and his wives. The two daughters are the king's wives, and their mother is called "the leech" - she is the king's mother-in-law. The verse says: as if the wickedness of the king who murdered his parents to ascend the throne and all the corruption he wrought in the kingdom were not enough, there are also these two women, the daughters of the leech, who say "Give, give" - plundering, robbing, and corrupting the people.
The Malbim further adds that it is very possible that these women were actually named "Hav, Hav." Certainly the name reflects the meaning of havah (give): give us more wealth, give us more property. And "There are three things that are never satisfied" - they are never sated with the blood of the slain, destroying the three evil factions we mentioned: the generation that curses its father, the generation pure in its own eyes, and the generation whose eyes are haughty. As for the fourth faction, "the generation whose teeth are swords" - regarding it, it is said, "Four that never say, 'Enough!'" - they were not satisfied, but consumed them voraciously. And everything is measure for measure: just as that generation acted with great corruption, Heaven sent them a wicked king and two such daughters of the leech to exact harsh retribution from them, and the people received what they deserved.
Rashi cites Menachem that alukah is the water leech familiar to us, a worm-like creature that grows in rivers and sucks human blood - and this is also how the Malbim explains it in his lexical analysis. Rashi notes that this name derives from Arabic, as this creature is called by that name in Arabic. Furthermore, he cites in the name of the commentators that it is related to She'ol and a descent - a low place into which one descends.
Rashi also cites the Midrash Tehillim: "The alukah has two daughters" - these are Gan Eden and Gehinom. One says "Hav" (give) - give me the righteous, which is Gan Eden; and the other says "Hav" - give me the wicked, which is Gehinom. And "four never say, 'Enough'" (hon) - they never say, "We have plenty and it is enough," but are constantly asking for more and more.
The Ibn Ezra offers an intriguing explanation: le'alukah is like metathesized words, where letters invert, such as keves and keshev (lamb), ya'arof kamatar and yir'af (trickle/drip), ya'ef and ayeif (weary), lahak and kahal (gathering), simlah and salmah (garment) - and so le'alukah is like le'akulak, from the root of crookedness (ikol): a perverted judgment (mishpat me'ukal), or crooked teeth. According to this, Scripture is saying: the crooked and twisted path has daughters and offspring. That is, all those factions we mentioned - the generation whose eyes are so lofty, the generation whose teeth are swords - are all a crooked path, and it produces offspring: it continues to spawn more people who follow that very same path.
The Gra follows more closely the approach of Chazal, that the alukah is Gehinom. Gehinom has two daughters, and each of them is divided into two. As is well known, there are seven compartments (medorim) in Gehinom. And why seven? It is written: so that a person does not become accustomed to it - for once he grows accustomed, it is no longer a punishment. Therefore, he is moved each time to a different realm of Gehinom, so that he undergoes new experiences and does not become habituated.
And the Gra explains: the seven compartments are divided into two parts - five and two, which together equal seven. This is hinted at by the word Hav (הב, in gematria: five and two, making seven). The first five compartments are considered one category, while the additional two, which are She'ol and Avaddon, stand in a category of their own. Why? Because from the first five compartments one can still ascend, whereas from the bottom two one cannot ascend, as it is written: "He who descends to She'ol shall not come up"; and Avaddon - from its very name (destruction) one understands that it represents total loss. Thus, for She'ol and Avaddon there is no remedy and no possibility of ascent. This is "Hav, Hav": two types of Gehinom, each divided into five and two, which equal seven.
The Gra further explains: anything that causes loss and destruction is called an alukah. There are four fundamental elements - fire, air, water, and earth - and corresponding to them in the realms of the world are inanimate, vegetative, animal, and human (domem, tzome'ach, chai, medaber). These four elements can be divided into two categories of two and two: two of them sustain the world with life, and two bring death to it.
Air and water are life-giving: air corresponds to animal life, for a living creature must breathe - seal a person inside an airtight bag, and he perishes; and water corresponds to plant life, for a plant that is not watered will die within a few days. In contrast, earth and fire are destructive: earth represents burial, and fire consumes everything.
Yet know, says the Gra, that although air and water are life-giving, if they act destructively, they do so far more swiftly than the elements that are destructive by nature. Earth and fire, destructive by nature, do not destroy instantaneously; only after the two life-giving elements depart, when one lacks air and water, do fire and earth take effect and bring about death. But the life-giving elements, when they overpower and multiply excessively, annihilate immediately. Consider water, for instance: a flood finishes everything in a single moment.
Fire, on the other hand, does not consume instantaneously. It must first dry out the material, and only then does it burn. Even wood that one seeks to ignite does not ignite right away: first there is drying, and then it takes time before the fire catches. If one takes water in a plastic bag and holds it over a candle flame, the bag will neither rupture nor burn. One can test this at home. Why? Because there is something continuously cooling it. Fire burns when it raises an object to a certain temperature, but the water inside the bag cools it and prevents the plastic from reaching that temperature. (With an extremely high flame and very thin plastic, it may burn and puncture, but under normal conditions it will not.) The rule is that fire begins to consume only after it has caused dryness; as long as moisture is present, it cannot destroy - and on the contrary, it then performs a productive function: if there is water in a pot, the fire cooks it.
It emerges that fire and earth, though classified as destructive, operate slowly; but woe if water and air, which are called life-giving, act to destroy - for their destruction is instantaneous. Overwhelming water destroys in a single moment. And as for air - the Gra is not speaking of a hurricane, but says: when excessive air inflates a person's innards, he dies immediately.
Thus, we find that we have four causes of loss in total, and this is the meaning of "The leech has two daughters: Give, give! Three things are never satisfied, four do not say, 'Enough'": three of them are never satisfied, and the fourth, which is the wind, also never says enough, but continues to consume.
The four categories of "a generation" in our chapter depict a generation corrupt from every angle: disrespecting its parents, imagining itself pure while remaining defiled, filled with pride and haughtiness, and robbing and devouring the poor and destitute. According to the Vilna Gaon, they correspond to the four root drives of the yetzer hara - lust, pride, anger, and covetousness; while according to the Malbim, they describe a wicked king who dishonored his parents and brought down his people with him. Standing against all this is the instruction with which we opened: "Do not slander a servant to his master" - do not appeal to Heaven for your judgment, even against such a wicked person, and there is no wonder greater than this. And the continuation of the chapter, in the imagery of the leech and its two daughters who never say enough, teaches of the punishment that comes measure for measure, and of the forces in the world - in Gehennom and among the foundational elements of creation - that never know satiety.