Chazal state that the world will experience ten instances of famine overtime. The first was during Adam’s tenure, followed by one during Lemech’s generation. The third was the one which caused Avraham to move. According to Pirkei D’rabi Eliezer, the last famine will present itself prior to the advent of Moshiach. This famine, however, will be of a different nature. It will be a spiritual famine in which people will literally starve for Torah knowledge. This is consistent with the words of the Navi in Amos 8:11, “Behold the days are coming . . . and I will send a famine in the land, not a hunger for bread, nor a thirst for water, but (a hunger) only to hear the word of Hashem.” Chazal consider this final famine far more destructive than its predecessors. Why is this? We should be overjoyed that people will finally thirst for Torah.
The Ponevezar Rav z.t.l. offered a novel interpretation for this Midrash. During times of famine, people make do with much less than they would ordinarily use. Even crumbs of bread and a little water constitute a meal. People no longer concern themselves with the source of the food, its cleanliness or freshness. They simply want to eat whatever and whenever they can. This portrait regrettably represents the spiritual famine of the “end of days.” People will seek whatever Torah is available, regardless of who is the teacher and where it is taught. A little bit of Torah study will be sufficient. The toil and diligence consistent with Torah study will truly be a thing of the past. Such a spiritual famine is, indeed, a famine.
