דברים, פרק כ״ח, פסוק מ׳

The greatest tragedy for a farmer is not a barren field, but the loss of a heavy investment right before the harvest. The pain is magnified when a person looks out at a full crop, yet remains completely unable to benefit from it. Olive trees will grow in abundance throughout the land, and the farmer will work hard tending to them, but ultimately gain nothing [בכור שור]. If the land were naturally unsuited for olives, the lack of oil would not feel like a stinging curse, as not every fruit can grow in every region. The true harshness of this punishment lies in the fact that the trees will be widespread across the borders, yet they will completely fail to produce oil [ביאור יש״ר].

As a result, people will be deprived of a basic, everyday comfort. In those times, it was a common practice to massage and rub oil into the skin [אבן עזרא, ביאור יש״ר, אוהב גר, נתינה לגר]. This simple pleasure will be lost because the harvest will be ruined. The olives will drop to the ground before they can fully ripen, rendering them completely useless [רלב״ג, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The primary approach among commentators is that the tree itself actively casts off and rejects its own fruit [רש״י, מזרחי, שפתי חכמים, ברכת אשר]. However, some suggest that the process is passive, with the olives simply falling away on their own [אבן עזרא]. Another perspective notes that the olives will drop smoothly, without the forceful beating normally required to harvest them [תורה תמימה].

This type of agricultural loss is deeply frustrating, even more so than robbery or oppression. While a person can plan ahead and set up guards to protect against human thieves, there is no defense or strategy available when nature itself betrays the farmer by dropping ruined fruit [רלב״ג]. On a symbolic level, the olive tree is unique because it cannot be grafted with other types of trees. This natural characteristic connects to the warnings that follow regarding sons and daughters. It carries a hidden hope: just as the olive tree maintains its pure nature, the children of the Israelites should remain like olive saplings, preserving their unique identity and not mixing with other nations [קיצור בעל הטורים].