יחזקאל, פרק ט״ו, פסוק ג׳

The natural world offers a sharp contrast between fruit-bearing plants and timber-producing trees. While many trees are valued for the strength and utility of their wood, the grapevine is entirely unique. Its entire worth is found solely in the fruit it produces, rather than in the physical structure of its branches.

The inherent physical weakness of the grapevine is striking. Even when the vine reaches full maturity, its wood remains soft and frail, rendering it completely unsuitable for any practical use or building [רש״י, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. There is a clear progression in just how unusable this material truly is. It is obvious that such flimsy branches cannot be carved into tools or fashioned into furniture. However, its frailty goes even further. The wood is so weak that it cannot even be shaped into a simple peg or nail [מצודת ציון] used for hanging things [רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

A peg made from a grapevine could never bear the weight of any vessel, no matter how small or light [רש״י, רד״ק, מצודת ציון]. This serves as an absolute rule: the wood is entirely incapable of functioning as a hanger or support for any object whatsoever [מלבי״ם].

Because of this physical limitation, a grapevine that stops producing fruit is left with absolutely no value. Unlike other trees, its branches do not eventually thicken or harden into useful raw material. Instead, it simply loses its one and only purpose, standing desolate and empty without its fruit [מלבי״ם].