בראשית, פרק מ״א, פסוק נ״ג

The era of great abundance came to a sudden close, making way for a harsh reality of starvation. The transition from unimaginable wealth to absolute lack was immediate and sharp, with the famine beginning the very moment the years of plenty concluded [ביאור יש״ר, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The end of this prosperous period also marked the peak of the people's physical well-being. Having enjoyed a rich diet for seven years, the population had achieved a state of physical health and beauty right before the crisis struck [הדר זקנים, דעת זקנים, חזקוני].

The profound prosperity of this era was strictly limited by geographic boundaries [רד״ק]. The primary approach among commentators is that the massive agricultural surplus was entirely confined to Egypt. Neighboring countries did not experience this extraordinary abundance and had no extra crops to store.

This geographic reality explains why the famine was felt so quickly and severely in Egypt the moment the seven years ended. Because the surrounding nations were already suffering from a lack of food, Egyptian citizens had been selling off their private grain reserves to foreigners. By the time the years of plenty concluded, the citizens' personal storehouses were completely empty, causing the famine to hit them immediately [מלבי״ם].

Another perspective suggests a different reason for the sudden onset of hunger. During the years of abundance, Joseph gathered all the dry grain into the royal treasuries, leaving the general public to sustain themselves primarily on vegetables. As soon as the eighth year began, these vegetables rotted. With the dry grain locked securely in government storehouses, the Egyptian people instantly felt the sting of starvation. This sharply contrasted with neighboring regions like the land of Israel, where the crisis manifested simply as a complete failure of crops to grow [העמק דבר].