ישעיהו, פרק כ״ד, פסוק י״א

The sounds of celebration and revelry give way to public cries of despair. The sheer scale of the disaster is captured through the symbols of a feast, where wine—once the ultimate source of a glad heart—becomes the very center of mourning and distress in the city streets. A loud, piercing shout echoes openly through the public squares [אבן עזרא].

The primary approach among commentators is that this outcry stems from a complete lack of wine. People weep and complain because they have nothing left to bring them joy, wandering the markets and desperately searching for anyone willing to sell them even a small amount [רד״ק, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Others suggest that the wine itself is still there, but the circumstances have tragically shifted. In this view, exiles stand in the streets holding their cups, but instead of singing as they once did, they weep bitterly [מלבי״ם]. Alternatively, the cries might erupt in the middle of a feast when an enemy suddenly attacks on a night of celebration [שד״ל]. Another perspective notes that the shouts simply take place in the very locations where the people used to store or drink their wine [אבן עזרא].

As a result of this devastation, all joy turns to darkness. Joy is compared to a brilliant light that illuminates the human soul. When the wine and the celebrations come to a halt, the sun of joy sets, and a heavy darkness falls over the hearts of the people [רש״י, אבן עזרא, רד״ק, מצודת ציון, שד״ל, מלבי״ם, מצודת דוד]. In the most absolute sense, the joy simply ceases to exist [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Consequently, gladness is forced into exile, abandoning the land entirely [רד״ק, מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון]. To fully grasp the depth of this ruin, one must recognize the relationship between inner emotion and outward expression. While joy is the internal feeling held within the heart, gladness takes the form of external actions, such as dancing, playing music, throwing feasts, and wearing holiday garments. Because the inner light of joy has gone dark, every outward display of gladness is naturally banished and disappears completely [מלבי״ם]. A unique approach adds that the gladness of the land is not merely an emotional state, but specifically refers to the city of Jerusalem itself, which has been taken into exile [רש״י].