יואל, פרק א׳, פסוק י״א

A bitter cry rises from the ruined fields, echoing the deep despair of those who work the land. Agricultural devastation has wiped out the fruits of their labor, leaving behind nothing but barren ground and wasted effort. A direct command is issued to these laborers, urging them to actively mourn and feel the weight of the disaster [רד״ק]. They are called to experience a profound sense of shame and disgrace, as all their exhausting toil in the fields has ultimately amounted to nothing [רש״י, מצודת ציון, מצודת דוד, רד״ק]. At the same time, this is an invitation to express deep sorrow and bitter disappointment over the ruined crops [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The message addresses two distinct groups of workers: the farmers who guide the plow and manage the grain fields [רש״י, מצודת ציון, מלבי״ם, רד״ק], and the vinedressers who tend to the vineyards and fruit trees [מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם, שטיינזלץ]. Although the loss of wheat and barley is mentioned alongside the vinedressers, the primary approach among commentators is that these specific crops actually refer back to the farmers [רש״י, מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם, רד״ק]. It is the plowmen who weep and feel shame over the disappearance of the wheat and barley, while the vinedressers direct their wailing toward the destruction of their vines and vineyard yields.

The tragedy is finalized by the stark reality that the entire harvest of the field has perished, leaving absolutely nothing left to gather [מצודת דוד]. This total loss captures the full scope of the farmers' disaster. It encompasses not only the wheat and barley but every other grain and legume that once grew in the fields, completely wiping out the very center of their livelihood [מלבי״ם].