יואל, פרק א׳, פסוק י״ב

The total collapse of the agricultural landscape brings about a profound and absolute end to human happiness. A sweeping devastation strikes the most prized fruit trees, specifically targeting those for which the Land of Israel is most famous, such as the vine, fig, pomegranate, and date palm. Alongside these staples, the apple tree is also struck, representing the finest and most important of all other fruit-bearing trees [מלבי״ם]. Ultimately, the destruction spares nothing, encompassing all fruit-producing trees in the fields [שטיינזלץ].

The ruin of these orchards is absolute. The primary approach among commentators is that the trees completely wither, their growth halting so entirely that no fruit can ever be found on them again. Others view this withering as a metaphor for deep shame and disgrace falling upon the natural world [רד״ק, אבן עזרא]. When looking at the specific devastation of the fig tree, the ruin is one of total loss and severing [רש״י, מצודת ציון]. A fascinating contrast exists between the vine and the fig in this regard. If a vine is cut down, it retains the ability to sprout anew from its roots. A fig tree, however, cannot regenerate in this manner. Thus, the concept of absolute, irreversible destruction is uniquely tied to the fig [מלבי״ם]. All these trees are ultimately left barren, completely emptied of their produce [מצודת דוד].

This agricultural catastrophe is deeply intertwined with the human experience. Because the harvest and the fruits of the trees are the very foundation of human happiness, the death of the orchards directly causes human joy to wither away alongside them [רד״ק, מלבי״ם]. However, another perspective suggests that the chain of events actually operates in reverse, driven directly by God. In this view, the barren trees are not merely a natural disaster that causes human sadness, but rather a deliberate punishment from God. He first decrees that joy must be removed from humanity, and it is precisely because of this divine decree that the trees of the field dry up [מצודת דוד].