יואל, פרק א׳, פסוק י״ח

A devastating famine and the total ruin of the land's crops trigger a heartbreaking outcry from the animal kingdom. The unfolding disaster affects all creatures, moving from a broad affliction on wildlife down to the specific suffering of domesticated cattle and sheep [רד״ק].

The intense groaning of the animals captures the sheer magnitude of their distress [מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Yet, this profound suffering also raises a deep philosophical wonder. One perspective views the animals' pain as a troubling question directed toward God: if humanity is the one who sinned, what crime did the innocent animals commit to deserve such a harsh decree of suffering and starvation? [מלבי״ם].

As the famine deepens, the herds of cattle are struck by utter confusion and helplessness. Stripped of their grazing lands, they wander aimlessly through forests and deserts. Their behavior mirrors that of a disoriented person who has completely lost his way, unable to figure out where to turn or how to survive without food [רש״י, רד״ק, מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון].

The disaster spares no creature, not even the flocks of sheep. Naturally more agile and capable of climbing steep hills and mountains, sheep usually find pasture in rugged areas that heavy cattle cannot reach. However, the devastation caused by the locusts is so absolute that even these resilient animals are left completely without food [רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Ultimately, the flocks face total ruin. The primary approach among commentators is that their fate is one of absolute desolation and destruction [רד״ק, אבן עזרא, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. However, another viewpoint connects their ruin directly to the concept of guilt. According to this thought, the flocks are punished alongside humanity, bringing back the difficult question of why innocent animals must share in the devastating consequences of human sin [רש״י, מלבי״ם].