מלאכי, פרק ג׳, פסוק י״ד

A profound sense of frustration and a crisis of faith regarding divine providence and the balance of reward and punishment echo through the complaints of the people. These grievances are not necessarily shouted in public squares. Instead, they reflect the quiet, bitter conversations and private grumbling taking place inside homes, as people wonder why the righteous are left to suffer [ביאור שטיינזלץ, מלבי״ם].

At the heart of this crisis is the feeling that serving God is entirely pointless. The people believe their devotion is empty and goes unrewarded [רש״י, מצודת ציון]. They argue that their religious service lacks purpose on two fronts. On one hand, they assume God receives no benefit from it; He is so elevated that He does not need human service, nor does He value the actions of fragile, material beings [מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם, אברבנאל]. On the other hand, the people see no benefit for themselves, as they receive no payment for their devotion [מלבי״ם, אברבנאל]. This drives them to cry out, questioning what possible profit or gain comes from keeping God's laws and commandments [מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Their sad conclusion is that God either does not watch over humanity in this lowly world, or He simply refuses to reward good deeds [מצודת דוד].

This frustration reaches its breaking point in the feeling of walking in constant gloom and darkness. This dark state reflects a life lived with a bowed posture, moving in submission and lowliness out of the fear of God [רש״י, אבן עזרא, מצודת ציון]. Some experience this darkness as the heavy, restrictive burden of living under the strict rules of the commandments [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Others view this gloom as the actual sorrow and suffering the people endure specifically because they chose to keep God's laws. After working so hard for nothing, they find themselves receiving the exact opposite of a reward [מלבי״ם, אברבנאל].