מיכה, פרק ו׳, פסוק ט״ו

A devastating reality of loss and deprivation unfolds, echoing the ancient warnings found in the Book of Deuteronomy [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. People invest immense physical labor into their land, tending to both crops and fruit trees, yet they are entirely denied the chance to enjoy the results of their hard work [מלבי״ם]. These hardships do not arrive randomly. They are a direct, measure-for-measure response from God to the social and moral corruption of the people. Because they ruthlessly robbed and stole from the vulnerable poor, God responds by emptying their own threshing floors and winepresses, ensuring they are left with absolutely nothing [אברבנאל].

The tragic failure of their labor strikes three distinct areas of agriculture. First, farmers will endure the exhausting work of sowing grain and legumes, but they will never gather the harvest [מלבי״ם]. Instead, foreign enemies will invade and claim the crops for themselves [מצודת דוד].

The devastation continues with the olive harvest. The traditional method of extracting oil requires the heavy labor of crushing olives underfoot [מצודת ציון]. Yet, despite enduring this grueling process, the workers will not be able to soothe their bodies by anointing themselves with the oil, as the invading forces will seize it all [מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם].

Finally, the exact same fate awaits the vineyards. The labor involves treading the grapes themselves, though the action is named after its final product—much like saying one is "grinding flour" instead of grinding wheat [מצודת ציון, רד״ק]. Even after dedicating themselves to crushing the grapes to produce fresh juice, all their toil will be completely in vain. The vats may be full, but the workers will not taste a single drop of the wine [ביאור שטיינזלץ, מצודת דוד].