Nature has a way of lifting human hopes, only to crush them when conditions suddenly change. A sky filled with rising clouds and gathering winds signals the arrival of life-giving rain, yet sometimes the storm simply blows over, leaving the ground dry and the observers heartbroken. This deep disappointment caused by false hope serves as a powerful mirror for human behavior, particularly when people make grand promises they fail to keep.
The primary approach among commentators is that creating such false expectations through speech is a highly condemned act [רלב״ג]. The imagery draws upon the physical reality of vapors rising from the earth and lifting into the sky [עמנואל הרומי]. These clouds are carried from the edges of the earth by the wind [מצודת ציון, אבן עזרא], naturally awakening a strong expectation for a downpour. When the rain never falls, the letdown is severe. In the human realm, this is exactly what happens when a boastful person brags about a generous gift or donation they plan to give [מצודת ציון]. When the promise turns out to be a lie, it causes profound emotional pain.
Just as farmers desperately long for rain and suffer deeply when it fails to arrive, poor individuals relying on a promised donation experience intense sorrow as they wait in vain [רש״י, מצודת דוד]. There are different perspectives on why these promises are broken. The individual might simply have nothing to give, consciously choosing to lie and deceive [אבן עזרא]. Alternatively, the natural imagery offers another explanation: just as the wind scatters the clouds before a single drop can fall, a sudden shift in mood can come over the person, causing them to change their mind and withhold the promised gift [מלבי״ם, עמנואל הרומי].
Beyond the standard social dynamic, this behavior has broader consequences. In a political setting, offering empty promises serves as a strict warning for anyone seeking a favor from a ruler or government official. Arriving empty-handed while making grand claims of future gifts will not satisfy the leader; instead, it will only cause the official to reject the request and withhold their favor [אלשיך]. On a spiritual level, falsely promising charity triggers a direct, measure-for-measure punishment from God. As a consequence of a person making empty promises, God responds by ensuring that the actual, physical rains are withheld from the earth [מלבי״ם].