Rain is inherently designed to nurture the earth, foster the growth of crops, and ultimately provide food. However, a torrential, driving downpour achieves the exact opposite. It violently washes away the topsoil, uproots seeds, and demolishes the harvest, leaving nothing but ruin in its wake [רלב״ג, אבן עזרא, עמנואל הרומי]. It acts as an aggressive force that knocks down everything in its path [רש״י, מצודת ציון, מלבי״ם]. This tragic irony—a natural element causing profound damage without yielding any benefit—serves as a powerful illustration of a destitute person who preys upon those even weaker than himself.
The primary approach among commentators focuses on the economic and social reality of a poor individual who resorts to exploiting other impoverished people because he lacks the power to confront the wealthy [מצודת דוד]. The comparison to the destructive storm highlights the sheer foolishness of his actions. Just as rain is meant to bring life but a flood destroys it, the pursuit of money is intended to sustain a person, yet wealth gained through oppression leads to total ruin. The oppressor believes his cruelty will make him rich, but God will punish him, ensuring he loses everything and remains completely destitute [רלב״ג, עמנואל הרומי, מצודת דוד]. In fact, God will actively take the wealth he hoarded through extortion and transfer it to others [אמרי דעת]. Had this person offered even a small amount of charity from his meager means, he could have merited abundance. Instead, because he chose to oppress, he is punished so severely that even when the rest of the world enjoys prosperity and satisfaction, he alone will starve [אלשיך]. This behavior represents absolute evil, as it inflicts suffering on others while ultimately providing no real advantage to the oppressor [ביאור שטיינזלץ].
Beyond individual behavior, this dynamic can be observed on a political scale. During times of rebellion and social upheaval, the impoverished masses sometimes seize control of the government. Once in power, they mercilessly exploit those who were financially ruined by the revolution. A regime run by destitute individuals acts exactly like a fierce flood, devastating the national economy and leaving the entire population without sustenance [מלבי״ם].
On a moral and spiritual level, this concept extends to various facets of life. It can describe an ignorant judge who rushes through cases, exploiting vulnerable litigants with destructive rulings that, like a violent storm, yield no positive results [רש״י]. Alternatively, it highlights a profound spiritual tragedy. The hardships of poverty are designed to humble a person, purify their character, and earn them a place in the World to Come, which is the ultimate spiritual sustenance. If a poor person continues to oppress the weak, it proves that his suffering never truly penetrated his heart, leaving his cruelty intact. Just as a torrential downpour runs off the surface of the earth without soaking in to nourish the seeds, his trials failed to internalize. Consequently, he suffers the pains of poverty in this life and forfeits his reward in the next, enduring a double tragedy with no ultimate benefit [אלשיך]. Finally, in an allegorical sense, this destructive pattern applies to a person who is impoverished in wisdom. When an individual suppresses his intellectual abilities and deprives them of their necessary nourishment—deep thought and understanding—his endeavors will never reach perfection, much like a violent rainstorm that fails to produce any food [עמנואל הרומי].