Introduction: The Parable of the Field and the Vineyard
At the conclusion of Chapter 24, King Solomon presents a single, unified picture. For this reason, we will read several verses in sequence, as they all convey one cohesive idea: the sight of an abandoned field and an overgrown vineyard, and the lesson the wise person draws from them. We will begin with the verses themselves, and then delve into the explanations of Rabbeinu Yonah and the Malbim.
עַל־שְׂדֵה אִישׁ־עָצֵל עָבַרְתִּי וְעַל־כֶּרֶם אָדָם חֲסַר־לֵב׃ - I passed by the field of a lazy man, and by the vineyard of a man lacking understanding.
וְהִנֵּה עָלָה כֻלּוֹ קִמְּשֹׂנִים כָּסּוּ פָנָיו חֲרֻלִּים וְגֶדֶר אֲבָנָיו נֶהֱרָסָה׃ - And behold, it was all overgrown with thistles; nettles covered its surface, and its stone wall was broken down.
וָאֶחֱזֶה אָנֹכִי אָשִׁית לִבִּי רָאִיתִי לָקַחְתִּי מוּסָר׃ - I looked, and I applied my heart; I saw, and I received instruction.
מְעַט שֵׁנוֹת מְעַט תְּנוּמוֹת מְעַט חִבֻּק יָדַיִם לִשְׁכָּב׃ - A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to lie down.
וּבָא־מִתְהַלֵּךְ רֵישֶׁךָ וּמַחְסֹרֶיךָ כְּאִישׁ מָגֵן׃ - So shall your poverty come marching upon you, and your lack like an armed warrior.
Entirely an Allegory - Not Agricultural Advice
Rabbeinu Yonah explains that this entire matter is allegorical, for otherwise, what is it coming to teach us? As we have noted many times, King Solomon is neither a financial advisor nor a statesman; Sefer Mishlei is a work intended to guide a person along the spiritual path. What novelty would there be in saying that if someone is lazy, neglecting to plow his field or tend his vineyard, thorns will sprout? Did we not know this? Furthermore, would Solomon need to gaze upon this with his own eyes in order to know that this is what happens, and only then draw conclusions? Rather, understand from this that the main point is not simply "one ought to cultivate the field so weeds do not grow," but rather, "I looked, and I applied my heart." The essence of the matter is the deeper message, a profound inner counsel that Rabbeinu Yonah comes to reveal to us.
First, Rabbeinu Yonah prefaces by pointing out that throughout the Prophets, fields, vineyards, plowing, and sowing frequently appear as metaphors. "Let me sing for my beloved a song of my beloved regarding his vineyard: my beloved had a vineyard on a fruitful hill. He dug it and cleared its stones... and he hoped for it to produce grapes, but it yielded wild grapes" - is this actually speaking of an agricultural vineyard? "My beloved" refers to the Holy One, Blessed be He, and the vineyard represents the Jewish people. Likewise, "I will harness Ephraim, Judah will plow," "Does the plowman plow all day to sow?", "Sow for yourselves in righteousness," and "Break up your fallow ground, and do not sow among thorns" - all of these are allegories, not agricultural guidelines.
The Field - A Metaphor for the Desiring Soul
What, then, is the allegory? Rabbeinu Yonah explains: The field is a metaphor for the desiring soul (the nefesh). A person possesses bodily desires, and they stem from matter and physical existence. The spiritual dimension in man, the neshamah, yearns exclusively for spirituality - it does not crave ice cream, nor does it crave money. But the nefesh, the lowest dimension within nefesh, ruach, and neshamah, is likened to a field, for its origin lies in matter and the body. Just as the field is physical matter, so too is the desiring soul.
The masters of mussar said: treat the needs of your soul just as one treats the plowing and watering required to make a seed grow. Just as a seed needs thorough plowing, fertilizing, and watering in order to flourish properly - so it is in spiritual matters. If you do not plow, fertilize, sow, and water - nothing will grow. The soil flourishes when a person invests in it, and likewise the development of the soul flourishes through cultivation, study, and proper conduct. Do you want a child to succeed? Educate him, water him, fertilize him - meaning, exert a positive influence upon him that will yield fine and beautiful growth. And if one does not do this, just as an uncultivated field will not yield crops - so it is with a child, and so it is with an adult: good character traits and proper conduct do not grow on their own.
One Who Does Not Cultivate His Soul Damages His Body as Well
And if a person toils over the produce of the earth with plowing, sowing, fertilizing, and watering - over what must one toil to cultivate a successful soul, a holy and worthy spiritual soul? Rabbeinu Yonah explains: the vegetative faculty and the appetitive faculty are the channels through which we exert influence. If a person does not cultivate them, but instead allows desires to run their course, indulging every urge, setting no boundaries, and failing to define what is permitted and what is forbidden - "the body too will perish and be lost" through excessive eating, marital intimacy, and all material pursuits. In other words, if someone thinks to himself, "I am not developing my soul, but my body is fine" - that is not the case. For once you fail to cultivate the soul, you are drawn after physical desires, and one who pursues physical desires damages his body as well.
It has already been noted that Bnei Brak, Jerusalem, and Beit Shemesh were found to be among the cities with the highest life expectancy in Israel - even though, on the surface, these are not populations engaged in athletic training, nor are health fads their primary focus. Studies are now being conducted to understand why, seeking to attribute it to a supportive community and a thousand other factors. But we do not need studies: our Torah explicitly states, "so that your days may be multiplied," "and that you may prolong your days," "so that your days may increase" - there are explicit verses in the Torah regarding numerous matters that bring about longevity.
We must recognize that one who pursues desires destroys his body as well, and this need not refer only to alcohol or drugs. A person who overeats without restraint is included in this as well. The Rambam writes that constantly overeating and stuffing one's stomach is worse than eating venomous food, worse than consuming poison. Therefore, a person must always leave a portion of his stomach empty, and so forth. Thus we see that chasing physical cravings destroys not only the soul, but the body as well.
Rocky Ground - Difficult Dispositions
Rabbeinu Yonah adds: there is land that is easy to cultivate, and there is difficult, rocky ground that is exceedingly hard to plow and sow, yielding good results only through strenuous labor. Even so, this is no reason to abandon the effort; rather, a person must exert himself and invest. What can one do - some people naturally possess more difficult dispositions, which demands greater effort from them; some people are born with an easier path, and others are not.
Plowing - Fear of Heaven and Ethical Rebuke
This is what the verse means: "I passed by the field of a lazy man, and by the vineyard of a man lacking understanding." Here is this person who, instead of engaging in constant plowing, neglects it entirely. And what is this constant plowing? It is rebuke. Rebuke is deep plowing. When a person accepts rebuke, studies mussar, and learns to straighten his ways, the mussar breaks his heart. Without it, feelings of pride take over, and he is confident that he is flawless and that everything with him is fine; but when he studies mussar and accepts rebuke, he realizes how much he must rectify and how much effort he must exert.
Just as hard soil demands great effort in plowing until it is successfully broken down, so too a person with a difficult disposition requires deep plowing to overcome his traits, until his heart softens and breaks - "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit," "and he trembled at My name." This is also the meaning of what is written in Yirmeyahu chapter 4, "Plow for yourselves a plowing," which refers to awe and fear of Heaven: fear of Heaven and a broken heart are the plowing a person must perform upon himself. And just as seed flourishes after plowing, so the performance of mitzvos comes after fear of Heaven and the refinement of character. When a person has refined his character and brought fear of Heaven into his heart, it is far easier for him to observe mitzvos; this is a "plowed field," where the mitzvos follow naturally. But one whose character is corrupt and whose fear of Heaven is lacking will kick against the mitzvos. First comes the plowing, and only then can one observe the mitzvos properly.
"Does the Plowman Plow All Day to Sow?"
Rabbeinu Yonah further explains that the point of this parable is expressed explicitly in the verse: "Does the plowman plow all day to sow?" That is to say, does the plowman spend all his days plowing? After plowing, one must sow! Plowing is not an end in itself, but a means to reach the ultimate goal, which is the growth of the crop; it is only a preliminary step leading to the final outcome. "Does he not, when he has leveled its surface, cast abroad black cumin and scatter cumin?" - once you have plowed, you level the soil, scatter the seeds of black cumin and cumin, and then hope for rain to water the field. "For his God instructs him rightly, and teaches him" - rebuke has already been given; the prophets rebuked you morning and evening, as the Holy One, blessed be He, said, "I have sent prophets," all to subdue your heart; yet you still do not plant the seeds. The prophets plowed the field - now sow the seed so that it may grow! Concerning this the Holy One, blessed be He, says: Does the plowman plow all day to sow? You plow and plow all day, but in the end there is no yield, nothing grows or flourishes. It is like one who plows the field forever, without ever producing anything.
Why a "Field" for the Sluggard and a "Vineyard" for One Lacking Understanding
The Malbim asks: Why did the verse specify a "field" for the sluggard and a "vineyard" for the person lacking understanding? He answers: A field requires extensive labor - plowing and sowing, very hard work. The lazy man will not work in the field, not because he is wicked, but because he is lazy: it is burdensome for him, it is hard for him, he has no drive. In contrast, the labor of a vineyard is lighter, since it is already planted - it has trees and vines, and all that is needed is to keep it from deteriorating: to prune occasionally, to clear thorns, to remove pests. That much, the lazy person is still willing to do; he is lazy, but not to such an extreme.
However, the person lacking understanding - even this he will not do. Why? Because a person lacking heart and understanding does not have the sense to realize the damage being caused. He does not understand that next year he will no longer have any grapes; he simply does not reflect. Therefore, the verse states, "I passed by the field of a sluggard" - a field the lazy man does not tend to at all. Meanwhile, the vineyard, which does not require extensive work, is not called "the vineyard of a sluggard," since the lazy man would indeed tend to a vineyard; rather, it is "the vineyard of a man lacking understanding" - for he neglects even this minimal labor, due to his lack of insight.
Thistles, Nettles, and a Broken-Down Wall
"וְהִנֵּה עָלָה כֻלּוֹ קִמְּשֹׂנִים" ("And behold, it was all overgrown with thistles") - these are briars. "כָּסּוּ פָנָיו חֲרֻלִּים" ("Nettles had covered its surface") - Rashi explains that these are larger than the thistles, larger and sharper thorns. "וְגֶדֶר אֲבָנָיו נֶהֱרָסָה" ("And its stone wall was broken down") - even the wall itself was destroyed. And because this is a person lacking understanding, he does not care that the surface of the vineyard has been covered with nettles and that its stone wall was broken down; it does not interest him at all, for he lacks understanding.
There is a grammatical nuance to note: Why does the verse say "עָלָה כֻלּוֹ" (it was overgrown) and "כָּסּוּ פָנָיו" (covered its surface) in the masculine form? Should it not have used the feminine, "עלתה כולה" and "כסו פניה", since it is speaking of land and ground, and in Hebrew ground (adamah or karka) is typically treated as feminine? It is because the verse is referring back to "field" (sadeh), and sadeh is masculine.
Rashi cites that Chazal also expounded this verse in reference to Torah study, as we learned earlier: When a person does not review his learning, at first he forgets the general outlines of the chapters, and eventually he confuses the words of the Sages with one another - attributing to Rabbi Meir what was said by Rebbi, attributing to Rabbi Yehudah what was said by Rabbi Meir, and to Rabbi Shimon what was said by Rabbi Yehudah. Afterwards, he declares the pure impure and the impure pure, for since he does not study, he forgets - and he ends up destroying the world. This is the meaning of "it was all overgrown with thistles, nettles had covered its surface, and its stone wall was broken down": he destroys the world by failing to learn properly.
"I Gazed" and "I Saw" - Two Forms of Vision
"וָאֶחֱזֶה אָנֹכִי אָשִׁית לִבִּי רָאִיתִי לָקַחְתִּי מוּסָר" ("Then I gazed, I considered it well; I saw, and received instruction"). The Malbim asks: What is the difference between "I gazed" (va'echezeh) and "I saw" (ra'iti)? He answers: A vision (chizayon) refers to the contemplation of the heart and spirit - as when someone says, "I envision in my mind's eye," an insight that is not necessarily physical, and a prophet is likewise called a chozeh (seer). By contrast, "seeing" (re'iyah) generally denotes physical sight, what the eyes perceive. Here, there is the literal parable that is visible and noticeable to the physical eye, and there is the deeper lesson that belongs to the contemplation of the heart - what one understands from the matter. The parable I see physically, but the lesson I envision, for the moral lesson is an insight of the heart. Therefore, the verse states, "Then I gazed, I considered it well" - I envisioned it and set my heart to the vision, discerning the conclusions; "I saw, and received instruction" - I saw it with my physical eyes, and as a result, I took moral instruction to heart.
The Metaphor: The Field of the Soul and the Vineyard of Wisdom
The deeper meaning, says the Malbim, refers to the field and vineyard of the soul. The soul possesses the potential to yield fruit, and its fruit is wisdom, understanding, the service of Hashem, and engagement in Torah - all of these exist within it in potential, and it is capable of bringing them all forth. And what is required to achieve this? To plow and to sow, which means to invest effort: to study and toil in Torah with deep exertion, for only in this way can one attain it.
The sluggard, however, does not invest effort. "I have no strength." There is a Torah class - but "the city square is wide," so he has already moved on; "there is a lion in the streets," "a fierce lion on the road." In short: "A sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven who give a reasoned reply." We have already seen earlier that King Solomon had an intolerance, as it were, for lazy people - an outright revulsion toward them - because laziness ruins everything: a lazy person accomplishes nothing, and before someone can achieve anything, laziness must be stripped away from him. Therefore, the owner of this field, the sluggard, does not fulfill positive commandments and does not study with depth and analytical rigor.
The vineyard, says the Malbim, is an allegory for a person who has already planted - he already possesses the vines of wisdom. A vineyard is something already planted, and all that remains for him is to guard it. And what is this guarding? "Beware" (hishamer), "lest" (pen), and "do not" (al) - these are the negative commandments. He already has mitzvot, he already has Torah; now he must be careful not to stumble and not to commit transgressions - just as a vineyard owner takes care that little foxes that ruin vineyards do not enter, and that people do not come in and cause damage.
"Lacking Heart" - One Who Lacks Self-Control
One who is negligent in this is not defined by laziness, for you see that this person has already achieved, has already labored and possesses a full vineyard; he is already great in wisdom. Rather, this is a deficiency of the heart. And what is "lacking heart"? Says the Malbim: the heart always signifies the center of a person and the seat of control, as the heart rules and governs all the limbs of the body. A person who is "lacking heart" has no control over his desires and cravings; the governing power is absent within him. And because he lacks heart, desire will breach his defenses, and he violates negative commandments, abandons the Torah, and is drawn after physical cravings and pleasures.
We have already seen that even great people can stumble in this. As related about Rabbi Elazar ben Arach, who was drawn after pleasant waters until he forgot his Torah learning, and when he came to read in the Torah, "This month shall be to you" (Hachodesh hazeh lachem), he mistakenly read, "Their heart was deaf" (Hacheiresh hayah libam) - the letters were scrambled for him. And why all this? Because he was drawn after physical desires - and the Gemara does not even mention sins there, only "pleasant waters." Yet about him it was said that if all the Sages of Israel were on one scale of the balance and he was on the other, he would outweigh them all. Even so, look at what can happen to a person drawn after desires! How much more so regarding people who turned wicked, such as Yerovam ben Nevat, Elisha ben Avuyah (Acher), and other figures in history who became wicked as a result of following their desires. It follows that even if you possess a vineyard, you are still not safe; you must ensure it has fences. Even if you have already acquired a large portion of Torah, you cannot rest on your laurels, but must advance more and more and erect safeguards so as not to stumble in negative commandments.
Sleep, Slumber, and Folding the Hands
"A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to lie down." What is the difference between sleep, slumber, and folding the hands? Seemingly, all three are the same thing. The Malbim explains - and the Vilna Gaon follows the same approach - that sleep is a regular, deep sleep. Slumber is lighter than sleep, like when we say, "I dozed off a bit," meaning just a short rest. And if dozing comes after sleeping, it is entirely unnecessary; it is the dessert, the indulgence. It is time to get up, it is already seven in the morning, yet he says, "I will doze for another twenty minutes." The Malbim defines this as stemming from pleasure and pampering, and entirely unnecessary.
How much more so the next stage: after he has already awakened from his slumber, someone woke him up, his eyes are open, and he is no longer dozing - yet he lies there with folded hands, as though he needs to relax from his nap! It progresses in stages: first he recovers from sleep with a snooze, and then he recovers from his snooze by lying with folded hands. Concerning this, the verse says: "A little sleep" - minimize your sleep; "a little slumber" - minimize your slumber; "a little folding of the hands to lie down" - minimize this as well.
"So Shall Your Poverty Come Like a Traveler" - Poverty as a Passerby
"So shall your poverty come like a traveler, and your want like an armed man" - seemingly an obscure verse. Rashi explains: the things of which you are impoverished will come to you in haste. That is, the things you lacked until now will overtake you quickly; if you are diligent and not lazy, all the things you lack, those matters in which you are poor and deficient, will all be fulfilled and arrive swiftly.
The Ralbag explains differently: when poverty and lack come upon you, they will arrive like a traveler. For a person goes through easier periods and harder periods; and when a difficult period passes over you, during which one must tighten one's belt financially, it will not come and settle upon you permanently. Rather, "your poverty will come like a traveler" - like something that merely walks through and moves on. And why? Because you are not a lazy person, because you minimize sleep and minimize slumber.
The Metzudat David explains "like an armed man": if you act this way, even if poverty should arrive at some point, it will come only like a passerby and will not linger long; "and your want" - even if a lack of wealth and resources comes upon you, it will not delay, but will be like a man trained in warfare, equipped with a shield to go down to battle. A person running to the battlefield does not sit down along the way to drink a glass of beer; there is a war, and he runs straight to the front line! So too with your want: if a state of lack and a difficult period comes upon you, it will not linger with you, but will run and flee, being merely a temporary matter that will not endure for long.
The Malbim's Explanation: One Accustomed to Pleasures
The Malbim explains the verse in his own way: "Your poverty" will arrive without force, but like a wayfarer - like a traveler merely passing through who has not come to settle down. But take note: "and your want like an armed man" - the deprivation that overtakes you after poverty will come with sword and spear and sheer force, like a warrior bearing a shield. That is, you will fight against deprivation, but it will be exceedingly difficult to withstand it.
According to the Malbim, it follows that one who becomes accustomed to pleasures will later find it very difficult to adjust to lack. A person accustomed to a certain standard of living - someone used to having a car - suddenly feels as though he has lost his legs when his car spends two days in the garage and there is no replacement vehicle; whereas someone who never became accustomed to a car takes it in stride with no problem at all: he simply relies on "Line 11," his own two feet, which serve as his regular mode of transportation. Thus, when a person is accustomed to a comfort, the moment he suffers want, he must fight it like an armed warrior - like an adversary coming to do battle with him; for it is extraordinarily difficult to cope once one is habituated to pleasures and material indulgence.
In summary:
The field of the lazy man and the vineyard of the one devoid of heart are not agricultural advice, but an allegory for the soul: the field is the desiring soul, plowing is the ethical discipline, rebuke, and awe that break open the heart, and sowing represents the mitzvos and Torah that sprout in their wake. The lazy person does not toil in the strenuous labor - positive mitzvos and in-depth study; and the one devoid of heart, who already possesses a planted vineyard of wisdom, fails even in the easier vigilance - in protective fences and negative prohibitions - because he lacks the strength to rule over his desires, and even great individuals have stumbled in this. From here stems the conclusion that Shlomo drew: a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands - for whoever becomes accustomed to indulgence and indolence will find deprivation coming upon him like an armed warrior, while for the diligent and industrious person, even if poverty should pass over him, it will be to him no more than a passing wayfarer.