Musar sur Les Proverbes 10:26

See how removed the lazy man is from good qualities, how worthless as a messenger. He is like vinegar, which is bad for the teeth, as it is said, "As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to them that send him" (Prov. 10:26). And it is said, "The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour" (Prov. 21:25). And it is said, "The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men that give wise answer" (Prov. 26:16). The meaning of this verse is as follows : There was a king who had many runners and messagers, and they all did his bidding, and they would report to the king when they returned from their errands. But one of the servants of the king was a lazy man, and he cunningly said, "I am ill!" And he rested and ate from the king's table. When he saw his companions, weary from the exertions of the journey, he considered himself wiser than all of them. But this is folly, for it is written, "Seest thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings" (Prov. 22:29). Here, too, the king rewards those who did his bidding.

Just as the inhabitants of the land of Canaan had "lost their shadow," so the ten spies now lost their own shadow and died without being under G–d's protective shadow. Bamidbar Rabbah, 16,4, says concerning the verse in Proverbs 10,26, "As vinegar is to the teeth, and smoke to the eyes, so is the lazy man to those who send him on a mission," that this describes the mission of the spies. We also read in Proverbs 6,6, "Go to the ant, you lazybones, study its ways and wise up!" Ants love the shade. These men lost their shade. The intent of the spies had been that Israel should become lazy in realizing its objective of inheriting the land of Canaan. Their purpose had been to remain in their position longer. The allusion of the Midrash to the verse in Proverbs is then quite appropriate.

We read in the Talmud Shabbat 111a, that someone who has a toothache should not sip vinegar on the Sabbath, since it is good as a remedy. The Talmud queries this by quoting the verse in Proverbs 10,26, as proof that vinegar is not only no remedy, but on the contrary, is harmful. The Talmud there answers that it depends on the kind of vinegar. If it is made from unripe grapes, it is indeed harmful, otherwise it is beneficial.