כַּחֹ֤מֶץ ׀ לַשִּׁנַּ֗יִם וְכֶעָשָׁ֥ן לָעֵינָ֑יִם כֵּ֥ן הֶ֝עָצֵ֗ל לְשֹׁלְחָֽיו׃
Seperti cuka bagi gigi dan seperti asap bagi mata, demikianlah si pemalas bagi orang-orang yang menyuruhnya.
Rabbeinu Bahya
In this verse Solomon warns man that he should harness his powers of alertness and energy for the pursuit of the ethical values of Torah rather than for the amassing of silver and gold. The reason is that the values Torah has to offer are useful both in this world and in the hereafter whereas silver and gold are useful only in this life. Not only that, a surfeit of silver and gold is potentially quite destructive and brings with it many causes for worry. This is what the sages said in Avot 2,7: “he who amasses silver (money) increases his worries.” The only thing which cannot be amassed to excess without negative results is Torah. The meaning of the words: “and knowledge is preferable to gold” is “accept the knowledge dispensed by Torah for it is superior to gold.” The reason Solomon employed the word קחו for the acquisition of ethical imperatives is that just as material benefits are acquired by the owner “taking” them, i.e. they are not usually the result of a windfall, so a similar effort is required to obtain proficiency in Torah knowledge and for the student to embrace its ethical message. Anyone displaying laziness in his attitude to the acquisition of Torah is liable to punishment even if he does observe the relevant commandment. If he were to pay lip-service to the importance of Torah-study and implementing its teachings but he relates to it with a lukewarm heart, he is guilty of a sin too great to carry. On the one hand, he does perform (go through the motions) the commandment, but on the other hand, he is subject to punishment for the disdain he displayed in the manner in which he fulfills the commandment.
The same applies to people who say their prayers regularly, but as a form of routine, possibly even thinking of their business affairs while uttering the holy words of the prayers as composed by our sages. Anyone who acts in this manner is almost guilty of violating the commandment (20,23) “You shall not make (gods) of what is with Me, either out of silver or even out of gold.” We have already explained that the principal meaning of this line is that “while you are standing in My presence, addressing Me, you shall not think of either silver or gold, i.e. your private affairs.” Any petitioner, or even person who simply offers up praises to the Lord, estranges himself from G’d by doing so. It is something one would not dare do during an audience with a mortal king, a king of flesh and blood; how much more offensive is it when done vis-a-vis the King of Kings. When a person wears his phylacteries and is too lazy to take them off before going to sleep, he is guilty of a similar severe offense against G’d. Similarly, one must not pass gas while wearing the phylacteries. Anything the sages legislated with regard to proper respect for the phylacteries applies to the performance of the other commandments also.
You have now learned that even while performing a commandment one may become guilty of a sin by the very manner in which one performs the commandment because of the lazy manner in which one performs it. The matter is comparable to vinegar drunk by people at the physicians’ urging. This drink may be beneficial to one’s health or it may even be detrimental. It all depends. While it may cure one’s stomach, it may harm one’s teeth. Similarly, the heat of a fire may be gut-warming and may dissipate the effects of winter. At the same time, the accompanying smoke and its inhalation may cause harm to one’s lungs. What follows from all this is how important it is to ensure that one’s mitzvah-performance does not result in unwelcome side-effects. This is the reason Solomon always condemns laziness, considering it a very negative character trait. (compare 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.”) Another verse in which Solomon expresses his disdain for the lazy is Proverbs 13,4: “the soul of the lazy man desires but has nothing;” What Solomon means is that if someone desires something and comes to the conclusion that he does not lack anything worth desiring, this is proof that he is lazy. Had he made a serious effort to find things which need improving he would have found such matters. [An example would be someone looking to do charity but not finding a person in need of charity. Ed.] Our sages (Megillah 6) phrase it thus: if a person says to you: ‘I have tried but could not find, do not believe him’; if he said: ‘I did not try but I did find, do not believe him either.’ If, however, he says: “I have tried to find and succeeded in finding, do believe him!” This is why Solomon was so insistent that laziness is a very bad character trait. Another occasion in the Book of Proverbs where Solomon makes the point of exhorting us in the name of the Torah to be diligent is in Proverbs 6,6: “go to the ant, you lazybones; study its ways and wise up!” The ant is to serve as an inspiration to man. Although it is one of the most inferior of all the crawling insects it uses the summer in order to stock up for a winter without being forced to do so by a ruler.
The same applies to people who say their prayers regularly, but as a form of routine, possibly even thinking of their business affairs while uttering the holy words of the prayers as composed by our sages. Anyone who acts in this manner is almost guilty of violating the commandment (20,23) “You shall not make (gods) of what is with Me, either out of silver or even out of gold.” We have already explained that the principal meaning of this line is that “while you are standing in My presence, addressing Me, you shall not think of either silver or gold, i.e. your private affairs.” Any petitioner, or even person who simply offers up praises to the Lord, estranges himself from G’d by doing so. It is something one would not dare do during an audience with a mortal king, a king of flesh and blood; how much more offensive is it when done vis-a-vis the King of Kings. When a person wears his phylacteries and is too lazy to take them off before going to sleep, he is guilty of a similar severe offense against G’d. Similarly, one must not pass gas while wearing the phylacteries. Anything the sages legislated with regard to proper respect for the phylacteries applies to the performance of the other commandments also.
You have now learned that even while performing a commandment one may become guilty of a sin by the very manner in which one performs the commandment because of the lazy manner in which one performs it. The matter is comparable to vinegar drunk by people at the physicians’ urging. This drink may be beneficial to one’s health or it may even be detrimental. It all depends. While it may cure one’s stomach, it may harm one’s teeth. Similarly, the heat of a fire may be gut-warming and may dissipate the effects of winter. At the same time, the accompanying smoke and its inhalation may cause harm to one’s lungs. What follows from all this is how important it is to ensure that one’s mitzvah-performance does not result in unwelcome side-effects. This is the reason Solomon always condemns laziness, considering it a very negative character trait. (compare 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.”) Another verse in which Solomon expresses his disdain for the lazy is Proverbs 13,4: “the soul of the lazy man desires but has nothing;” What Solomon means is that if someone desires something and comes to the conclusion that he does not lack anything worth desiring, this is proof that he is lazy. Had he made a serious effort to find things which need improving he would have found such matters. [An example would be someone looking to do charity but not finding a person in need of charity. Ed.] Our sages (Megillah 6) phrase it thus: if a person says to you: ‘I have tried but could not find, do not believe him’; if he said: ‘I did not try but I did find, do not believe him either.’ If, however, he says: “I have tried to find and succeeded in finding, do believe him!” This is why Solomon was so insistent that laziness is a very bad character trait. Another occasion in the Book of Proverbs where Solomon makes the point of exhorting us in the name of the Torah to be diligent is in Proverbs 6,6: “go to the ant, you lazybones; study its ways and wise up!” The ant is to serve as an inspiration to man. Although it is one of the most inferior of all the crawling insects it uses the summer in order to stock up for a winter without being forced to do so by a ruler.
Haamek Sheilah
Behold, this parable is like “vinegar to the teeth and smoke for the eyes.”3See Prov. 10:26. However, the interpretation is that regarding all different forms of love existing in the world, even though there are diverse ways in experiencing love, as some may have a great love for one thing while others have a greater love for another, even so, everyone can identify with the various sorts of love through their natural human intellect [and experiences]. This is not the case with the love of Torah which is so powerful, the Torah of the Living God – never can it be perceived by one who has never experienced it. [Such a person] can only perceive it by comparing it to the other physical loves that he has experienced, such as the love for a dog that is experienced by those who play with it; which is incomprehensible to those who never experienced this lowly type of love. [The verse is expressing that] the reward for the Torah being beloved by Israel is a lofty matter which is incomprehensible to those [who have not experienced it], just as the [lowly] love of the shegal [dog] is incomprehensible to the human intellect. [By achieving this love of Torah], you will have merited obtaining the gold of Ophir.