Midrash sobre Provérbios 6:6

(Ib. b) It was said concerning R. Simon b. Chalafta that he used to make experiments, etc. Why was he called an experimenter? Said R. M'sharshia: "Concerning the passage (Pr. 6, 6) Go to the ant, thou sluggard, consider her ways, and be wise; which having no chief, overseer, or ruler, provideth her bread in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest. He said, 'I will go and see if this is true that they have no king.' He visited them during the summer solstice and spread a cloak upon the ant-nest and when one ant came out he made a mark on it [to recognize her]. On her return to the nest, she reported that a shadow was covering the nest. When the rest went out to observe it, they found the sun was shining, as R. Simon had by that time removed the cloak from it. They fell upon the ant and killed her [for giving a false report] . R. Simon then said: 'They must not have a king, for should they have one then they would not have convicted her without the permission of their king.' " R. Acha, the son of Raba, then said to R. Ashi: "Perhaps the king himself was in that company which came out to observe the shadow [hence permission was not necessary]. And again perhaps they had with them the permission of their king? And again perhaps it was after the death of a king and before they had elected a new one, as the passage says (Jud. 17, 6) In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did that which was right in his own eyes." We must therefore merely depend upon the faithful reputation of Solomon."

This is what Scripture says, "Lazybones, go to the ant; study its ways and learn. Without leaders, officers, or rulers, it lays up its stores during the summer, gathers in its food at the harvest."(Proverbs 6:6-6:8) What did Solomon see to learn from the ant regarding the lazy person? Our rabbis say that the ant has three houses (or floors), and it does not congregate in the top (floor) because of rain, nor does in the bottom because of mud, but rather in the middle. And it only lives for six months. Why? Because anything that does not have sinews or bones only lives six months. And all of its food is a grain and a half. And it goes and gathers in the summer all that it finds, grain and barley and lentils. Rabbi Tanchuma said: All of its life is a grain and a half and (yet) it gathers these? And why does it do this? Because it says: Perhaps the Holy One Blessed Be He will decree life and it will be prepared for me to eat. Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai said: It once happened that they found a pit of it (an ant) that had three hundred kor (of food grains). What they gather from the summer is for the winter, therefore Solomon said: "Lazybones, go to the ant; study its ways and learn." So to you shall fix for yourselves mitzvot from this world for the world to come. And what is "study its ways and learn"? Our rabbis say study its manners, because it flees from theft. Rabbi Shimon ben Halafta said: It once happened that a single ant dropped a grain. And all of them (the ants) were coming by and smelling it, and yet not one of them took it. The one who it belonged to came and took it. See the wisdom that there is in it (the ant). And all of this praise that it has it did not learn from a creation, and it does not have a judge or an officer. As it is stated, "Without leaders, officers, or rulers." You for whom I have designated judges and officers, all the more-so that you shall listen to them, and there will be judges and officers set for you in all of your gates.

"Go and observe the ant lazybones!" (Proverbs 6:6). Rabbi Yehudah ben Padyah says: The wicked will one day come before the Holy One and say: "Master of the World, let us rest and we will make teshuvah before you." The Holy One responded to them: "idiots of the world, the world that you see yourselves in is like living on erev Shabbat, whereas the world as it is on Shabbat. If you don't prepare for Shabbat on erev Shabbat, what will you eat? Another example might be that the world in which you see yourselves is like being on dry land, whereas the world as it is already is immersed in the sea. What are you going to eat when you're at sea if you haven't prepared when you had time on the land? Another example might be that the world in which you see yourselves is like an entrance way to a home, whereas the world as it is already exists within the living room. If a person doesn't prepare to unlock the door, how will he enjoy the comforts of home? Another example might be that the world in which you see yourselves is like a warm sunny day, whereas the world as it is experiences a downpour of rain. If you haven't sowed, reaped, or harvested your field when it was sunny and warm, how will you sustain yourself when it rains?