מחרף עצל לא יחרוש, ושאל בקציר ואין, "in winter the lazy man does not plow; at harvest time he seeks but finds nothing" (Proverbs 20,4).

Solomon has made it a point in the Book of Proverbs to explain the value of all the good character traits in order that we learn how to avoid the negative virtues. One of the positive virtues is זריזות, diligence, and eagerness to carry out one's duties. Laziness, by contrast, is a negative virtue, one to be avoided. In fact, laziness is at the root of many of the problems one experiences in one's life. There are different kinds of laziness. Some people's laziness becomes manifest in the manner in which they neglect their homes, other people's laziness we can recognize by the way they neglect their bodies. A third form of laziness is the way one relates to the requirements of one's soul; a fourth kind of laziness involves one's attitude to Torah study and performance of the Torah's commandments. An example of laziness or slovenliness in one's house is failure to repair a leaky roof during the summer. Not only will immediate steps taken to make the repairs presumably save one greater expense the longer one waits, but one will save oneself discomfort when it starts to rain. Concerning people who put off the inevitable such as the need to repair their roof, Solomon says in Kohelet 10,18: "through slothfulness the ceiling sags, through lazy hands the house caves in.⁠"
Concerning laziness, i.e. neglect of one's body's needs it is well to remember that if one attends to the need to assure oneself with a livelihood and is satisfied if one attains an average standard of living without trying to attain what one does not need, one is liable to achieve what one sets out to do. This is the secret of "enjoying one's share.⁠" If one neglects one's basic needs relying on miracles to happen instead, one is liable to die from hunger. Concerning people who are too lazy to fend for themselves and prefer to wait for miracles, Solomon writes in Proverbs 13,4: "a lazy man craves but has nothing; the diligent shall feast on rich fare.⁠"
There are people whose laziness is manifest in the neglect of the requirements of their soul. Such people, though aware of shortcomings in their character, make no effort to correct these shortcomings. They forget that the soul has much in common with the earth; some earth is easy to work and it does not take too much time to make things grow from such earth. Other parts of the earth are by nature hard, difficult to work; nonetheless the farmer must not abandon it in despair; he must invest extra time and will find that eventually even such earth will yield its produce. Concerning such "earth,⁠" i.e. soul, Solomon says in Proverbs 18,9: "one who is slack in his work is a brother to a vandal.⁠". Some people (their souls) respond to minimal encouragement and discipline. Others require a great deal more. However, if the latter person makes an effort to respond to rebukes, teachings and exhortations he will find that eventually he will rehabilitate himself completely so that positive characteristics will become second nature for him. Concerning such a person (before rehabilitation) Solomon says in Proverbs 24,30: "I passed by the field of a lazy man, by the vineyard of a man lacking sense; it was all overgrown with thorns, its surface was covered with weeds.⁠" In this simile Solomon compared greed and lust to a field seeing it is a derivative of raw material [I believe that by "raw material" the author means something physical, not divine such as the soul. Ed.]. If one does not treat raw material in the manner it is intended to be treated and used and allows one's urges free reign one will wind up destroying both one's body and one's soul. When Solomon goes on in verse 31 to describe that he saw a stone fence lying in ruins, this describes the result of what happens to people who neglect body and soul.
There are also people to whom the negative virtue of laziness can be applied as they neglect Torah study and the performance of good deeds. If someone is guilty of this in this world how will he attain eternal bliss in the world to come? This is the person whom Solomon had in mind in our opening verse, "he who does not plow in the winter will surely have nothing to show in summer.⁠" Solomon's definition of laziness is not just failure to do one's duties, but failure to do the requisite duty on time. There are times which are meant for certain activities. If one wastes these times by not performing the requisite activities such as plowing in winter, such failure will backfire. Solomon uses the farmer as his model par excellence for describing the results of laziness. He compares our life on earth to "winter" and the hereafter to "summer,⁠" the time for reaping what one has sown. The winter is perceived as under the relatively weak domain of the moon whereas the summer is under the far more powerful domain of the sun. Everyone knows that in a comparison between moon and sun as luminaries, the sun is primary whereas the moon is secondary. Compare what Solomon wrote in Song of Songs 2,11: "here the winter has passed, etc.⁠" Our sages in Avodah Zarah 3 phrased it thus: "the present world is comparable to Sabbath eve whereas the world to come is comparable to the Sabbath itself.⁠" They therefore ask: what is he going to eat on the Sabbath who has not toiled on the Sabbath eve?⁠"
Amongst other things the sages explained to us by means of their simile that whereas the present world is one of מעשה, deeds, the world to come is one of מנוחה, "rest and compensation.⁠" It is not a world in which activities which are meant to store for the future are performed. Searching for work in the world to come is a non-starter, אין, one will find nothing (if one had not amassed it previously).
Why does Solomon write: מחורף when speaking about the winter, instead of בחורף, as he does when speaking about בקציר, "at harvest time?⁠" The word מחורף must be understood as מפחד החורף, "because of the fear of winter.⁠" It is typical of lazy people to look for any excuse (including weather) to justify their putting off essential tasks which they ought to perform. An example of this is found in Proverbs 26,13: "the lazy man says: 'there is a lion on the path, a fierce lion in the streets.⁠" He excuses his failure to sow in winter by his fear of the inhospitable climate at that time. The reason that Solomon harps so many times on the subject of laziness is in order to thoroughly delegitimize such laziness in the eyes of people. He wants people to shun this negative virtue and to copy the ways of the ant instead. This is why he writes in connection with the ant: "go to the ant, you lazybones; study its ways and wise up!⁠" (Proverbs 6,6) He means that although the ant is a most insignificant appearing little creature, even brainy man can learn a lesson from such a creature when he observes how the ant stores up food to be consumed at a time when it will not be found lying around ready to pick up. Not only this; the ant has sense enough not to collect its food immediately it has been made wet by the rain but it waits until the wind has dried it so that when it is stored it does not rot. When Solomon adds in 6,7 "which though having no ruler, captain, or overseer,⁠" he means that the ant has no intelligence of its own which dictates its behaviour but is simply prompted by its instincts. It follows that creatures equipped with intelligence would do well to consider the ant as their model. The three words: קצין, שוטר, מושל, "captain, overseer, and ruler,⁠" which Solomon says the ants do not have, correspond to three aspects of human intelligence, שכל, known as חכמה, תבונה, דעת, "wisdom, insight, knowledge.⁠" All of these three attributes are only found in man. They are basically sub-categories of the same attribute. This is why Solomon uses three terms each of which represents different degrees of authority, in describing them.
By acquiring and nurturing the attribute of זריזות, diligence, man can assure for himself eternal life, whereas by indulging his laziness he is sure to forfeit such eternal life. The former characteristic prompts him to fulfill God's commandments whereas the latter keeps him from doing so. After all, man has been given free choice and our salvation or otherwise lies in our own hands. We are to make the choice between good and evil and only by making the right choice do we qualify for the eventual reward promised by the Lord.. ראה אנכי נותן לפניכם היום ברכה וקללה, "See, I place before you this day blessing and curse.⁠" The reason Moses commences with the singular ראה, followed by the plural form לפניכם is that he addresses everybody, both the individual and the community (Ibn Ezra), and because blessings and curses respectively are influenced and channeled from two different attributes Justice and Mercy, both of which were active in creating the universe and both of which are capable of being appreciated only by a select few individuals. When addressing these select few, Moses says ראה, a reference to "seeing" with one's mental eye. The word corresponds to Kohelet 1,16 ולבי ראה הרבה חכמה ודעת, "I have seen (acquired) great wisdom and knowledge.⁠"
Seeing that the promise of a blessing and the threat of a curse are an important factor in encouraging observance of the commandments of the Torah by the people at large, Moses used the plural form when addressing the nation, i.e. לפניכם. We find that the Torah used this combination of singular and plural also in Deut. 4,5: ראה למדתי אתכם חקים ומשפטים, "See I have taught you statutes and social laws.⁠" The singular form ראה was addressed to the individuals who have some appreciation of the statutes, whereas the plural form was used when speaking of the social laws whose merit can be appreciated by the whole nation. The word אתכם in the plural emphasizes that the entire Torah, all of its commandments were given to the masses, not to select individuals.
Our verse here makes plain that the right to choose has been given to man. If he wants to conduct himself in a manner acceptable to God he is free to do so; if he chooses to contravene God's commandments he cannot be coerced by God. We have already referred to this in connection with Deut. 5,26: "who would give, etc.⁠" We pointed out there that If God had not granted freedom of choice, He would not have to "wish" for the people to remain on a spiritual high but could legislate it. The whole premise of this freedom of choice is understood easily by the fact that God bothers again and again to command us what to do and what not to do. If we were not free to chart our own course, it would not make sense for God to have to give us all these commandments. All He would have to do is to program us according to His wishes. Seeing the principle of man's freedom to choose is so fundamental, the Torah mentions it already at the beginning such as in Genesis 3,27 where God explains the need to expel Adam from Gan Eden by referring to his freedom to help himself to the fruit of the tree of life so that "he would live forever.⁠" Had God been able to physically prevent Adam from reaching for the tree He would not have to had to place the tree out of reach for him. In the verse just quoted, God makes plain that as a result of having eaten from the tree of knowledge both good and evil have become viable options for man. The words הן האדם in Genesis 3,27 are God's way of saying that man as a species is unique in the universe in that he possesses this freedom of choice. There is no other species like man in either heaven or on earth. The celestial beings have all been programmed by God to do His bidding with a minimum of delay and opposition. The reason that man is basically different is that he is the only species composed of both matter and spirit. The celestial beings are totally disembodied, whereas all other creatures on earth are earth-bound, equipped with a minimal "spiritual" equipment, one that merely strives to keep its body physically alive, i.e. the נפש of an animal.
At the end of the Torah too the theme of man's freedom of choice is dealt with once more when Moses says: "see I place before you this day life and goodness or death and evil.⁠" (Deut. 30,15.) Our verse here basically reflects a similar message. Concerning this whole subject of what God is able to do and how He has voluntarily limited His options, Maimonides in chapter 5,4 of Hilchot Teshuvah has this to say: "Do not be amazed that we read in Psalms 135 6: "God does all He wants to do in heaven or on earth, in the oceans and in the deep.⁠" There is no question that everything He does, He does as a result of His will. This is so in spite of the fact that what we do is subject to our own volition. How do we illustrate that this apparent contradiction is in fact no contradiction at all? Just as God wants that fire and wind rise upwards whereas water and earth are programmed through the forces of gravity to always strive downwards [the four basic raw materials the universe is made of], and the planets orbit in space around the globe, so all other phenomena in the universe behave in accordance with the way God has programmed them. Man's freedom of choice is part of God's expressed desire, i.e. this is part of how He decreed in His own free will that the universe should function. As a result of this system man is judged in accordance with his deeds. If he chooses the right way he will be rewarded, if not he will be punished. This is what the prophet meant when he said in Isaiah 50,11: מידי היתה זאת לכם, "Do you think this was decreed for you by ME?⁠" The same theme occurs in Isaiah 66,3 גם המה בחרו בדרכיהם, "they have also chosen their own paths" Concerning the above Solomon said in Kohelet 11,9: "Rejoice young man in your childhood let your heart cheer you in your youth; but remember that for all these things God will call you to account.⁠" Solomon warns that though it is within your power to do what you fancy and to lead a life of frivolity, remember that the day of accounting is not far off. Thus far the comment of Maimonides in Hilchot Teshuvah.

ראה אנכי נותן לפניכם היום ברכה וקללה, "See, I place before you this day blessing and curse.⁠" The reason Moses commences with the singular ראה, followed by the plural form לפניכם is that he addresses everybody, both the individual and the community (Ibn Ezra), and because blessings and curses respectively are influenced and channeled from two different attributes Justice and Mercy, both of which were active in creating the universe and both of which are capable of being appreciated only by a select few individuals. When addressing these select few, Moses says ראה, a reference to "seeing" with one's mental eye. The word corresponds to Kohelet 1,16 ולבי ראה הרבה חכמה ודעת, "I have seen (acquired) great wisdom and knowledge.⁠"
Seeing that the promise of a blessing and the threat of a curse are an important factor in encouraging observance of the commandments of the Torah by the people at large, Moses used the plural form when addressing the nation, i.e. לפניכם. We find that the Torah used this combination of singular and plural also in Deut. 4,5: ראה למדתי אתכם חקים ומשפטים, "See I have taught you statutes and social laws.⁠" The singular form ראה was addressed to the individuals who have some appreciation of the statutes, whereas the plural form was used when speaking of the social laws whose merit can be appreciated by the whole nation. The word אתכם in the plural emphasizes that the entire Torah, all of its commandments were given to the masses, not to select individuals.
Our verse here makes plain that the right to choose has been given to man. If he wants to conduct himself in a manner acceptable to God he is free to do so; if he chooses to contravene God's commandments he cannot be coerced by God. We have already referred to this in connection with Deut. 5,26: "who would give, etc.⁠" We pointed out there that If God had not granted freedom of choice, He would not have to "wish" for the people to remain on a spiritual high but could legislate it. The whole premise of this freedom of choice is understood easily by the fact that God bothers again and again to command us what to do and what not to do. If we were not free to chart our own course, it would not make sense for God to have to give us all these commandments. All He would have to do is to program us according to His wishes. Seeing the principle of man's freedom to choose is so fundamental, the Torah mentions it already at the beginning such as in Genesis 3,27 where God explains the need to expel Adam from Gan Eden by referring to his freedom to help himself to the fruit of the tree of life so that "he would live forever.⁠" Had God been able to physically prevent Adam from reaching for the tree He would not have to had to place the tree out of reach for him. In the verse just quoted, God makes plain that as a result of having eaten from the tree of knowledge both good and evil have become viable options for man. The words הן האדם in Genesis 3,27 are God's way of saying that man as a species is unique in the universe in that he possesses this freedom of choice. There is no other species like man in either heaven or on earth. The celestial beings have all been programmed by God to do His bidding with a minimum of delay and opposition. The reason that man is basically different is that he is the only species composed of both matter and spirit. The celestial beings are totally disembodied, whereas all other creatures on earth are earth-bound, equipped with a minimal "spiritual" equipment, one that merely strives to keep its body physically alive, i.e. the נפש of an animal.
At the end of the Torah too the theme of man's freedom of choice is dealt with once more when Moses says: "see I place before you this day life and goodness or death and evil.⁠" (Deut. 30,15.) Our verse here basically reflects a similar message. Concerning this whole subject of what God is able to do and how He has voluntarily limited His options.

Maimonides in chapter 5,4 of Hilchot Teshuvah has this to say: "Do not be amazed that we read in Psalms 135 6: "God does all He wants to do in heaven or on earth, in the oceans and in the deep.⁠" There is no question that everything He does, He does as a result of His will. This is so in spite of the fact that what we do is subject to our own volition. How do we illustrate that this apparent contradiction is in fact no contradiction at all? Just as God wants that fire and wind rise upwards whereas water and earth are programmed through the forces of gravity to always strive downwards [the four basic raw materials the universe is made of], and the planets orbit in space around the globe, so all other phenomena in the universe behave in accordance with the way God has programmed them. Man's freedom of choice is part of God's expressed desire, i.e. this is part of how He decreed in His own free will that the universe should function. As a result of this system man is judged in accordance with his deeds. If he chooses the right way he will be rewarded, if not he will be punished. This is what the prophet meant when he said in Isaiah 50,11: מידי היתה זאת לכם, "do you think this was decreed for you by ME?⁠" The same theme occurs in Isaiah 66,3 גם המה בחרו בדרכיהם, "they have also chosen their own paths" Concerning the above Solomon said in Kohelet 11,9: "Rejoice young man in your childhood let your heart cheer you in your youth; but remember that for all these things God will call you to account.⁠" Solomon warns that though it is within your power to do what you fancy and to lead a life of frivolity, remember that the day of accounting is not far off. Thus far the comment of Maimonides in Hilchot Teshuvah.