PIRKEI AVOT CAPITULO 3 MISHNA 4

The mishnah lists three who “forfeit their life:” He who remains awake at night, he who travels on the road alone, and he who turns his heart to idleness.

What do these three share in common?

Rather than respond using the plain meaning of the text, I would like to use a homiletic approach. In other words, I will answer by way of mussar.

There is a midrash that says that one who says Kriyat Sh’ma both morning and evening is considered as if he had toiled day and night in Torah study. And whoever reads two perakim in the morning and two perakim in the evening has fulfilled (Tehillim 1:2) and you shall toil in His Torah day and night.

It seems to me that the above only applies to those who are absorbed all day with trying to make a living and whose nights are needed for rest, so that they will have the strength to labor once again come morning. Of others however -- like the ones who do not have that kind of pressure and have the luxury of spending their evenings awake and of their days in idleness -- much more is expected. They cannot fulfill their obligation -- even minimally - simply by reciting Kriyat Sh’ma or learning just two perakim.

Night is an especially precious time for Torah learning, as we see in Eiruvin 65a, lit. the moon was not created other than for learning. Other sources tell us that there is “no joy in Torah other than nighttime.” The Zohar tells us that nighttime is the time for optimal clarity in learning. We learn as well that “whoever learns Torah at night, the Kaddosh Baruch Hu extends for him a thread of chessed during the day.”

The Rambam writes: Although there is a mitzvah to learn both by day and night, one does not learn the majority of his wisdom except in the night time. Therefore, he who wishes to merit the “crown of Torah” should be careful with his nights and not waste even one of them with sleep, food, drink, and conversation (and things similar), rather [he should use them] for Torah study and words of chochma.

We now see why someone who keeps himself awake all night (and does not learn Torah during that time) “forfeits his life.”

What, then, is the connection to “He who walks alone at night,” which is also listed in our mishnah?

Well, the same answer can be given: Here, too, we could say that we are referring to one who neglects his learning.What I mean is as follows: The Torah says, lc lfc, When you go upon the way. This is normally understood to refer to the mitzvah of kriyat sh’ma, but could be extended to refer to Torah learning in general. While it is certainly possible to learn when travelling alone -- and it is an obligation to so -- the learning is not as good as it would be were he accompanied by a study partner.

The talmud says in Sotah 49a that two Torah scholars who walk “along the way” and fail to exchange words of Torah deserve to be burned through fire.

Worst of all is the one who idles away his time, turning his attention away from Torah. In the end, he will come to sin. Presumably, this fellow wasting his time does not need to be occupied with business at this moment, for otherwise he would do so. So why isn’t he using the time to learn?Because he could have occupied himself with Torah and chose not to, he is judged as one who has “forfeits his life.” Not only that, but we know that idleness leads to boredom. Boredom typically leads to transgression.

Furthermore, one who “walks alone” has no one there to push him to fulfill - So, what does he do? He looks to the left, looks to the right, and everywhere else, simply “killing time.” Rabbi Obadiah m’Bartenura explains that the reason he is “sacrificing his life” is because nighttime is naturally fraught with all sorts of danger. One who walks alone is especially vulnerable to being attacked by bandits and any other danger that the night has to offer. Had the person at least been thinking words of Torah, that Torah would help protect him.

To sum up, all three types mentioned in the mishnah have in common that they could have been using their time for Torah, yet did not. They are therefore considered as having “forfeited their lives.”