Meditations on the Song of Songs-These little foxes may be sins that seem small
Meditations on the Song of Songs
The spiritual read this book and grow in love for God… while the carnal need a guide when reading it, lest they misunderstand it and descend from its lofty meaning to worldly interpretations.
What are the “little foxes that spoil the vines” meant in the Song when it says:
“Catch us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines” (Song 2:15)? And what are these vines?
The vines symbolize the Church, for the Lord said, “I am the vine, you are the branches” (John 15:5). The foxes spoil the fruit of the vine, that is, the fruit of the Church.
These little foxes may be sins that seem small, unnoticed by man—mere thoughts or feelings that at first may not appear as sin.
Here I would like to tell you an important principle:
The first step leading to sin may not itself be sin.
For example, a very corrupt relationship might begin as an innocent friendship, perhaps a very pure one, and then develop further. Therefore, the matter requires vigilance and caution.
These small sins are the ones referred to in the Psalm:
“O daughter of Babylon, who are to be destroyed; happy the one who repays you as you have served us.
Happy the one who takes and dashes your little ones against the rock” (Psalm 137).
Babylon is a symbol of captivity, of sin. It means: Blessed is the one who seizes sin while it is still a small child—before it grows—and buries it at the rock. “And that rock was Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:4).
The danger of these small sins is that man may not care about them—he neglects them, leaves them—and they grow and develop without him realizing. Or he realizes too late, after they have already spoiled the vines. A small hole in a boat may, with time, lead to the disaster of sinking. For this reason, David the Prophet says, “Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults” (Psalm 19:12).
Thus, there are hidden sins, slips unnoticed by man. There are sins that do not seem like sins and are ignored by those who commit them. From this we must learn a life of vigilance.
A Life of Vigilance:
Why are these sins compared to foxes? And why “little foxes”? Because the fox is known for its cunning, and the small fox can slip in unnoticed. You may not see it as dangerous, yet it is capable of ruining the vines.
You may prepare yourself to fight great and obvious sins, but the “small” ones pass unnoticed. That is why our Lord Christ warned even against saying “Raca” or “fool,” and against the sinful look—saying it is better to pluck out the eye if it causes you to stumble.
For this reason, the spiritual fathers taught their children to be extremely careful. Saint Sarah said: “The mouth that refrains from bread will not crave meat; and he who refrains from water will not desire wine.”
A monk once found a small piece of natron on the road. When he came to Abba Agathon carrying the natron, the saint said to him, “If you wish to live with Agathon, return the natron to the place where you found it.” So careful were the fathers that they taught their disciples not to take even a stone lying on the road.
Saint Isaac stressed the need for modesty even within one’s private room. A person who sits in his own room modestly, not leaving any part of his body exposed in an improper way, will not lose his modesty in public, for he has trained himself in modesty even when alone. Truly, he who is careful in small things cannot fall in great ones.
Perhaps this is what the English proverb means:
“Take care of the penny, and the pound will take care of itself.”
Do not think that the devil will ask you to open a wide door for him to enter your heart. He asks only for a needle’s eye. He begins with that small opening, which then widens until he possesses the whole heart.
The devil never reveals his cards or his tricks. He does not show you the next steps in his plan or how this seemingly small beginning will develop. He does not always come as a roaring lion seeking to devour you, but sometimes as a small fox sneaking into your vineyard unnoticed.
So what are these little foxes that spoil the vines?
Examples of the Little Foxes:
They may be, for example, a bit of laziness or slackness:
You wake up from sleep, and instead of starting your day with prayer, you relax a little, delaying it for a few minutes until you are fully awake. In those few minutes, the devil presents you with a series of thoughts that distract you—either preventing you from praying or making your mind wander during prayer.
That is why we say in our prayers, “O God, You are my God; early will I seek You, my soul thirsts for You” (Psalm 63:1)—both out of longing for God and to escape this small fox: the fox of negligence and laziness.
Another example is pride, which may also begin as a small fox:
It might start with a desire to defend oneself, which could develop into judging others. It might begin when someone answers a question directed to another, or interrupts someone’s speech—even politely. Or it might begin with a smile of satisfaction or a feeling of pleasure upon hearing praise.
All of Joseph the Righteous’s troubles began with something small—his simple talk about his dreams in the hearing of his brothers. That innocent talk stirred jealousy and envy in them, which grew until it led them to throw him into a pit and sell him as a slave.
The Virgin Mary, with her wisdom and spirituality, avoided this small fox that spoiled the relationship between Joseph and his brothers, for she remained silent amid all the visions, wonders, and glories surrounding her. She never spoke of them, but “kept all these things and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:19).
The story of Joseph presents another little fox, unnoticed even by Jacob, the father of fathers: the multicolored coat he gave to Joseph. That coat caused much envy among his brothers.
This little fox—the “multicolored coat”—plays a dangerous role in our relationships.
You might greet a group of people normally, but give one of them a special smile, a word of affection, or take him aside for private talk. Such acts, though simple, can later have their effects. Therefore, we must walk carefully and consider everyone’s feelings, leaving no small gap in our dealings through which a little fox might enter and spoil the vines.
The little fox that spoils relationships may even be simple neglect—perhaps unintentional—of a courtesy that should have been offered on an occasion of joy or sorrow. The devil may exploit that to create problems that could have been prevented by a visit, a letter, or a phone call.
¹ Article by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III — El-Keraza Magazine, Year 6 (Issue 15), April 11, 1975.
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