Our Gemara on Amud Beis further discusses the Biblically mandated allocation given to field laborers to eat from the produce they harvest while they work (Devarim 23:25-26). 

וְכוּלָּן לֹא אָמְרוּ אֶלָּא בִּשְׁעַת מְלָאכָה, אֲבָל מִשּׁוּם הָשֵׁב אֲבֵידָה לַבְּעָלִים אָמְרוּ: פּוֹעֲלִין אוֹכְלִין בַּהֲלִיכָתָן מֵאוֹמָן לְאוֹמָן, וּבַחֲזִירָתָן מִן הַגַּת,.

And with regard to all of these cases the Sages said that he may eat only at the time of work. But due to the obligation to restore lost property to its owners, i.e., so that workers would not neglect their task, they said that laborers may eat as they walk from one row of a vineyard or plantation to another row, and upon their return from the winepress. 

That is, even though technically the worker is only permitted to eat when actually performing the task, for practicality, the sages allowed eating while going from one task to another so the workers won’t have a negative incentive to work slowly and stay eating on the spot. 

The Chafetz Chaim (Shem Olam 5) explains that this ethos also applies in our relationship to God’s commandments. After a person prays and devotes time to his daily Seder studying Torah, he will need to go out into the world and earn his livelihood. If he sees himself as “remaining on the job”, that is, he is going about his business in order to serve God, then these are just temporary interruptions until he returns to the Beis Midrash. As such, he can still receive benefits as if he is working, i.e. reward for the commandments. Based on a verse in Mishle (3:6) and Gemara (Berachos 33a), the Rambam (Deos 3:3) says that a person can serve Hashem even in so-called mundane tasks:

Whoever walks in such a path all his days will be serving God constantly; even in the midst of his business dealings, even during intercourse for his intent in all matters is to fulfill his needs so that his body be whole to serve God.Even when he sleeps, if he retires with the intention that his mind and body rest, lest he take ill and be unable to serve God because he is sick, then his sleep is service to the Omnipresent, blessed be He.

On this matter, our Sages have directed and said: "And all your deeds should be for the sake of Heaven." This is what Solomon declared in his wisdom: "Know Him in all your ways and He will straighten your paths" (Proverbs 3:6).

Along the lines of this metaphor, I will add from an additional upcoming Gemara (Bava Metzia 93a): Rav holds, that one who acts as a watchman over the produce is considered like one who performs labor, and therefore he has the status of a laborer and can eat from it while on the job. 

This too can be understood symbolically. Sometimes a person cannot be active in studying Torah, but as he goes out into the world, if he is careful to be a watchman and safeguard Torah values it is as if he is still working in the vineyard of Torah. You can learn Choshen Mishpat but you can also live Choshen Mishpat.

Translations Courtesy of Sefaria, except when, sometimes, I disagree with the translation

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