Introduction: What Is "Tushiyah" and for Whom Is It Stored Away?
Chapter 2 of Mishlei continues to describe the greatness of one who seeks wisdom like silver and searches for it like hidden treasures. In this part of the chapter, we learn what exactly the Holy One, Blessed be He, stores away for the upright, how He protects those who walk in integrity, and what internal level a person is privileged to attain when wisdom truly enters deep into his heart.
(ז) יִצְפֹּן לַיְשָׁרִים תּוּשִׁיָּה מָגֵן לְהֹלְכֵי תֹם׃ - He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity.
The Malbim explains: Aside from the general creation that the Holy One, Blessed be He, fashioned during the six days of Creation, He also established and formed specific deeds to be carried out in every generation according to the laws of divine wisdom, for the purpose of the leadership and providence of that generation. For example, the miracles Hashem performed during the Exodus from Egypt, and the leadership entrusted to Moshe Rabbeinu. These matters are called tushiyah.
And what is the definition of "tushiyah"? The Malbim explains that the word tushiyah derives from the word yeish (substance or being). The things done in accordance with the laws of wisdom are tushiyah - what Hashem enacts according to the parameters of His wisdom - and they are related to yeish. For what is true existence? The Torah. The Torah is the true reality, and everything else is as nothing, for the Holy One, Blessed be He, and the Torah are one, and everything else is merely transient.
Who Are the Upright?
These actions, which represent the concept of tushiyah - deeds that the Holy One, Blessed be He, executes according to supreme wisdom - are carried out by Hashem through the upright (yesharim) of that generation. "The upright" are people who conduct themselves with their understanding along the straight path, and this is an even greater level than righteous people (tzaddikim). Proof of this is found in the High Holiday liturgy: "And then the righteous shall rejoice, and the upright shall exult" - the righteous merely rejoice, whereas the upright exult, and exultation represents a higher level than joy.
For these upright individuals, Hashem stored away tushiyah, meaning the master plans of what will unfold in each generation and its leadership. As the Midrash puts it: Yosef was designated to be a provider, Moshe was designated to be a leader. This must not be misunderstood to mean that their free will was revoked. "Designated" means they were endowed with the potential. Had they chosen a different path, they would never have reached that role. This was not an absolute guarantee of outcome, but rather a prepared opportunity. This is "He stores up sound wisdom for the upright": leadership guided by Hashem's wisdom, and providence in each generation according to its needs - Hashem stored this away for the upright, those whose path is consistently straight, preparing before them actions to be carried out according to the laws of wisdom in the future.
(ח) לִנְצֹר אָרְחוֹת מִשְׁפָּט וְדֶרֶךְ חֲסִידָו יִשְׁמֹר׃ - To guard the paths of justice, and He preserves the way of His pious ones.
The Parallel Structure of the Verses
As we have explained several times, the Malbim teaches that the clauses of the verses are parallel: across four clauses, clause 1 corresponds to clause 3, and clause 2 corresponds to clause 4. So too here: "He stores up sound wisdom for the upright" connects directly to "To guard the paths of justice," and "He is a shield to those who walk in integrity" connects to "and He preserves the way of His pious ones."
The upright are those who guard and preserve the paths of justice. "The paths of justice" refers to the deeds performed in Egypt - the smiting of the Egyptians and the Exodus of the Jewish people - according to Hashem's justice of reward and punishment. For whom did Hashem store this away? For the upright, such as Yosef and Moshe Rabbeinu. "To guard the paths of justice" means that through them, Hashem channels and brings down the justice He seeks to execute on earth, via the leader He prepared in advance. He prepared this role for the upright of that generation, such as Moshe and Aharon who served as His emissaries, in order to safeguard the ways in which Hashem saw fit to judge the Egyptians, to bring retribution upon them for what they did to Israel, and to exact justice from them.
A Shield to Those Who Walk in Wholeness
The Malbim explains that a holech tom ("one who walks in wholeness") is someone whose righteous deeds are steadfast and constant. He is wholehearted and complete in a single, consistent way, without ups and downs, without turning aside, and without fluctuation. While on his own part he does not stray from his path - for a tam walks on a straight path without veering to the right or to the left - nevertheless, the road itself may present obstacles: it may contain stumbling blocks, pitfalls, and ditches, and he might lose his way, thinking he is still on the straight path. In other words, even one who walks in wholeness can stumble.
To this the verse responds: "A shield to those who walk in wholeness, and He guards the way of His pious ones." Know that the Holy One, blessed be He, guards the way of His pious ones - protecting them from any external hazard and keeping them from stumbling. Even though he walks in wholeness and on a straight path, if an obstacle lies ahead, Hashem watches over him and neutralizes those pitfalls.
The Malbim explains that yashar (upright) and tam (whole) are two distinct concepts: a yashar is upright by nature - in intellect, understanding, and character traits; a tam is steadfast in a single, unwavering state, acting entirely for the sake of Heaven. There can be someone who is upright but not whole, and there can be someone who is whole but not upright.
Derech and Orach
Another distinction that the Malbim emphasizes repeatedly, and which we will encounter later in the book, is the difference between a derech (a main highway) and an orach (an access road or narrower pathway). Thus, "to guard the paths (orchot) of justice" does not refer only to the general road, but also to the individual, personal pathways - that the Holy One, blessed be He, brings His judgment to light in every aspect of individual life: one person will have money, another will win and another will lose, this person's leg will hurt and that person will experience something else. Over those specific pathways, too, the Holy One, blessed be He, guards and watches with personal divine providence (hashgachah pratit).
(ט) אָז תָּבִין צֶדֶק וּמִשְׁפָּט וּמֵישָׁרִים כָּל מַעְגַּל טוֹב׃ - "Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity - every good course."
Beyond the wisdom, understanding, and knowledge that Hashem bestows, as explained earlier, you will also merit to understand righteousness and justice. Righteousness (tzedek) and justice (mishpat) govern interpersonal relationships: mishpat is what one is required to do according to the strict letter of the law - let the law pierce the mountain; and tzedek is what one does beyond the strict letter of the law (lifnim mishurat hadin), in the manner of charity and benevolence.
King David's Charity and Justice
Who practiced charity and justice? King David. How? When a poor person and a wealthy person came before him for judgment, he naturally wished to rule in favor of the poor person. But is a judge permitted to favor the poor person so that the wealthy person will give him something and allow him to make a respectable living? The Torah explicitly warns: "You shall not show partiality in judgment," "nor defer to the great," and "neither shall you favor a poor person in his dispute" - several clear admonitions. Rather, the judge must rule strictly according to the law. And if the law dictates that the poor man is liable - "poverty follows the poor" - he must be found liable. He is unfortunate, but what can be done? King David had a benevolent fund (gemach). After ruling against the poor man in court, he would say to him: "Come, how much is involved? Take this amount and pay him." He had a charitable fund from which he gave to the poor man after issuing the verdict. But the law must remain the law. That is justice and charity: first justice, and once justice is done, perform charity.
Meisharim and Ma'gal Tov
The same applies to character traits and the faculties of the soul: meisharim (equity, straightness) is what honesty and integrity demand - the middle road, the perfect golden mean, which is the straight path one ought to follow at all times. On the other hand, there is "every good course" (ma'gal tov). A ma'gal - a word that will recur several times throughout the book - is a roundabout route intended to bring a person to the destination, but not via a straight path. When is one forced to take a roundabout route? When circumstances deviate from the standard norm.
For example: compassion is a positive trait and cruelty is a negative trait, yet there are times when one must act cruelly. This is not walking in a straight path, but walking in a roundabout circuit, for one acts cruelly in order to ultimately arrive at compassion. This is what happened with the thirty-five fighters of the Lamed-Heh convoy: they took pity on an Arab shepherd, and as a result, he went and informed on them and revealed their location, and they were all killed. Had they killed him, some would have called it cruelty - but in truth, it would have been compassion: compassion for thirty-five men and for their families. Thus, compassion is reached, but not via a straight path; rather, through a roundabout route, by way of cruelty.
Another example: pride is a flawed and negative trait, yet sometimes a person needs it - to protest against evildoers, or not to fear those who mock him in the service of Hashem, as it says, "And his heart was lifted up in the ways of Hashem." Pride of heart here is a tool whose purpose is to fulfill the will of Hashem out of genuine lowliness and humility. This is "every good circuit" - a circuit that is ultimately meant to bring one to the good, when the good cannot be reached by a direct path.
(י) כִּי תָבוֹא חָכְמָה בְלִבֶּךָ וְדַעַת לְנַפְשְׁךָ יִנְעָם׃ - When wisdom enters your heart, and knowledge is pleasant to your soul.
Wise of Heart - When the Heart Agrees with Wisdom
Through Divine assistance, one reaches a level called "wise of heart": a state in which the yetzer, one's heart, no longer resists the laws of wisdom. For as we explained, many find it hard to accept the laws of wisdom because they run contrary to the heart - and the heart is the realm of "I feel like it." Wisdom is the Divine intellect; if Divine intellect dictates abstaining from a certain food because it is harmful, one might acknowledge it as true, yet think, "but I feel like it." Naturally, therefore, wisdom conflicts with human nature, and it is difficult for a person to accept it.
Yet the verse promises that one can reach the state of "When wisdom enters your heart." Through Divine help, a spirit from on high will be poured upon you, and the laws of wisdom will become so ingrained within you that they become like first principles, second nature, until the heart itself fully agrees with them. This is what David meant when he said, "And my heart is slain within me" - I no longer possess a will independent of the laws of wisdom. A parable illustrates this: a wild donkey is bound in chains so that it does not run wild; but once you succeed in taming it, you remove the chains and it stands still without moving, because it has been domesticated. So it is here: when you delve into wisdom and attain its insights - "If you seek it like silver and search for it like hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of Hashem" - you will reach a state where wisdom resides inside your heart, and the heart consents to it.
Avraham Avinu - Wisdom Holds Sway
At this level, wisdom is the ruler, rather than the heart or the whims of "what I feel like," which typically dictate human action. Wisdom becomes the heart itself: What do I feel like doing? Whatever the Torah wants. Who reached this level? Avraham Avinu. It is taught that Avraham left the Holy One, blessed be He, to welcome guests, and from this Chazal derived that hospitality to guests is greater than receiving the Shechinah. But the question is asked: it is well and good that we learn this from Avraham, but how did Avraham himself know it? On what did he rely when he left the Holy One, blessed be He, said, "Please do not pass by Your servant," and went? Rather, Chazal explain that Avraham Avinu reached such an exalted level that all his conduct was governed by the holy Torah. Thus, if he felt an inner pull to go and welcome guests, that was the will of Hashem, blessed be He, at that moment. The Torah and the laws of wisdom ruled over him; they had become his very heart. "When wisdom enters your heart" - wisdom becomes the heart and the governing power, just as the physical heart rules over all the limbs, until it guides your every step.
And Knowledge Is Pleasant to Your Soul
One whose heart is filled with wisdom and ingrained with its laws is no longer governed by lust or negative character traits, because they contradict wisdom, and wisdom is already ingrained within him without any natural resistance. Furthermore, "Knowledge is pleasant to your soul": for an ordinary person, acquiring knowledge demands strenuous effort and comes - in the words of the Malbim - with great bitterness, meaning tremendous toil and exertion. Consider anyone who wishes to master a discipline: how much must he invest, year after year? Take a physician as an example - how much must he study, strain, and toil until he attains that coveted degree. In contrast, one who attains the knowledge of God receives it at once. How much effort did Shlomo expend to become the wisest of all men? One single night. When the Divine spirit rests upon a person, he does not need all that tedious labor.
The Chazon Ish - Knowledge from the Torah Itself
The Chazon Ish toiled intensely in the holy Torah. Did he ever study medicine? Never. Yet he would instruct surgeons on how to operate, in what manner, and from which angle; he would state: here an operation is required, and in such a case an operation must not be performed. Some doctors would ask: "Who is this man? Who told you this? What does he understand about medicine? How many years did he study? Where did he do his residency?" The answer was: his residency was under Ravina and Rav Ashi. From the Torah itself he knew everything. And indeed, they would operate, examine the area, and say: "Who is this man? I want to meet him - how could he know, without even seeing the patient, based merely on his name or what was related to him, how to instruct what should be done and in what manner?" When the Divine spirit rests upon a person, he needs no exhaustive efforts or endless study. What comes to others through pain and toil comes to him as "and knowledge is pleasant to your soul" - he attains knowledge with ease and pleasantness, and everything is imparted to him directly without having to struggle.
(יא) מְזִמָּה תִּשְׁמֹר עָלֶיךָ תְּבוּנָה תִנְצְרֶכָּה׃ - Discretion will guard you, discernment will safeguard you.
Mezimah - Deep Thought
"Mezimah" is related to the root zamam or zomem - referring to the counsels and deep thoughts that a person explores and contemplates within wisdom. A person can easily stumble here, for as we noted, wisdom has no intellectual proofs and does not dictate rigid rules for every circumstance; its function is to distinguish between good and evil, and two paths lie before it. Therefore, "discretion will guard you" - ensuring you do not stumble regarding the principles of wisdom and do not come to adopt mistaken thoughts. It must be emphasized: mezimah is not related to zimah (licentiousness). Rather, as the Malbim explains, it means deep contemplation, and it will protect you from erroneous thoughts. "Discernment will safeguard you" - tevunah, as explained, is the ability to distinguish between truth and falsehood, and in this area as well, it will safeguard you.
(יב) לְהַצִּילְךָ מִדֶּרֶךְ רָע מֵאִישׁ מְדַבֵּר תַּהְפֻּכוֹת׃ - To rescue you from an evil path, from a man who speaks perversity.
Notice the distinction between "will guard you" (tishmor alecha) and "will safeguard you" (tintzereka): notzer denotes a higher degree of protection than shomer. Guarding (shemirah) is standard vigilance, whereas safeguarding (netzirah) means guarding something with greater strength. The verse teaches that through the protection of mezimah - the deep thoughts of wisdom - it will serve "to rescue you from an evil path," so that you do not err in the ways of wisdom and swerve toward evil and physical desire. Through the deep thoughts of wisdom, one is spared from the seductions of the evil inclination.
Thoughts of Immorality Arise Only in a Heart Devoid of Wisdom
Where does the evil inclination dwell? The Rambam teaches: in a heart devoid of wisdom. Thoughts of immorality are found only in a heart devoid of wisdom. If a person spends the entire day with his mind engaged in elevated concepts, contemplating Hashem's wisdom, the evil inclination forgets about him; it does not even recognize him.
Who exemplified this? Yosef. The Torah relates that he served his master, "and all that he had he placed in his hand," and "whatever he did, Hashem made successful in his hand." His master would say to him: "Heat the hot drink for me," and Yosef would instantly bring him a piping hot cup, all in a single moment. The Midrash relates that he would constantly murmur under his breath. Why was he murmuring? He was reviewing his Torah studies, what he had learned in his father's house. His master grew suspicious: "Perhaps you are practicing sorcery on me, whispering an incantation to heat the cup?" He did not realize that this was divine assistance, that whatever Yosef did Hashem made successful in his hand - which our Sages derive from the word "in his hand." We see clearly that thoughts of immorality and all matters of the evil inclination dwell only in a heart devoid of wisdom.
"I Have No Time to Meet with Him"
Rav Zilberstein was once asked: "How does one overcome the evil inclination?" He replied: "The evil inclination? I do not know of such a thing. Not because I am some exalted tzaddik, but simply because I have no time to meet with him." He then began describing his daily schedule, which is so tightly packed that the evil inclination cannot insert even a pin. They tell him: "Sorry, sir, visiting hours are closed." The yetzer hara tries to enter, but finds no opening whatsoever. He rises early, prays at sunrise (vasikin), delivers a shiur, returns home to receive visitors, travels to the kollel while delivering a shiur on the way, edits his sefarim at the kollel, gives another shiur on the way back, and returns home to deliver a shiur to doctors. When an approbation was once requested from him for the sefer Mishnat HaChalomot, he replied: "Believe me, I have no time; I eat my breakfast in the evening!" For such a person, where could the evil inclination ever find time to meet with him? When could it schedule an appointment? When a person is constantly occupied and immersed in Torah, there is simply no room. It is not an active struggle in which he subdued the yetzer - thoughts of immorality simply do not exist except in a heart devoid of wisdom.
This is reality: when a person is bored, idleness leads to boredom (shi'amum), and shi'amum in Lashon HaKodesh means madness, as Rashi explains. What drives a person mad? And what does madness mean? Acting foolishly. How do youths from fine families end up as murderers? They were not inherently wicked people. Rather, they were bored; they sat around and said: "Let's go do this and that, come on," and they went and did what they did. This is "idleness leads to madness," and boredom leads to sin, causing a person to do irrational things. In contrast, "discretion will guard you to rescue you from an evil path": when all your thoughts are immersed in the holy Torah and you delve deeply into it, the evil inclination has no presence with you, and you are naturally saved from its harmful path.
Discernment Will Safeguard You from a Man Who Speaks Perversity
"And understanding will preserve you" - in matters of faith, for the role of understanding is to discern between truth and falsehood. Here too a person can stumble into error through spurious, flawed inquiries and faulty contemplation. The verse says: Because you possess the wisdom of the Torah, you will merit that "understanding will preserve you" - from whom? "From a man who speaks perversities." From one who comes to try and convince you, presenting falsehood as truth, seeking to persuade you that there is supposedly truth in whatever futile belief he is peddling, or aiming to lead you astray from the straight path. The Divine wisdom within you will not allow you to err, nor will it let you be drawn in and swept away after him. And even from a person who tries to twist matters with smooth speech - the Divine wisdom within you will preserve you from such errors, ensuring that you are not led astray by such deceivers.
In summary:
We have learned that the Holy One, Blessed be He, stores up "sound wisdom" for the upright - the governance and Providence of each generation, which operates according to the laws of His wisdom and is realized through the upright of that generation, such as Yosef and Moshe, who were summoned to their mission without having their free will compromised. For those who walk in integrity, He shields and protects them even from the stumbling blocks along the way, watching over not only the general paths but also the private paths of each individual. One who merits this understands righteousness and justice - strict law first, followed by charity, in the manner of King David - and even "every good path," those indirect routes where a negative trait is utilized in order to achieve the good. And the ultimate goal of it all: "When wisdom enters your heart" - so that wisdom governs rather than mere whim, on the level of Avraham Avinu. Then knowledge will be attained with pleasantness rather than exhausting toil, and discretion and understanding will protect a person from the evil path and from a man who speaks perversities, for the evil inclination is found only in a heart devoid of wisdom.