Introduction: The Power of Wisdom to Deliver
In this section of the chapter, King Solomon continues to describe the saving power inherent in Torah and wisdom. After stating, "To deliver you from the way of evil, from the man who speaks perversity," he details who these people are and what their path entails, and then adds another form of deliverance: "To deliver you from the strange woman." The chapter concludes with a promise: one who has acquired wisdom will walk in the way of the good, dwelling in the land and remaining in it, while the wicked and treacherous will be cut off from it.
Those Who Forsake the Paths of Uprightness - Derech, Orach, and Nativ
הָעֹזְבִים אָרְחוֹת יֹשֶׁר לָלֶכֶת בְּדַרְכֵי חֹשֶׁךְ׃ - Who forsake the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness.
This verse corresponds to what was said earlier, "To deliver you from the way of evil." As we explained, the derech (way) is the broad, established highway for the public, while branching off from this highway are the orachot (paths) - access roads, the smaller paths leading to villages. The Torah, says the Malbim, does not only teach you the main thoroughfare, but also the paths that branch out from it, showing that they are all upright. Many paths branch out from every single mitzvah. Take, for example, the trait of compassion: from it branch tzedakah, interest-free loans, chesed, "If you see the donkey of one who hates you," returning a collateral pledge, and returning a lost object. Compassion itself is the derech, the main way, and everything branching from it are the orachot, the paths. The Torah equips you with both.
The wicked, however, not only forsake the upright paths, the specific details, but they walk in ways of darkness: they dispute even the main thoroughfare itself. They do not merely question whether to return a pledge or a lost object - which are specific applications of the trait of compassion - but they challenge whether one ought to be compassionate at all. That is the wicked person.
The Difference Between Judaism and All Other Religions
Here lies one of the greatest differences between Judaism and other religions. Even religions that have their own books and teachings by which they supposedly conduct themselves address only what we would define as "ways of uprightness," but not "paths of uprightness." Suppose a certain religion says that one must return a lost object. To whom does one return it? How does one return it? In what manner? What identifying marks must the object have? To what kind of person, a Jew or a non-Jew? How was it lost? Did the owner despair of its recovery before or after it was found? May the finder make use of it? There are so many details - show me a single religion that addresses these! The most it can say is: "If you find a lost item, return it to its owner." Thank you very much, but where are the details? No religion in the world provides practical particulars of conduct. Nor does civil law: secular law has no precise guidelines for returning a lost item - how it is returned and by what means.
Only Judaism delves into the highest resolution, telling you precisely what to do and what the law is at every step, addressing all the doubts and situations debated by the Acharonim and later authorities. The same is true regarding transgressions: a religion may proclaim, "A murderer deserves death." But what is defined as murder? When is it considered murder? What if someone destroys a fetus? What if it was self-defense? There are endless questions. Where does any religion provide answers to all of them? Only in Judaism, only through Divine wisdom. Divine wisdom is an aspect of light, and this light shining within you is what will rescue you from walking in the ways of darkness.
Those Who Rejoice in Doing Evil - The Ideologues
הַשְּׂמֵחִים לַעֲשׂוֹת רָע יָגִילוּ בְּתַהְפֻּכוֹת רָע׃ - Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the perversities of evil.
This verse corresponds to "from the man who speaks perversity." We explained that one who speaks perversity denies the foundations of faith and portrays falsehood as truth. A person who sins out of physical desire feels regret after the fact: "To be honest, the pork tasted good, but what am I left with? Just a stomachache." He has pangs of conscience. A person desecrated Shabbat by smoking a cigarette because the urge was so strong, and afterward his conscience smites him: "Why did I need to do that? Why couldn't I overcome my urge?" But ideologues - those who speak perversity - are so convinced that their path of falsehood is truth that they feel neither remorse nor qualms of conscience after the deed. They are "those who rejoice to do evil."
And not only this, but "they rejoice in the perversity of evil." When misfortune befalls the righteous while the wicked prosper - an apparent inversion of the proper order of truth - the righteous are grieved, for there is a concealment of the Divine face here: the righteous person suffers while the wicked prospers. But they exult and rejoice, because it seems to them to be proof of their way: You see, "It is vain to serve God!" Look at what this righteous person received, and look how much that wicked person succeeded. This seems to confirm their way, and therefore they take great joy in it. And the Malbim makes a precise distinction: What is the difference between simchah (joy) and gil (exultation)? Simchah is continuous, while gil is sparked by something new. Regarding one who finds a lost object, it is said that he exults (yagil), not that he rejoices (yismach), because gilah is over something suddenly newly found.
Their Paths Are Crooked - A Circuit That Does Not Return to the Way
אֲשֶׁר אָרְחֹתֵיהֶם עִקְּשִׁים וּנְלוֹזִים בְּמַעְגְּלוֹתָם׃ - Whose paths are crooked, and who are devious in their tracks.
An orach is a direct path leading from the main road to the villages, while a ma'agal is a circuitous, indirect route. In the path of wisdom as well, says the Malbim, there is both an orach and a ma'agal - a direct way and a roundabout way. Sometimes a person must employ boldness against those who mock Hashem's Torah, and assume pride against someone who derides him, "and his heart was lifted up in the ways of Hashem," and act ruthlessly against those who blaspheme Hashem. Shmuel, who was the gentlest of men, was the one who went and hewed Agag to pieces - at times one must exercise ruthlessness against the sitra achra (the side of evil). This is not the straight path of gentleness, but a circuit: a roundabout route that ultimately leads to the correct destination. It is like someone traveling from one place to another along a bypass road because bandits lie in wait along the straight road, leaving him no choice but to take the detour to reach his goal.
However, with the wicked - those who follow the evil path and speak perversities - "their paths are crooked, and they are devious in their tracks." They claim that they are just taking a clever detour to arrive, yet Scripture says: nelozim (devious). Neloz means that one turns aside completely from the path and from the goal toward which he ought to have aspired. These people will never reach the right destination, and their paths are crooked - twisted, bent, and unaligned with truth.
A Strange Woman and a Foreign Woman - Illicit Relations and Heresy
לְהַצִּילְךָ מֵאִשָּׁה זָרָה מִנָּכְרִיָּה אֲמָרֶיהָ הֶחֱלִיקָה׃ - To rescue you from a strange woman, from a foreign woman who flatters with her words.
After stating in verse 12, "To save you from the path of evil, from the man who speaks perversities," meaning that Torah and wisdom have the power to rescue a person from one whose path is wicked and from one who speaks against the truth, he now adds: Wisdom also has the power to rescue you from a strange woman. The Malbim explains that there is a distinction between zar (strange or alienated) and nochri (foreign): in Lashon HaKodesh, a zar can be a native of the same place, yet alien to a specific matter - such as a non-Kohen (zar) regarding terumah and sacred offerings, where he does not belong to that realm, or a married woman who is forbidden (zarah) to another man. By contrast, nochri always denotes another land: "and the foreigner (ha-nochri) who comes from a distant land."
Thus, there are two rescues here, and both hint at two severe inclinations within man: the inclination for illicit relations (arayot) and the inclination for heresy (minut). That illicit relations are compared to a woman who is unfaithful to her husband is understandable. But heresy is also termed unfaithfulness: "after which you go astray (zonim)," "and they went astray after the Baalim." Why? Just as an unfaithful wife betrays her husband and takes another man over him, so too the heretic strays after other gods, taking them as deities in place of the God of his fathers, in place of the Master of the Universe.
Therefore, wisdom will rescue you from a "strange woman" - so that you do not stumble into illicit relations; hence the term zarah fits here, as she is forbidden to him. And it will also rescue you from a "foreign woman" - so that you do not abandon the religion of Israel to worship foreign gods, the deities of nations from another land. Furthermore, "who flatters with her words" expresses the nature of both: in idolatry as well as in illicit relations, they entice a person with smooth, seductive words to cause him to fall. Concerning the wife of Potiphar, it says, "as she spoke to Yosef day after day," and likewise, the priests and advocates of foreign worship lure a person with smooth talk.
The Wagon Driver and the Priest
It is told that a priest once said to the rabbi: "My debates with you never succeed because you are a great sage and deeply learned, so you always win. But bring me a simple person, and I will show you how I can defeat him." The rabbi said to him, "No problem," and brought him a simple wagon driver. The priest turned to him: "Listen, what do you believe in, Judaism? And what has it gotten you? What is it worth to you? Look, I am prepared to give you two hundred thousand dollars - leave Judaism and accept the Christian faith. See what a beautiful, wonderful religion it is, of love, one that does not demand too much, with so many believers - plus an adjustment grant of two hundred thousand dollars."
The wagon driver told him, "Under no circumstances am I willing." The priest asked, "Why? This is an offer you cannot refuse!" He replied, "Look, I do not understand much about religions; what I understand is horses. And my father once told me: If someone comes and offers to trade his horse for your horse, and is even willing to add money on top - under no circumstances should you accept. It is a sign that his horse is worthless and dying, which is why he is so eager to trade. If his horse were so wonderful, why would he need to add money just to get you to take it? This proves to me that you are selling me something rotten, something with no substance. If it is so good, why do you need to convince me with money? Prove to me that it is good, and I will accept it."
The allure of idolatry has always operated through seduction, through smooth words - "she flatters with her words." This is how one is drawn both to the "strange woman," which refers to forbidden sexual relations, and to the "alien woman," which refers to the worship of foreign gods. And the Torah, which is true wisdom, will rescue you from this.
Who Forsakes the Guide of Her Youth
הַעֹזֶבֶת אַלּוּף נְעוּרֶיהָ וְאֶת בְּרִית אֱלֹהֶיהָ שָׁכֵחָה׃ - Who forsakes the guide of her youth, and forgets the covenant of her God.
Now the verse explains both aspects. Corresponding to the "strange woman," which refers to illicit relationships: she commits adultery against her husband and forsakes the guide of her youth. "Aluf" (guide) is related to teaching, as in "and I will teach you (va'aalefcha) wisdom" (Job 33:33), and "my companion (alufi) and my familiar friend" (Psalms 55:14) - the husband is the guide of her youth, yet she forsakes him and strays from him. And corresponding to idolatry, which we compared to an "alien woman," foreign gods: "And forgets the covenant of her God" - straying after the Ba'alim and the Ashtarot, and forgetting the covenant that Hashem made with Israel at Sinai.
For Her House Sinks Down to Death
כִּי שָׁחָה אֶל מָוֶת בֵּיתָהּ וְאֶל רְפָאִים מַעְגְּלֹתֶיהָ׃ - For her house sinks down to death, and her paths to the shades of the dead.
Corresponding to the promiscuous woman, the verse states, "For her house sinks down to death": the "house" is the body, and she brings about its untimely death. And corresponding to the alien woman, which represents idolatry, it states, "And her paths to the shades of the dead" - it brings about the destruction of the soul. "He shall rest in the assembly of the dead (refa'im)" (Proverbs 21:16) - refa'im refers to the afterlife, the state of a person after departure from this world. Who leads him to this ruin? The alien woman, idolatry, and at the end of the roundabout journey, he arrives at the assembly of the dead.
And why does it use the word "ma'agaloteha" (her circuitous paths)? The Malbim explains that there is a derech (way), an orach (path), and a nativ (trail) - and all of them are straight; whereas a ma'agal implies reaching the destination via a detour, a circuitous route. Here it conveys that through the philosophical syllogisms and inquiries by which heresy and apostasy attempt to prove their path, they veer from the path of truth and sink down toward the dead. Consider this profound insight: sometimes a person takes a detour only to return eventually to the straight road, but here the detour circumvents the truth and never merges back into the straight path. It is a crooked road that remains crooked, and its end leads to the shades of the dead - the cutting off and destruction of the soul.
None Who Go to Her Return
כׇּל בָּאֶיהָ לֹא יְשׁוּבוּן וְלֹא יַשִּׂיגוּ אָרְחוֹת חַיִּים׃ - None who go to her return, nor do they reach the paths of life.
Corresponding to "For her house sinks down to death," it says, "None who go to her return" - whoever enters that house will not return from there, which refers to forbidden sexual relations. And corresponding to "And her paths to the shades of the dead," which relates to the alien woman, idolatry, it says, "Nor do they reach the paths of life": they present him with warped arguments that distort the intellect, and this detour will not ultimately lead him back to the straight path; he will never attain the path that leads to life. Instead, the mindset of heresy and disbelief will cling to him, and he will abandon and forsake all foundations of religion and all matters of faith in the wake of those heretics.
And why the emphasis "none that go to her return"? The Malbim explains: Chazal say that one who departs from heresy dies immediately, and likewise, one who was deeply immersed in forbidden relations - when he breaks away from them, he dies immediately. The meaning of this is that departing completely from forbidden relations and continuing to live is an exceedingly rare thing. As for the question raised that we have seen people break away and remain alive, the answer is that they did not detach completely. For one who was deeply enmeshed in forbidden relations cannot detach entirely without slipping back into it, for "none that go to her return." How, then, is it possible for someone to break away completely? Heaven takes his life so that he will not return to it again, leaving his repentance complete. And so it is with idolatry: one who was deeply attached to it and broke away entirely will meet death in this world, for if he were to remain alive - says the Malbim - he would return to his folly.
From here comes the borrowed expression used regarding someone who has fallen into something from which it is extraordinarily difficult to break free. Rav Shteinman used this expression in recent years regarding the internet, saying that the internet is "none that go to her return": whoever becomes deeply entrenched and addicted to it finds it difficult afterward to disconnect completely and attach himself solely to the Creator of the world. Some people are simply addicted, and it is like trying to wean an addict off drugs - tearing him away from it is like pulling wool out of thorns. One who was deeply immersed in forbidden relations or idolatry finds it nearly impossible to attain complete purity, and therefore the Gemara says that he would have to die to achieve it.
The Way of the Good and the Paths of the Righteous
לְמַעַן תֵּלֵךְ בְּדֶרֶךְ טוֹבִים וְאָרְחוֹת צַדִּיקִים תִּשְׁמֹר׃ - So that you may walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.
Here again the Malbim makes a distinction: derech (a way) is the major highway from city to city; orachos (paths) are the smaller routes branching off the main road and leading to a village; and a nativ (pathway) is already an individual path - the narrow trail leading from the village road to one's private home. A nativ belongs to individuals, whereas a derech and an orach are public, except that the derech is the main thoroughfare and the orach is narrower and smaller.
Scripture states: by diligently devoting yourself to wisdom and the Torah, "you may walk in the way of good men" - on the established highway designated for good people, those who do good for their fellow men. Not only that, but "and keep the paths of the righteous" - the righteous are those who act with justice and go beyond the letter of the law, and you will be meticulous even in the small details. It is like someone of whom it is said in general terms that he is a good person, but when one wants to describe just how good he is, one has to recount specific incidents: yesterday someone did this to him, and he gave to him and went even further. One must show examples of small things, for in these a person is truly measured. "The way of good men" is the general path, while "the paths of the righteous" are the specific ways of individuals, people of elevated spiritual stature.
Chazal cite an example of this in Bava Metzia 83a. Rabbah bar Bar Chanah hired porters to transport a barrel of wine for him, and along the way, they broke it. He took their cloaks, which they had set aside at the start of their work, as collateral - holding them for the damages to the barrel. They came before Rav, who said to him: "Return their cloaks to them." Rabbah asked: "Is this the law? They broke my barrel, and a person is always held responsible and liable for damage!" Rav replied: "'So that you may walk in the way of good men' - strictly according to the law you are not required to do so, but the way of good men is not to strip a person of his garment because of damage he caused." Afterward, the porters said to Rav: "We are poor and toiled all day; we carried the barrel for many kilometers, and just as we reached the house it broke - and we have nothing to eat today, having earned no daily wage." Rav said to him: "Go and pay them their wages." Hearing this - having lost his barrel, he now had to pay wages as well - Rabbah asked: "Is this the law?" Rav answered: "'And keep the paths of the righteous.' This is the second concept, the individual path of righteousness. Because they were poor, only the righteous, only people of elevated stature, conduct themselves this way, and it is fitting for you to act likewise." These are "the paths of the righteous": paths that only the righteous observe.
The Upright and the Wholehearted
כִּי יְשָׁרִים יִשְׁכְּנוּ אָרֶץ וּתְמִימִים יִוָּתְרוּ בָהּ׃ - For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the wholehearted shall remain in it.
The Malbim explains that there is a distinction between the upright (yesharim) and the wholehearted (temimim). A yashar is someone upright by nature, both in discernment, wisdom, and contemplation, and in matters of character: his intellect, nature, and traits are refined in and of themselves. We know people who may not be observant of mitzvos, yet one sees refined character and gentleness in them - these are people considered upright in their innate disposition. The temimim are people whose deeds are constant and unchanging, whether in good times or in bad; they maintain their integrity - "wholehearted in their way" - always on that same steady course, doing everything for the sake of Heaven without any external motives.
It is possible for a person to be upright without being wholehearted, for a change can sometimes overtake him: while he may naturally possess fine character traits, a straight intellect, and discernment, this can sometimes shift. Yochanan the Kohen Gadol served in the High Priesthood for eighty years and in the end became a Tzedoki. Therefore, Scripture says: the upright "shall dwell in the land," but their deeds may sometimes change for the worse and they will not remain in it forever. In contrast, "the wholehearted shall remain in it" - because they walk in integrity along that same unchanging track, they will not fall from their righteousness, but will remain forever on that path, in that wholeheartedness and in the service of Hashem.
The Wicked and the Treacherous
וּרְשָׁעִים מֵאֶרֶץ יִכָּרֵתוּ וּבוֹגְדִים יִסְּחוּ מִמֶּנָּה׃ - But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the treacherous shall be uprooted from it.
The resha'im (the wicked) are those who practice evil consistently, whether between man and God or between man and his fellow, and they are the antithesis of the temimim (the wholehearted): just as the tamim consistently walks a single path without deviation, so too the rasha consistently walks in wickedness - therefore, "they shall be cut off from the earth," an eternal excision. The bogdim (the treacherous), on the other hand, whose offenses are between man and his fellow, are not cut off forever, as they are not the direct opposite of the tamim; rather, "they shall be uprooted [yisachu] from it." What does yisachu mean? It shares a root with shifting and deflecting, as in "deflects [mezi'ach] the belt of the mighty" (Iyov 12:21) or like a breakwater (mizach) - and why is a breakwater called a mizach? Because it deflects the water so it does not wash over the shore. So too with yisachu: a temporary displacement rather than a permanent excision, corresponding to the yesharim (the upright), who are upright by nature, yet not permanently fixed in that state forever.
In summary: In this part of the chapter, Shlomo HaMelech teaches us that Divine wisdom illuminates not only the main highway but also all the secondary paths branching off from it - and this is the unique distinction of the Torah over every other religion and legal system. This light rescues a person from two sides: from the way of evil and from the man who speaks perversity - those ideologues who rejoice in doing evil and exult in the perversities of the world, whose paths are crooked and whose tracks are devious, never returning to the straight path; and from the strange woman and the foreign woman, which allegorically signify illicit relations (arayot) and heresy (minut), both of which entice with smooth speech and both of which ultimately bring death to the body and destruction to the soul, to the point that "none who go to her return." In contrast, one who toils in wisdom will walk in the way of the good and keep the paths of the righteous - like Rav, who instructed Rabbah bar Bar Chana to forgo compensation for the damage and pay the workers their wages - and will merit to dwell in the land and remain in it through uprightness and integrity, while the wicked are cut off and the treacherous are uprooted from it.