Introduction: The Tower into Which the Righteous Runs
Chapter 18 of Mishlei deals extensively with interpersonal character traits and the power of speech. Positioned within it are two adjacent verses that contrast two types of people: one whose trust is in the Name of Hashem, and one whose trust is in his wealth. We will examine these verses in light of the Malbim, the Vilna Gaon, and Rabbeinu Yonah, and see how profoundly the question of "in what do you place your trust" determines a person's entire life.
מִגְדַּל־עֹז שֵׁם יְהֹוָה בּוֹ־יָרוּץ צַדִּיק וְנִשְׂגָּב׃ (י) - A tower of strength is the Name of Hashem; into it runs the righteous and is set on high (10).
"Into It Runs" - The Strength to Run Without Weariness
The verse tells us that one who is righteous will possess the strength to run without tiring, and the days of labor will seem to him but a few days because of his love for it. When one possesses a love for Torah, everything seems like just a few days. You delight in the Torah, rather than constantly seeking ways to cast off and unload the burden. "And is set on high" - he has trust in Hashem, and therefore he will be exalted above all distress. Concerning him it is said, "And those who hope in Hashem shall renew their strength; they shall run and not grow weary."
What does this mean? They will expend immense effort, for the righteous person truly occupies himself with Torah to the point of exhaustion. Countless stories are told of the great sages of Israel, how they engaged in Torah until their very last ounce of strength was depleted. Such an individual inherently requires strength, requires heavenly assistance, and needs strength to be bestowed upon him from Above. One who is among those who hope in Hashem will renew his strength; he will receive additional power, and "they shall run and not grow weary." This is what is written here: "Into it runs the righteous and is set on high." The Holy One, blessed be He, grants the strength to do His will and carry out His work.
For if we were to view this through natural means, all the gedolei Yisrael would have to be physically frail people devoid of all vigor. Yet we see the leaders of Israel enduring into extreme old age: the Chafetz Chaim remarried at age seventy and had children; Rav Elyashiv lived to the age of one hundred and two. These were elderly men, so from where did their strength come? One would sleep only a few hours at night, and by two in the morning was already up learning Torah. Wake an ordinary person at two in the morning, and after three minutes he collapses over the book. Rather, what is the secret? "Those who hope in Hashem shall renew their strength." When one possesses such strength, he can run. Furthermore, Rabbeinu Yonah explains that there are mitzvos that demand effort, alacrity, and swift initiative, such as redeeming captives and saving lives. If you are among those who place their hope in Hashem, your strength is renewed, enabling you to run toward mitzvos without hesitating or faltering. One whose tower of strength is the Name of Hashem - who trusts solely in Him as his fortress - can truly run without any fear of exhaustion.
Torah Weakens Physical Strength - Proof of Divine Power
When Chazal state that the Torah is called tushiyah because it weakens a person's physical strength, it refers to stamina for mundane matters. Ask such a person to lift something heavy, and he is incapable; they appear exceedingly frail. Yet see him engaged in Torah study or performing mitzvos, and he is like a lion! He sits and learns for eight or ten hours with unbroken diligence. Another person collapses after twenty minutes, or lies down after half an hour, completely exhausted. If this individual is physically so frail, from where does his vigor come? On the contrary, this provides proof that it is not natural strength. It is the Holy One, blessed be He: "Into it runs the righteous and is set on high." Set on high by whom? By Hashem, Who elevates him, preserves him, rescues him, and infuses him with strength.
We have also explained the meaning of "shall renew their strength" - yachalifu cho'ach, which literally implies an exchange of strength. When an ordinary person is asked how he achieved something, he replies: "Do you know how much strength I invested here? How much effort, how much thought?" But one who hopes in Hashem and trusts in Him "exchanges strength" - meaning, he substitutes the source and says: "No, it is not my strength; it is His strength." He knows Who is the true Master of strength, and therefore he exchanges credit and says: "It is not me; it is Him. Everything comes from the Master of the Universe." One who lacks this awareness attributes the power to himself.
"They Shall Walk and Not Faint" - Walking in the Service of Hashem
"They shall walk and not faint" - meaning they will not experience fatigue. Why? Because there are mitzvos, as Rabbeinu Yonah explains, that require diligence and constancy night and day: Torah study, acquiring the attribute of reverence, "I have set Hashem before me always," precision in mitzvah observance, guarding one's speech, and guarding one's eyes. All of these require daily, persistent effort. And what is meant by "they shall walk"? Where is one walking? "Walk before Me and be wholehearted" - the walking is advancement in the service of Hashem. As it says, "And I will give you free access among these who stand by" - one who serves Hashem is classified as a "walker," continually moving forward.
So too it says of Mordechai, "And Mordechai walked about" (U-Mordechai mithalech). By the way, Mordechai was the reincarnation of Yaakov Avinu, and Yaakov Avinu did not die - so for him, death departed (ha-met halach), there was no death in him. In any case, the point is that he is categorized as a mehalech - one who progresses in the service of Hashem and the fear of Him. An ordinary person comes to perform a mitzvah and immediately complains: these mitzvos are exhausting; when does the shiur end; you said there would be refreshments - when? When is Minchah? When is the rabbi finishing? He is constantly looking for a way out; it wears him down. In contrast, those who hope in Hashem "shall renew their strength"; they will walk in the service of Hashem and not faint; nothing tires them. Moreover, "Into it the righteous runs and is exalted" - the race is not to the swift, and here it is certainly not light and easy, for Torah weakens a person's strength; yet when strength comes from Hashem - "They shall run and not be weary."
The explanation of the matter is that through Hashem, may He be blessed, the soul of the righteous finds the strength to run from his pursuer, so that the pursuer will not overtake him, and he remains elevated and beyond reach. From which pursuer? From all pursuers, both physical and spiritual. He will have the strength to run and flee from the evil inclination, and likewise to be saved from physical pursuers - and all of this through the power of Hashem, may He be blessed.
The Vilna Gaon: Tzaddik and Nisgav, Positive and Negative Commandments
The Vilna Gaon explains: "The Name of Hashem is a tower of strength" - the Name of Hashem is a fortified tower, and the righteous person whose trust was in Hashem and who relies on Him can run without stumbling, for he has upon Whom to rely. Up to here, this aligns with the other commentaries. However, notice that two distinct terms are used here: "righteous" (tzaddik) and "exalted" (nisgav). What is the difference between them? The Gaon explains: "Righteous" pertains to positive commandments, in that he is righteous in fulfilling all that Hashem commanded. "Exalted" (nisgav) is related to being safeguarded (nishma), meaning that he is guarded and vigilant there; this corresponds to negative commandments, the aspect of "lest" (pen) and "do not" (al). He is righteous in performing the mitzvos of Hashem, and nisgav, guarded and careful, regarding the negative prohibitions.
The Vilna Gaon further explains: "A tower of strength" - the tower is high, and one who sits up there is, as it were, at the highest point, laughing at everyone below. Who can prevail against him there? It is like "bold as a leopard" - what animal does a leopard fear? None. Everyone fears him; he possesses boldness. So too, one who sits in a tower and hurls stones and catapult shot, or shoots from above, enjoys the advantage of high ground; he possesses strength. "Into it the righteous runs and is exalted" - there, the righteous and safeguarded one possesses this boldness and strength.
The Four Traits in the Mishnah and the Four-Letter Name
The Vilna Gaon states: If you look closely, you will realize that the four components mentioned by the Tanna are actually here - "Be bold as a leopard, light as an eagle, swift as a deer, and brave as a lion." "Tower" (migdal) - to reach the tower one must be light as an eagle, soaring high; to reach the level where a person is at peace, having absolute trust in Hashem, may He be blessed. "Swift as a deer" - this corresponds to "into it runs the righteous" (bo yarutz tzaddik), running like a deer. "Brave as a lion" - this corresponds to "and is exalted" (ve-nisgav), for the lion has might because he stands above all; and likewise, one who sits in the tower is above all, and who can prevail against him?
And what do these four correspond to? Torah, prayer, positive commandments, and negative commandments. "Light as an eagle" - this is prayer, for prayer rises upward and soars. It is told of the Baal Shem Tov that he once entered a beit midrash where people did not study very seriously, and remarked: "I feel that this place is full of Torah and prayer." They felt very pleased with themselves - what high praise the Baal Shem Tov had given them! He then told them: "You see, when a person has proper intent for the sake of Heaven and his Torah study is for the sake of Hashem, his prayer ascends above, and his study ascends above. But when one has alien thoughts in prayer, and his study is merely for self-aggrandizement without any intent for the sake of Hashem, everything remains down here. And when I entered this beit midrash, everything was down here; the place is packed with Torah and prayer - instead of ascending on high, they remained stuck here." This is "light as an eagle" - tzluta deyavah al migdala, prayer that ascends to the tower, to the Ein Sof, blessed be He.
"Strength" (oz) - this is Torah, as it is written: "Hashem will give strength to His people"; therefore, "The Name of Hashem is a tower of strength": the tower corresponds to prayer ascending on high, and strength corresponds to "bold as a leopard," which corresponds to Torah. "Swift as a deer" and "brave as a lion" - says the Vilna Gaon - correspond to positive and negative commandments. Why? Because when it comes to running and pursuing, one pursues mitzvos; a person does not run to attain a sin. If one runs, it is to seize the mitzvah, which represents positive commandments. In contrast, "brave as a lion" - where is a person's inner strength demanded? In restraint. I held myself back and did not answer him; I overcame my impulse and did not hurt him; I conquered my desire and did not eat forbidden food. These things demand self-mastery. This is the aspect of "and is exalted" (ve-nisgav) - brave as a lion to be saved and protected from sin. Thus we have Torah, prayer, positive commandments, and negative commandments.
These four things correspond to the four-letter Name of Havayah, blessed be He. For as is known, everything in Judaism divides into four, and the Kabbalists explain that everything emanates from the four-letter Name, which then expands into ten - the Ten Sefiros. Torah, prayer, positive commandments, and negative commandments correspond to the four letters of Havayah. Light as an eagle, swift as a deer, brave as a lion, bold as a leopard correspond to the four letters of Havayah. Atzilus, Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah correspond to the four letters of Havayah. The four elements - fire, wind, water, and earth - correspond to the four letters of Havayah. And so forth: anything divided into four corresponds to the four letters of Havayah. Where is this hinted at? "A tower of strength is the Name of Hashem" - the Name Y-H-V-H. All four of these dimensions stem from the Name of Hashem, the four-letter Name. Therefore, "The Name of Hashem is a tower of strength," serving as the foundation for all things that divide into four.
Two Towers: The Name of Hashem versus Wealth
הוֹן עָשִׁיר קִרְיַת עֻזּוֹ וּכְחוֹמָה נִשְׂגָּבָה בְּמַשְׂכִּתוֹ׃ (יא) - "The rich man's wealth is his strong city, and like a high wall in his imagination." (11)
The Malbim connects the two verses. "The Name of Hashem" is the true tower of strength; what is called the fortified wall and the strong tower - in which to find refuge and trust - is the Name of Hashem. And the tzaddik is the one who, through his righteousness, as it were, established this tower and stands upon it: he is secure and trusts in the Name of Hashem completely, all his deeds are for the sake of Heaven, and he desires and hopes only to fulfill the will of his Creator. In this tower of strength, the tzaddik is protected and elevated above his enemies, both physical and spiritual. From physical enemies - "Hashem is with me, I will not fear; what can man do to me?" Since Hashem is with me, I have a mighty stronghold, I trust in Hashem and fear no one. And also from spiritual enemies, for a person who lacks bitachon in Hashem, who does not feel that the Holy One, blessed be He, is with him at every step, can easily fall in any trial; but one who feels that Hashem is with him, on the contrary, draws strength and fortitude to overcome the yetzer hara. Thus, this tower rescues a person from physical enemies as well as from the spiritual enemies born of the yetzer.
"The wealth of a rich man is his strong city" - and in contrast to the tzaddik, consider the rich man: what is his strong city? Where is the place where he feels, "This is my strength, here I am secure, this is my salvation"? His wealth. For the tzaddik, his strong city is the Name of Hashem - "into it the righteous runs and is exalted" - in Him he trusts and in Him he finds refuge. But for the rich man, his wealth is his strong city, and this wealth feels like an impassable wall. What does he rely on? Ask him, "What will help you?" and he answers: "Do you know how much money I have? What can anyone do to me? I have assets here and assets there, and if not, I have mines in Africa, and if not, investments in Scandinavia. I have something to rely on." His wealth is his high wall.
"In His Imagination" - The World of Illusions
Notice the word "be-maskito". The Malbim explains that this refers to the place where the rich man places his trust and rests his security, citing the phrase "maskiyot levav" - thoughts, that which a person conjures up in his imagination. This is like Sarah Imeinu, who was called Yiskah because she gazed (sokhah) with Ruach HaKodesh, perceiving through the power of her vision with divine inspiration; or "Who gave the rooster (sekhvi) understanding"; or "sekiyot hachemdah" (desirable imagery). These expressions capture human imagination, the pictures one paints in one's mind. The Malbim explains: "The wealth of a rich man is his strong city, and like a high wall" - yet he cannot actually run into them. That is, wealth is not truly something in which one can find shelter and rely upon. What is it, then? "Be-maskito" - in his imagination. The rich man imagines that his wealth can help him and save him, yet often this is nothing more than a hollow illusion with no real substance. He thinks, "I have wealth and it can protect me," and suddenly you see a wealthy man contract a virus, and within three days there is a funeral. What happened? Wealth cannot help; there is no insurance against the Malach HaMavet. All that security, all the fortified wall and the strong city of the rich man - it is all "be-maskito", pure imagination.
It is well known what Rebbe Nachman of Breslov teaches, that this world deceives us, that everything is an illusion, as we have noted several times. The Ben Ish Chai points out: take the inner letters that spell out the word "olam" (עולם) - the letter ayin contains yud and nun, the vav contains vav and nun, the lamed contains mem and dalet, and the mem contains another mem; gather them all together and they form the letters of "dimyonim" (imaginations). This teaches that this world is a world of illusions. A person imagines that he is enjoying himself, imagines that he possesses, imagines that he is succeeding. But the World of Truth - that is where absolute truth resides, where a person's true identity is revealed. Here, reality is clothed in illusion. All those imaginary acquisitions of this world, which the rich man is certain will protect him, exist only "be-maskito" - in the chambers of imagination, not in reality.
Rashi: The Chambers of His Palace
Rashi explains "maskito" as referring to his paved chambers - rooms that were floored with stone paving. Where do we find this concept in the Torah? "And you shall not place a figured stone (even maskit) in your land" - it is forbidden for a person to place a stone on the ground and prostrate upon it; prostrating on stone flooring is prohibited, and this is called an even maskit. Regarding ceramic flooring there is halachic discussion, and it is preferable to place a rug, cloth, or the like, as is done during the prostrations of Yom Kippur, to avoid any concern of even maskit. The word maskit is related to sekhekhah (covering), like a sukkah, because the stones cover the earth. Today, paved flooring is taken for granted, but one must remember that in ancient times flooring did not exist; an ordinary person had dirt in his home, and when they wished to clean a bit, they brought in fresh earth. Only the wealthy possessed paved palaces. Therefore: "The wealth of a rich man is his strong city, and like a high wall in his paved chambers" - in the inner, hidden, esteemed, paved rooms, where his wealth is stored.
Rabbeinu Yonah: Trust in Wealth is the Cause of the Fall
Rabbeinu Yonah explains: the tzaddik, as we saw in the preceding verse, trusts in Hashem; whereas the rich man trusts in his wealth, which serves as his high wall within his paved chambers. He explains that trust in Hashem, blessed be He, is itself the salvation from distress - if you trust in Hashem, Hashem will save you. Conversely, trust in wealth is the very cause of a person's downfall. This is a novel insight: one might have assumed that trusting in Hashem brings salvation, whereas trusting in something else merely leaves one without salvation; but to say that this reliance itself becomes the direct cause of the fall? Rabbeinu Yonah innovates that indeed, trust in wealth is the direct cause of falling from one's tranquility, as it is written:
לִפְנֵי־שֶׁבֶר יִגְבַּהּ לֶב־אִישׁ וְלִפְנֵי כָבוֹד עֲנָוָה׃ (יב) - "Before destruction a man's heart is haughty, and before honor comes humility" (12).
His heart grows haughty and he trusts in his wealth - and what follows? Destruction (shever). "He who trusts in his wealth shall fall" (above, 11:28). One might have thought that the flaw in trusting wealth is merely the absence of trust in the One Who spoke and the world came into being, meaning a passive deficiency. Rabbeinu Yonah says: No, it is active. In place of Hashem you have established something else - wealth, money - and that is far worse; therefore, it becomes the cause of the fall. This is what is meant by "And Yeshurun grew fat and kicked": the very reliance on wealth leads a person to rebel against Hashem, blessed be He, and through this he compounds his sin.
Chovot HaLevavot: "Where Is Their God, the Rock in Whom They Sought Refuge?"
Furthermore, one who trusts in his wealth is in a situation akin to what the Chovot HaLevavot describes regarding someone who places his trust in something other than Hashem, Blessed is He. Here, too, one might have assumed that the issue is merely failing to trust in Hashem. But the Chovot HaLevavot explains that the problem is far more severe: the Holy One, Blessed is He, says, "You trust in something other than Me? I will abandon you to the hands of that very thing in which you place your trust." And that is already catastrophic. This is an explicit verse in the Torah: "Where are their gods, the rock in whom they sought refuge? Who ate the fat of their sacrifices and drank the wine of their libations? Let them arise and help you, let them be your shelter!" (Devarim 32:37-38). The Holy One, Blessed is He, says: Where is the god in whom you trust and upon whom you rely? You pour libations to them, you slaughter sacrifices to them - let them arise and help you. You rely on it? Here, I am turning you over to its hands; go to it for help. And who will help you? America? Please, go to the president and ask him for permission to build a balcony in Gilo; haggle with him over a few meters. Will the army help you? In whom do you place your trust?
And why is this so? Because when a person trusts in something, he as it were grants power to that thing. When one trusts in Hashem, it is an aspect of "Ascribe strength to God" (Tehillim 68:35) - certainly not to Hashem, Blessed is He, in His very Essence, for as we have discussed several times, nothing can be added to or subtracted from His Essence, and these matters refer only to the unfolding chain of the Sefirot; yet it is an aspect of "Ascribe strength to God." And when a person trusts in his idol, he as it were gives it power, and the Holy One, Blessed is He, says to him: "Go ahead, let that power help you." You withdraw strength from Hashem and grant strength to some futile thing, so let it help you. But if you trust in Hashem, Blessed is He - you have reached the Source, you have reached the Foundation, and then you have absolute assurance of being saved from all harm.
The Vilna Gaon: Two Types of Yetzer Hara
The Vilna Gaon's teaching is well known: that there are two types of yetzer hara (evil inclination), an internal one and an external one. What is the external yetzer hara? Sometimes it is your neighbor. You begin fulfilling a mitzvah, being meticulous in something, or a secular person begins wearing a kippah - and immediately: "What is this nonsense? What are these antics? What happened to you, is everything okay with you?" That is the yetzer hara that comes from the outside, "sin crouches at the door" (Bereishit 4:7) - it is on the outside, and it comes to disrupt one from fulfilling Hashem's mitzvot. I want to learn Torah - it comes to disrupt my study; I want to fulfill a mitzvah - it comes to spoil and harm.
Therefore, when a person leaves his home, who will protect him? The Vilna Gaon explains: this is why the mezuzah was instituted at his doorway. When you go out, set your eyes and heart upon the mezuzah, trust in Hashem, and pray to Him - and the external yetzer hara will not be able to harm you. As is known, the Vilna Gaon would study the Gate of Watchfulness (Sha'ar HaZehirut in Mesillat Yesharim) before leaving his house, repeating it, if I am not mistaken, thirteen times. And what does this mean? It means that leaving the house is dangerous; there is an evil inclination outside, and from this external yetzer hara one needs salvation.
In Summary:
Two adjacent verses present two cities of strength. "The Name of Hashem is a tower of strength" - the righteous person who trusts in Hashem receives supernatural strength, "those who hope in Hashem shall renew their strength," and therefore he runs and does not grow weary, walks in the service of Hashem and does not faint, and is exalted above every enemy, both physical and spiritual. The Vilna Gaon shows that hidden within this single verse are the four paths of divine service - swift as an eagle, fierce as a leopard, running like a deer, and mighty as a lion, which correspond to prayer, Torah, positive commandments, and negative commandments - and all of them emanate from the four-letter Name. By contrast, the wealthy person made his wealth his city of strength, but his entire wall exists only "in his imagination," in his fantasies, and this world is indeed a world of illusions. Furthermore, relying on wealth is itself the cause of the downfall - "Before destruction, a man's heart is haughty" - and whoever trusts in something other than Hashem is abandoned to the hands of that in which he trusted. But one who comes to the Source, to the Name of Hashem, possesses a true tower of strength: the strength to run to perform mitzvot and protection against the yetzer, both internal and external.