Midrash sobre Proverbios 2:7

...What is meant by, “Turn to the Tzafon? Rabbi Chiya said, “(God) said to (the Jewish People) if you see (Esau) seeking to cause trouble for you don’t stand against him. Rather, hide yourselves from him until his time passes. Rabbi Yehuda Bar Shalom said, “Israel says to God, Master of the World, his father blessed him with “You shall live by the sword” and You are agreeing with him and telling us to hide. Where should we run? God says to them, “If you see that he is interacting with you, run to the Torah…”

In the third month (Exod. 19:1). Scripture says elsewhere in reference to this verse: He layeth up sound wisdom for the upright, He is a shield to them that walk in integrity (Prov. 2:7). R. Levi stated in the name of R. Samuel the son of Nahman: The Holy One, blessed be He, allowed nine hundred and eighty generations to pass by before giving the rite of circumcision to Abraham. (This was discussed previously in the portion Get thee out of the land.)¹³See Tanhuma, Lech Lecha 11. R. Jonathan stated in the name of R. Yosé the Galilean: The Holy One, blessed be He, had permitted nine hundred and seventy-four generations to pass by before giving the law to the generation of the wilderness. The law was given to the generation of the wilderness because it was upright. Three months after they had departed from Egypt He gave them the Torah, as it is said: In the third month. Therefore, He layeth up sound wisdom for the upright (Prov. 2:7).

After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram (Gen. 15:1). Scripture says elsewhere in reference to this verse: He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous; He is a shield to them that walk in integrity (Prov. 2:7). What is the meaning of He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous? It means that the Holy One, blessed be He, stored the Torah away, prior to the creation of the world, until Abraham came to fulfill it, as it is said: Because that Abraham hearkened to My voice, and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My Laws (Gen. 26:5).

R. Levi stated in the name of R. Samuel the son of Nahmani: The Holy One, blessed be He, passed over nine hundred and eighty generations in order to give the law of circumcision to Abraham,¹⁷The divine plan originally contemplated that a thousand generations would pass before the rite of circumcision was introduced. even though it is stated: He hath remembered His covenant, the word which He commanded to a thousand generations (Ps. 105:8). In fact, He gave it to him only after twenty generations had passed by: the ten generations between Adam and Noah and the ten generations between Noah and Abraham—totaling twenty generations in all. Then He gave the law of circumcision to Abraham. R. Yohanan declared in the name of R. Yosé the Galilean: The Holy One, blessed be He, passed over nine hundred and seventy generations in giving the Torah to the generation of the wilderness.¹⁸Actually it was 974 generations that were passed by. Adam to Noah was ten generations, Noah to Abraham was another ten, and Abraham to Moses was six, totaling twenty-six. He did so because it was a righteous generation, as it is said: He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous (Prov. 2:7).

R. Samuel the son of Nahmani said: Abraham observed the laws regarding the preparation of Sabbath meals on a holy day that occurred on a Friday,¹⁹See above, n. 2. as it is said: Because that Abraham hearkened to My voice. The Holy One, blessed be He, told Abraham: Because, you devoted yourself to My law, I assure you I will be a shield unto you. Even as the shield wards off the sword and diverts the stones and arrows hurled against it, so will I shield you. Not you alone, but your descendants as well, if they devote themselves to My laws as you did. Hence it is said: The word of the Lord is tried; He is a shield unto all them who take refuge in Him (II Sam. 22:31). And it is also said: He is a shield to them that walk in integrity (Prov. 2:7).

Another interpretation (of Gen. 15:1): AFTER THESE THINGS. This text is related (to Prov. 2:7): HE RESERVES UNDERSTANDING FOR THE UPRIGHT.⁶⁷Tanh.,Gen. 3:11. [What is the meaning of HE RESERVES UNDERSTANDING FOR THE UPRIGHT?] Before the world was created, the Holy One reserved the Law for Abraham, as stated (in Gen. 26:5): BECAUSE ABRAHAM HEEDED MY VOICE < AND KEPT MY CHARGE: MY COMMANDMENTS, MY STATUTES, AND MY TORAHS >. < This > teaches that Abraham kept all the commandments and all the Torahs. R. Samuel bar Nahmani said: R. Jonathan said: Our father Abraham also maintained the 'eruvim of cooked foods.⁶⁸Thus the use of torah in the plural indicates that Abraham knew even the oral Torah. See above, 3:1; below, 11:12. For a full description of the ‘eruvim of cooked foods, see Maimonides, Yad, Yom Tov 6:1-3. Thus it is stated (ibid.): BECAUSE ABRAHAM HEEDED MY VOICE. For that reason, Solomon stated (in Prov. 2:7): HE RESERVES UNDERSTANDING FOR THE UPRIGHT, [A SHIELD FOR THOSE WHO LIVE BLAMELESSLY]. The Holy One said to Abraham: You have been occupied with my Law. By your life, I am a shield for you, as stated (in Gen. 15:1): FEAR NOT, ABRAM! [I AM A SHIELD FOR YOU]. Just as, when one grasps the shield, even if darts and stones are thrown at him, he is not afraid; [so I am doing for you], as stated (in Gen. 15:1): I AM A SHIELD FOR YOU; YOUR REWARD SHALL BE VERY GREAT—not for you alone, but also for your children, if they are occupied with my Law just as you have been occupied. Thus it is stated (in Prov. 30:5): [EVERY] UTTERANCE OF GOD IS PURE, A SHIELD FOR {ALL} WHO TAKE REFUGE IN HIM. It is therefore stated (in Prov. 2:7): HE RESERVES UNDERSTANDING FOR THE UPRIGHT, [A SHIELD FOR THOSE WHO LIVE BLAMELESSLY].

An earthly king has dukes and viceroys who share with him in the burden of rule, and thus also share in the honor with which he is honored. But not so with The Holy Blessed One. God has no duke and no viceroy and no lieutenant. No other does God's work, only God alone. No other bears the burden, only God alone. Therefore, only God alone is to be praised.