Przysłów 2:7 Midrasz: Devarim Rabbah, Midrash Tanchuma, Aggadat Bereshit & Midrash Tanchuma Buber

Rabbi Berekhya said: When Esau came in to his father and saw that Jacob had taken the blessings, he said to [Isaac]: ‘Did you not leave even one blessing for me?’ As it is stated: “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?” (Genesis 27:36). Isaac said to him: ‘Even if I bless you, I will be blessing him. Did I not say so to him: “Be a lord to your brethren”? (Genesis 27:29). The slave and everything that he has, do they not belong to his master?’
What is “turn yourselves to the north [tzafona]”? Rabbi Ḥiyya said: [God] said to them: ‘If you see that he⁵⁰The reference is to Esau, meaning, his descendants. is seeking to provoke you, do not confront him. Instead, conceal [hatzpinu] yourselves from him until his world will pass.’⁵¹Until his success and power pass. That is, “turn yourselves to the north.” Rabbi Yehuda bar Shalom said: Israel said to Him: ‘Master of the universe, his father gave him the blessing: “By your sword you will live” (Genesis 27:40), and You confirmed it for him, and You say to us: Conceal yourselves from him? To where will we flee?’ He said to them: ‘If you see that they are confronting you, flee to the Torah.’ Tzafona is nothing other than Torah, as it is stated: “He reserves [yitzpon] the Torah for the upright” (Proverbs 2:7). Another matter, what is “tzafona”? Rabbi Yitzḥak said: The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘Wait until the time when the messianic king will come and fulfill: “How great is the goodness [You have in store [tzafanta] for those who fear You]”’ (Psalms 31:20).

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).