Musar к Мишлей 8:30

And it is written (Mishlei 4:2): "For a good taking have I given you; My Torah shall you not forsake." The intent of "good," "My Torah," is as follows: It is known that something that is so significant to a poor man that he calls it "good" may not be significant to one who is not poor; and that something which is significant to him may not be significant to one who is very wealthy; and that something which is significant to him, may not be significant to a king; and that something which is significant to him, (like the conquering of a country) may not be significant to an angel [(It is known that the size of some angels is several thousand parasangs, as stated in Chullin 91b)]. Therefore, the verse comes to say: "For a good taking, etc." That is, see and reflect upon the greatness of its [Torah's] good, to the point that it is called "good" by Me, who have created all of the worlds, all of which are insignificant to Me — notwithstanding which I have called Torah "good." And it is the secreted treasure with which the Holy One Blessed be He disports Himself at all times, as it is written (Mishlei 8:30): "and I [Torah] was His plaything every day." And it is "My Torah." Therefore, "do not forsake it."

And now let us see: Is not a meth-mitzvah mere matter, without life, spirit, or soul, in spite of which, because this matter was once the receptacle of a living Jew, the Torah was so concerned about its shame and permitted [its burial] even to the high-priest or to a Nazirite, and [permitted one] not to slaughter the Pesach offering or to circumcise his son, to render himself unclean for it [the dead body] and to see to its needs — a fortiori, with the holy Torah, which is more precious than pearls, and which is the "plaything" of the Holy One Blessed be He, as it is written (Mishlei 8:30): "And I [Torah] was His plaything every day" — if one of its mitzvoth, G-d forbid, lies in shame, how much more so are we obligated to strengthen ourselves in it, so that it not cry out against us in Heaven!

Another allusion to this triple concept of G–d-Torah-Israel is found at the very beginning of Bereshit Rabbah, where Rabbi Aushiyah deals with Proverbs 8,30: ואהיה אצלו אמון, ואהיה שעשועים, יום משחקת לפני בכל עת, "Then I was with Him as an artisan; I was His delight daily, always rejoicing before Him." Rabbi Oshiyah says that the word אמון in that verse means both פדגוג, "a male nurse or tutor," a term used by Moses when he complained to G–d how he was expected to play nursemaid to the Jewish people (Numbers 11,12). He also understands the same word to mean something מוצנע, hidden, based on Esther 2,7 describing Mordechai as "hiding" Esther so that she would not have to participate in the Royal beauty contest. Rabbi Aushiyah adds that some understand the word אמון to mean "big." This is based on Nachum 3,8: התיטבי מנא אמון, "Were you any better than No Amon?" which the Targum renders as: הא את מבא מאלכסנדריא רבתא דיתבא בין נהרותא "are you better than the important city Alexandria which is situated between two rivers?"