Midrasch zu Dewarim 32:3

(Exodus 13:3) "And Moses said to the people: Remember this day when you went out of Egypt, etc." I know only that the exodus from Egypt is mentioned in the daytime. Whence do I derive (the same for) the evenings? From (Devarim 16:3) "… so that you remember the day of your going out of Egypt all the days of your life": "the days of your life" — the days; "all the days of your life" — (to include) the nights, as per Ben Zoma. The sages say: "the days of your life" — in this world; "all the days of your life" — to include the days of the Messiah. Ben Zoma said to them: Israel is destined not to mention the exodus from Egypt in time to come, it being written (Jeremiah 23:7-8) "Therefore, behold, days are coming, says the L rd, when it will no more be said: 'As the L rd lives, who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt, but as the L rd lives, who brought up and who brought the seed of the house of Israel from the land of the north.'" R. Nathan says: "who brought up and who brought": The exodus from Egypt is mentioned in time to come. And whence is it derived that we say "Blessed are You, O L rd our G d, and the G d of our fathers, the G d of Abraham, the G d of Isaac, and the G d of Jacob"? From (Exodus 3:15) "and G d said further to Moses: Thus shall you say to the children of Israel: The L rd, the G d of your fathers, the G d of Abraham, the G d of Isaac, and the G d of Jacob, sent me to you." And whence is grace over meals derived? From (Devarim 8:10) "and you shall eat and you shall be sated" — this is the first blessing. "for the land" — this is the second blessing. "the good" — this is "who builds Jerusalem," viz. (Ibid. 3:25) "the good land … and the Levanon." "that he gave you" — who gave all good to us (this is the blessing of "hatov vehametiv"). R. Chiyya b. Nachmani said in the name of R. Yishmael: It is already written (Ibid. 8:10) "and you shall eat and you shall be sated, etc." What would be lacking if it were not written "that He gave to you"? (It is written to signify that you must thank Him) both for His measure of good and for His measure of punishment. This tells me that a blessing is required after eating. Whence do I derive that it is required (also) before eating? R. Yishmael says: It follows a fortiori, viz.: If one who has eaten to satiety requires a blessing, how much more so, one who is hungry! R. Nathan says: It is written (I Samuel 9:13) "As soon as you enter the town, you will find him before he ascends the mount to eat; for the people will not eat until he comes, for he will first bless the offering, etc." R. Yitzchak says: It is written (Exodus 23:25) "And you shall serve the L rd your G d, and He will bless your bread and your water." When is it "your bread"? Before you have eaten it. This tells me only of food as requiring a blessing before it and after it. Whence do I derive (the same for) Torah? R. Yishmael says: It follows a fortiori, viz.: If food, which is only temporal, requires a blessing before and after it, how much more so Torah, which is eternal! R. Yehudah b. Betheira says: It is written (Devarim 8:10) "and you shall eat and you shall be sated and you shall bless … for the good land." What is lacking that "good" supplies? This ("good") is Torah, as it is written (Mishlei 4:2) "for a taking of 'good' have I given to you." R. Chanina, the son of the brother of R. Yehoshua says: It is written (Devarim 32:3) "When I call upon the name of the L rd" — the blesser; "give grandeur to our G d" — the answerers. And what do they answer? "Blessed is the L rd who is blessed forever." And when he mentions His name, they respond "Blessed is the name of the glory of His kingdom forever." And thus did David say (Psalms 34:4) "Exalt the L rd with me, and let us extol His name forever." Rebbi says (Mishlei 10:7) "the remembrance of the Tzaddik is for blessing": When he mentions the Tzaddik, "the Life of the worlds" — (Psalms 145:17) "the L rd is a tzaddik in all of His ways — let it be for blessing "Amen!"

(Deut. 33:1:) “Before his death.” Would it cross your mind that he blessed Israel after he died?¹¹PRK 31(suppl. 1):14; see Sifre, Deut. 33:19(342); Deut. R. 11:6. Then what is the meaning of before his death? Before the angel of death. When the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him (in Deut. 32:49-50) “Ascend [this mountain of the Abarim]…. And you shall die,” the angel of death thought that the Holy One, blessed be He, had already given him authority over Moses' life. He came and stood directly above him. Moses said to him, “The Holy One, blessed be He, has already promised me that he would not deliver me into your hand.” He [answered], “The Holy One, blessed be He, has sent me to you; that you are to depart on this day.” Moses said to him, “Go away from here, as I want to praise the Holy One, blessed be He, ‘I will not die, but rather live and tell the acts of the Lord (Ps. 118:17).’” The angel said to him, “Why are you bragging, He [already] has someone to praise Him, (in Ps. 19:2), ‘The heavens recount God’s glory.’” Moses said, “I will quiet them and praise,” as stated (in Deut. 32:1), “Listen O heavens....” He came to him a second time. What did Moses do? He mentioned the explicit name [of God], and [so the angel] fled, as stated (Deut. 32:3), “For I proclaim the name of the Lord.” He [then] came to him a third time. [At that point,] Moshe said, “Since he is coming from the Heavens, I must justify the judgement [of death] upon myself.” He immediately began saying (in Deut. 32:4), “The Rock, His actions are just.” R. Isaac said, “Moses’ soul was hesitating to leave him, and he spoke with it. He said to it, ‘Tell me, my soul, what will you say, since the angel of death seeks to subdue you?’ It said to him, ‘He will not do so to me, as the Holy One, blessed be He, promised me that he would not deliver me into his hand.’ He said to it, ‘Tell me [what you will say] when you see them crying and you cry with them.’ It said to him (in Ps. 116:8), ‘You have delivered me from death, my eyes from tears’. He said to it, ‘Tell me [what you will say] when they try to push you to Gehinnom.’ It said to him (in Ps. 116:8, cont.), ‘my feet from stumbling.’ He said to it, ‘And where will you be walking in the future?’ It said to him (in Ps 116:9), ‘I shall walk before the Lord in the lands of the living.’ When Moses heard this from it, he said to it (Ps. 116:7), ‘Return, O my soul.’” R. Abba said, “Once he was departed, the lower creatures (people) said (Deut. 33:4), ‘Moses charged us with Torah.’ The higher creatures (angels) said, ‘He executed the Lord’s judgments and His decisions for Israel.’ And even the Holy One, blessed be He, Himself, in all of His glory praises him and says (in Deut. 34:10-11), ‘Never again did there arise in Israel a prophet like Moses [...]. For the various signs and portents.’”

(Fol. 21a) E. Juda said, "Whence do we learn that the after-meal grace is a Biblical law? It is written (Ib.) And when thou hast eaten and art satisfied, then shalt thou bless the Lord, thy God. Whence do we learn [that to say] the benediction before beginning the study of the Torah is a Biblical law? It is said (Deu. 32, 3.) When I call on the name of the Lord ascribe ye greatness unto our God."