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Devarim Rabbah
“For this mitzva that I command you today, it is not hidden from you, and it is not distant” (Deuteronomy 30:11).
“For this mitzva” – halakha: A person of Israel who stands to read the Torah, how does he recite the blessing? So the Sages taught: One who begins and one who concludes reading the Torah recites a blessing before it and after it. From where is it derived that it requires a blessing before it and after it? It is as it is written: “Blessed are You, Lord” (Psalms 119:12) and then: “Teach me Your statutes” (Psalms 119:12); that is the blessing before it. From where is it derived that it requires a blessing after it? Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said in the name of Rabbi Yonatan: It is as it is written after the song:2Within the portion Ha'azinu (Deuteronomy 32:1–43). “This is the blessing” (Deuteronomy 33:1). From the fact that he taught them the Torah and then recited a blessing; we learn the blessing after it.
Another matter, the Holy One blessed be He said: ‘If you uttered the blessing of the Torah, I, too, will bless you,’ as it is stated: “In every place that I mention my name,3The verse is being interpreted as meaning "wherever you mention my Name." See Rabbeinu Beḥayei on the verse. [I will come to you and I will bless you]” (Exodus 20:21).
Another matter, the Rabbis said: The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘If you recited a blessing on the Torah, you recited the blessing for yourself.’ From where is it derived? It is as it is stated: “For with Me your days will be increased, and years of life will be added for you” (Proverbs 9:11). [God said:] ‘If you say, perhaps I gave you the Torah to your detriment; I gave it to you only for your benefit, as the ministering angels desired it, but it was vanished from them,’ as it is stated: “It is vanished from the eyes of all living” (Job 28:21) – these are the "heavenly creatures,"4See Ezekiel 1:5. “and hidden from the birds [umeof] of the heavens” (Job 28:21) – these are the angels. From where is it derived?5That the word "birds" can refer to angels. It is as it is stated: “One of the seraphim flew [vayaaf] to me” (Isaiah 6:6). He said to them [the Israelites]: ‘My children, it is hidden from the ministering angels, but from you it is not hidden,’ from what we read regarding the matter: “For this mitzva that I command you today, it is not hidden from you.”
“For this mitzva” – halakha: A person of Israel who stands to read the Torah, how does he recite the blessing? So the Sages taught: One who begins and one who concludes reading the Torah recites a blessing before it and after it. From where is it derived that it requires a blessing before it and after it? It is as it is written: “Blessed are You, Lord” (Psalms 119:12) and then: “Teach me Your statutes” (Psalms 119:12); that is the blessing before it. From where is it derived that it requires a blessing after it? Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said in the name of Rabbi Yonatan: It is as it is written after the song:2Within the portion Ha'azinu (Deuteronomy 32:1–43). “This is the blessing” (Deuteronomy 33:1). From the fact that he taught them the Torah and then recited a blessing; we learn the blessing after it.
Another matter, the Holy One blessed be He said: ‘If you uttered the blessing of the Torah, I, too, will bless you,’ as it is stated: “In every place that I mention my name,3The verse is being interpreted as meaning "wherever you mention my Name." See Rabbeinu Beḥayei on the verse. [I will come to you and I will bless you]” (Exodus 20:21).
Another matter, the Rabbis said: The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘If you recited a blessing on the Torah, you recited the blessing for yourself.’ From where is it derived? It is as it is stated: “For with Me your days will be increased, and years of life will be added for you” (Proverbs 9:11). [God said:] ‘If you say, perhaps I gave you the Torah to your detriment; I gave it to you only for your benefit, as the ministering angels desired it, but it was vanished from them,’ as it is stated: “It is vanished from the eyes of all living” (Job 28:21) – these are the "heavenly creatures,"4See Ezekiel 1:5. “and hidden from the birds [umeof] of the heavens” (Job 28:21) – these are the angels. From where is it derived?5That the word "birds" can refer to angels. It is as it is stated: “One of the seraphim flew [vayaaf] to me” (Isaiah 6:6). He said to them [the Israelites]: ‘My children, it is hidden from the ministering angels, but from you it is not hidden,’ from what we read regarding the matter: “For this mitzva that I command you today, it is not hidden from you.”
Midrash Tehillim
"To David, blessed be the Lord my rock, etc. Solomon said (Proverbs 3:6) 'In all your ways acknowledge him'. What is 'In all your ways acknowledge him'? It means that He should be in your heart in every way that you go, just as David used to do. He was a king and said, 'I am not a king, He is the king and He made me a king.' And so it says (2 Samuel 5:12) 'And David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel.' He was strong and said, 'I am not strong.' He was rich and said, 'I am not rich.' And so he proclaimed (1 Chronicles 29:11) 'Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power, etc.' And so it says (2 Samuel 8:15) 'David administered justice and righteousness to all his people.' He went down to war and triumphed and said, 'It was not by my strength that I triumphed, but He helped me and gave me victory and made me a warrior.' And so it says (Psalm 18:33) 'The God who arms me with strength'. Therefore he said, 'Blessed be the Lord my rock, etc.'" "When I learned to fight with my fingers was when I killed Goliath. As it says in 1 Samuel 17:49, 'And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and slung it.' This is the way someone who strikes another from the front does not need to make them fall backwards, but rather, forwards, and why did he fall in front of him? An angel went with the stone and intentionally threw it at his face, and not only that, but he had a copper helmet on his head, and how did the stone sink into the copper? But God was with him, therefore it is said, 'Blessed be the Lord my Rock.' I did not know how to fight except that the Holy One, blessed be He, taught me, and so Saul says to him in 1 Samuel 17:37, 'Go, and may the Lord be with you.' And as it says in Judges 6:12, 'The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.' And it says in Psalm 119:12, 'Blessed are You, O Lord; teach me Your statutes.' I know nothing except that which I have been taught. As it says in Psalm 71:17-18, 'O God, You have taught me from my youth...Even when I am old and gray, O God, do not abandon me.' Therefore, it is said, 'Blessed be the Lord my Rock.'"