Midras Yeremia 21:8: Midrash Tanchuma & Midrash Tanchuma Buber

(Deut. 11:26:) “See, I [am setting before you today a blessing and a curse]. This text is related (to Jer. 21:8), “And (to) [unto] this people you shall say, ‘Thus says the Lord, “See, I am setting before you the road of life and the road of death.”’” It is also written (in Ps. 78:1), “A maskil of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my Torah […].” And it is written (in Deut. 4:9-10), “Only take heed to yourself and watch [yourself closely, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life; make them known to your children and to your children's children]: The day that you stood [before the Lord your God at Horeb]….” [This is] to tell you that [when] anyone despises the words of Torah, it is as though he were denying the Holy One, blessed be He,, because He only bestowed Torah so that Israel would be occupied with it day and night, as stated (in Josh. 1:8), “and you shall meditate on it (i.e., on the Torah) day and night.” And it is written (in Ps. 1:2), “But their delight is in the law (Torah) of the Lord, [and on his law (Torah) they meditate day and night].” And when anyone occupies himself with the Torah and fulfills it, [it is] as though he had received it from Sinai. It is therefore written (in Deut. 4:9), “make them known to your children […],” and adjacent to it (in Deut. 4:10), “The day that you stood before the Lord your God….” When Asaph came, he began to say (in Ps. 78:1) “Give ear, O my people, to my Torah.” So also did Solomon say (in Prov. 4:2), “For I gave you good instruction; [do not abandon my Torah].” Israel said to Asaph, “Is there another Torah, such that you say (in Ps. 78:1), ‘Give ear, O my people, to my Torah?’ We have already received it from Mount Sinai.” He said to them, “The sinners of Israel say that the Prophets and the Writings are not Torah, and they do not believe in them, as stated (in Dan. 9:10), “And we have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by walking in His Torah, which He set before us at the hand of His servants the prophets.” Ergo, the Prophets and the Writings are Torah. As so is it stated (in Ps. 78:1), “Give ear, O my people, to my Torah (in this case to a writing of Asaph).” Another interpretation (of Ps. 78:1), “Give ear, O my people, to my Torah.” This text is related (to Prov. 16:23), “The heart of a wise person, instructs his mouth […].” When Israel sins, they are withheld from anything good; and so you find that, when they committed the act (of the golden calf), everything good was withheld from them, as stated (in Exod. 32:19), “And it came to pass that as soon as he drew near unto the camp and saw the calf [and the dancing, Moses burned with anger; so he threw down the tablets from his hands and shattered them at the foot of the mountain].” Then when Moses sought mercy for them, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Moses, I created the world only for Torah, as stated (in Is. 51:16), “Moreover, I have put My words (i.e., the Torah) in your mouth …, [so that I may plant the heavens and lay the foundations of the earth].” But they have exchanged My glory for the image of a bull,¹Cf. Ps. 106:20. and you have broken the tablets; so how will the world continue without Torah? He said to Him, “What shall I do?” He said to him (in Deut. 10:1), “Carve out two tablets of stone like the first ones.” It is therefore said (in Prov. 16:23), “The heart of a wise person, instructs his mouth….” For that reason, when Asaph [was alive], he mentioned above (in Ps. 77:21), “You led Your people like a flock [by the hand of Moses and Aaron].”²It is Ps. 77:1 that designates this Psalm as a work of Asaph. Then after that it is written (in Ps. 78:1), “A maskil (a psalm of wisdom) of Asaph.”

Listen, heavens and I will speak: Happy is the one born of a woman who says like this to the creation of the Heavens. As a king would say to his servants, "Listen and hear my words"; so did he say to the heavens and the earth, "Be quiet until all of my words are finished." "Listen, heavens": This is what is stated in the verse (Jeremiah 32:36) - "If the heavens above could be measured, and the foundations of the earth below could be fathomed, then would I also reject all the seed of Israel." Since they exist forever and Israel exists forever, they were summoned to testify that Israel is observing the Torah and the commandments. But if, God forbid, they negate them, the hand of the witnesses will be the first against them, to kill them. It is written (Deuteronomy 11:17), "and He will shut up the skies and there will be no rain and the ground will not yield its produce." Hence, he summoned them to testify when Israel is observing the Torah and the commandments. But if, God forbid, they refuse, the hand of the witnesses will be the first against them, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 31:28), "and I will bring the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you." And this is why he brought them for testimony - as it is [found] in the Pesikta [that] man is compared to the twelve constellations: At the beginning when he is born, he is compared to a lamb, as he is soft, but he grows up to be like an ox. When he grows [older], he becomes twins, meaning to say complete, and the evil impulse grows in him. And at the beginning, it is weak like a crab; but afterwards when it grows, it becomes strong like a lion. And if he sins, it becomes like a virgin. And if he adds [more] transgressions, they are measured in the scales. And if he continues in his rebellion, he is brought down to the pit below, to the pit and Geihinom - like a scorpion placed in the earth and in ditches. But if he repents, he is thrown out - like one who slings his arrows with a bow. That is why we are accustomed to mention the dead on Shabbat, so that they do not return to Geihinom. As so is it [found] in Torat Kohanim (on Deuteronomy 21:8), "'Atone for your people' - those are the living; 'that You have redeemed' - those are the dead. From here, [we learn] that the living redeem the dead." Hence we are accustomed to mention the dead on Yom Kippur and to distribute charity for their sake. As so did we learn in Torat Kohanim, "It is possible that from when they died, charity does not help them. [Hence] we learn to say, 'that You have redeemed.'" From here, [we learn] that when we distribute charity for their sake, we take them out and bring them up like an arrow from the bow. He [then] immediately becomes soft like a goat and is rendered pure like the time that he was born, and we pour pure water from a pail upon him. And he grows with great pleasure like a fish enjoying the water. So does he immerse at all times in the rivers of afarsimon and milk, and oil and honey; and he always eats from the tree of life that is planted inside the partition of the righteous, and its branches leans over the table of each and every righteous one. And he lives forever. To here is new. But from here and onward is from the old.

(Deut. 11:26:) SEE, I <AM SETTING BEFORE YOU TODAY A BLESSING AND A CURSE>. This text is related (to Jer. 21:8): AND {TO} [UNTO] THIS PEOPLE YOU SHALL SAY: THUS SAYS THE LORD: SEE, I AM SETTING BEFORE YOU THE ROAD TO LIFE AND THE ROAD TO DEATH. It is also written (in Ps. 78:1): A MASKIL {OF ETHAN THE EZRAHITE}¹For this reading, see Ps. 89:1. [OF ASAPH]. GIVE EAR, O MY PEOPLE, TO MY TORAH.²Tanh., Deut. 4:1. And it is written (in Deut. 4:9–10): ONLY TAKE HEED TO YOURSELF <AND WATCH YOURSELF CLOSELY, LEST YOU FORGET THE THINGS THAT YOUR EYES HAVE SEEN AND LEST THEY DEPART FROM YOUR HEART ALL THE DAYS OF YOUR LIFE; MAKE THEM KNOWN TO YOUR CHILDREN AND TO YOUR CHILDREN'S CHILDREN >: THE DAY THAT YOU STOOD BEFORE THE LORD YOUR GOD AT HOREB…. <This is> to tell you that <when> anyone despises the words of Torah, it is as though he were denying the Holy One, because he only bestowed Torah so that Israel would be occupied with it day and night, as stated (in Josh. 1:8): AND YOU SHALL MEDITATE ON IT (i.e., on Torah) DAY AND NIGHT. And it is written (in Ps. 1:2): BUT THEIR DELIGHT IS IN THE LAW (Torah) OF THE LORD, <AND ON HIS LAW (Torah) THEY MEDITATE DAY AND NIGHT>. So when anyone occupies himself with the Torah and fulfills it, <it is> as though he had received it from Sinai. It is therefore written (in Deut. 4:9–10): MAKE THEM KNOWN TO YOUR CHILDREN …: THE DAY THAT YOU STOOD BEFORE THE LORD YOUR GOD…. When Asaph came, he began to say (in Ps. 78:1) GIVE EAR, O MY PEOPLE, TO MY TORAH…. So also did Solomon say (in Prov. 4:2): FOR I GAVE YOU GOOD INSTRUCTION; DO NOT ABANDON MY TORAH. Israel said to Asaph: Is there another torah of which you say (in Ps. 78:1): GIVE EAR, O MY PEOPLE, TO MY TORAH? We have already received it from Sinai. He said to them: The schismatics of Israel say that the Prophets and the Writings are not Torah, and we do not believe in them, as stated (in Dan. 9:10): AND WE HAVE NOT OBEYED THE VOICE OF THE LORD OUR GOD BY WALKING IN HIS TORAH, WHICH HE SET BEFORE US AT THE HAND OF HIS SERVANTS THE PROPHETS. Ergo, The Prophets and the Writings are Torah, as stated (in Ps. 78:1): GIVE EAR, O MY PEOPLE, TO MY TORAH (in this case to a writing of Asaph).