Midrash su Salmi 1:2

(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.”

(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).

The Holy One, blessed be He, gave the Torah to the Israelites so that they might devote themselves to it and to its commandments day and night, as it is said: But thou shalt meditate therein day and night (Josh. 1:8). And it says elsewhere: But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by streams of water (Ps. 1:2–3).

"Whoever does not possess the knowledge of Scripture nor of the Mishnah is not considered a civilezed man." Said R. Jochanan: "And such a man is disqualified to be a witness." Our Rabbis were taught: Whoever eats in the street is considered like a dog, and according to others he is disqualified as a witness. R. Idi b. Abin said: "The law prevails like the opinion of the others." Bar Kapara lectured: "The hot-tempered man (Fol. 41) achieves nothing but [the injurious effect of his] excitement; and a good-natured man enjoys in this world the fruit of his own deeds; and whoever does not possess the knowledge of Scripture nor of the Mishnah nor of social manners, vow not to have any benefit of him, for it is said (Ps. 1, 2) And sitteth not in the scat of the scorners; i.e., the seat of such a man is the seat of scorners."

The great light alludes to the light created on the first day of creation, which the Holy One, blessed be He, reserved for those who devote themselves to the study of the Oral Law day and night. It is as a consequence of their merit that the world endures, as it is said: Thus saith the Lord: If My covenant be not with day and night, if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth (Jer. 33:25). Which covenant applies to day and night? It is the covenant of the Oral Law, as it is said: Thus saith the Lord: If you can break My covenant with the day and My covenant with the night … then may also My covenant be broken with David, My servant (ibid., vv. 20–21), and it says elsewhere: His delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His Law doth he meditate day and night (Ps. 1:2).

"And Noach was 500 years old." - It is written (Psalms 1:1) "Fortunate is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked." "Fortunate is the man", that's Noach. "who in the counsel of the wicked he does not walk, and in the ways of sinners he does not stand [and in the company of mockers he does not sit]." Rabbi Yehudah and Rabbi Nechemia [disagreed]. Rabbi Yehudah said: [the three parts of the verse] refer to three generations - the generation of Enosh, the generation of the Flood, and the generation of the Division [i.e., of the Tower of Babel]; Rabbi Nechemia said: [They refer to] the generation of the Flood and the generation of the Division, but the generation of Enosh was small. According to Rabbi Yehudah's opinion: "Fortunate is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked", that's the generation of Enosh. "and in the ways of the sinner he does not stand," that's the generation of the Flood. "and the company of mockers he does not sit," that's the generation of the Division. "Rather, in God's Torah is his desire" (Psalms 1:2), that is [i.e., refers to] the seven commandments he was commanded. "and in his Torah he meditates day and night" - he comprehended one matter implied by [lit. "from within"] another matter: he [Noach] said [to himself], "What is the reason the Torah increased [the number of] ritually pure [beasts], more than the [number of] ritually impure [beasts]? Was it not because He wants [me] to sacrifice from them?" Immediately, "and he took from all the ritually pure beasts..." (Genesis 8:20). "and he shall be like a tree planted by water brooks" (Psalms 1:3) = G-d planted him in the ark. "which gives its fruit at the proper time" - that is [i.e., refers to] Shem, "its leaves shall not wither" = that is Ham, "and all that it does shall prosper" - that is Yefet.