Мишлей 2:1 Мидраш: Midrash Tanchuma, Devarim Rabbah & Vayikra Rabbah

All of the commandment that I command you today (Deuteronomy 8:1): This is what the verse stated (Proverbs 4:22), "They are life to him who finds them, healing for his whole body," [meaning that] anyone who finds words of Torah, finds life. Hence it is written, "They are life to him who finds them." Do not read it as "to him who finds them (lemotsaeihem)," but rather as "to him who expresses them (lemotsieihem)." Another interpretation of "They are life to him who finds them": To him who expresses them orally as is fitting. There is a story about a student of Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov who was proficient in learning. From his familiarity with the his learning, he would go over all of his learning from when he entered the bathhouse to when he stood to perspire and when he would bathe. [But he forgot it all] because he did not express it orally. Hence it is written, "They are life to him who finds them," [meaning to him who expresses them]. Another interpretation of "They are life to him who finds them," to others. And a man should not teach words of Torah unless he expresses them as is fit [with their] conclusion and explanation. As so did Moshe say to them, "When you teach Torah, be precise with all of it." Hence it is stated, "All of the commandment that I command you today shall you be careful to fulfill, in order that you shall live." This is what the verse stated (Proverbs 2:1), "My son, if you accept [M]y statements." Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said, "When are you called My son? When you accept My statements. And so [too] is it stated (Deuteronomy 14:1), 'You are children of the Lord, your God.' When are you children? When you [belong] to the Lord, your God, such that you are observing My commandments." Hence is it written, "My son, if you accept [M]y statements." [You will be] "My son if you accept [M]y statements," if you have the merit. Another interpretation: You [should] treasure My Torah like a man who has a pearl. So should you toil in the Torah. Hence is it stated (Proverbs 2:1), "and [M]y commandment you treasure with you." Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said, "[There is a relevant] parable. To what is this comparable? To a man who has a mature daughter and wants to waste her on anyone he finds. My Torah is not like that, but rather [only] if you have a merit will you merit [to have] it, 'and My commandment you treasure with you.'" Rabbi Acha says, "You give yourself good deeds and I will save over [their] goodness for you in the world to come - 'How abundant is Your good that You have in store for those who fear You' (Psalms 31:20)." Another interpretation: You should treasure My Torah, like a man who has a pearl and treasures it. So should you toil in the Torah. Therefore is it stated, "and [M]y commandment you treasure with you."

What the verse said: “My son, if you take my sayings and store my commandments with you” (Proverbs 2:1) – what is “if you take my sayings”? Rav Huna said in the name of Rav Aḥa: The Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: ‘My children, do not let My Torah be for you like a person who has an adult daughter and he seeks to marry her to whomever he finds.’²²Treat the Torah as something of great value that you have to toil in order to acquire. Do not treat it as something which God is trying to give away to whoever will take it. What is “if you take my sayings”? ‘If you will have merit, you will receive My Torah, as the ministering angels desired it but I did not give it to them.’ From where is it derived? “The kings of hosts flee again and again” (Psalms 68:13).²³The midrash is assuming that the “kings” mentioned in the verse are the angels. And what does it say? “And the wives [unvat] at home divide the spoils” (Psalms 68:13) – they said before Him: ‘Master of the universe: The beauty [hanaya] that You have in the upper worlds, are You distributing it in the lower worlds?’ That is, “if you take my sayings” – if you will have merit. What is “and store my commandments with you”? Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: The Holy One blessed be He said to them: ‘If you store Torah and mitzvot for Me in this world, I will store a good reward for you in the World to Come,’ as it is stated: “How great is the goodness You have in store for those who fear You” (Psalms 31:20).
Another matter: “If you take my sayings” (Proverbs 2:1) – Rabbi Yehuda bar Shalom said: The Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: ‘When are you called My children? It is when you take My sayings.’ To what is the matter comparable? It is to a king whose son said to him: ‘Distinguish me within the province, that I am your son.’ His father said to him: ‘Do you seek that everyone should know that you are my son? Don my purple garment and place my crown on your head, and everyone will know that you are my son.’ So, the Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: ‘Do you seek to be distinguished that you are My children? Engage in Torah study and mitzvot, and everyone will see that you are My children.’ That is, when are you My children? It is when you take “My sayings.”
Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi] said: When Israel was in the wilderness, the pillar of cloud went before them, and the smoke of the arrangement²⁴The smoke from the fire on the altar. and the smoke of the incense would rise. Two sparks of fire would emerge from between the two staves of the Ark and would burn the serpents and the scorpions from before them. The nations of the world would see them and would say: ‘These are gods; all their functioning is only with fire.’ Moses said to them: ‘Know that all this goodness that the Holy One blessed be He performed on your behalf is due to the fact that you received His Torah at Sinai.’ That is, “Moses summoned all Israel, and he said to them…” – he said to them: ‘All the miracles that the Holy One blessed be He performed on your behalf, you witnessed with your eyes. In Egypt, He performed on your behalf, and your eyes were seeing.’ From where is it derived? It is as it is stated: “The great masot that your eyes saw, [the signs and the wonders]” (Deuteronomy 29:2). What are the “masot”? They are plagues, which dissolve [memisot] the bodies of Egyptians. What are “the signs”? The Rabbis say that they [the plagues] left an impression on their bodies, [i.e.,] blood, frogs, and lice. What are “the wonders [vehamofetim]”? It is that the plagues would entice [mefatot] them.²⁵To harden their hearts. How so? The plague would come after thirty days, would last one week, and pass. They would have twenty-three days of relief between the one plague and the next, and they would not change their minds. That is, that they would entice them.

(Lev. 23:40:) “And you shall take for yourselves on the first day [beautiful tree fruit, branches of palm trees, boughs of dense trees and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days].” This text is related (to Prov. 4:10), “Heed, my child, and take in (rt.: lqh) my words,” and (in Prov. 2:1), “treasure my commandments.” I have charged you with many takings (rt.: lqh) in order to benefit you.⁸¹Lev. R. 30:13. I told you (in Numb. 19:2), “’And let them bring (rt.: lqh) you a red cow.’ Was it possibly for My sake? No. I only did it in order to cleanse you. Is it not so written (in vs. 19), ‘And the clean person shall sprinkle it [upon the unclean person]?’ I told you (in Exod. 25:2), ‘And let them take (rt.: lqh) for Me a priestly share,’ so that I might dwell among you.” It is so stated (in vs. 8), “And let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them.’” He, as it were, spoke a difficult thing to them, “Take Me that I may dwell among you.” “And take a priestly share” is not written here, but “And let them take (for)⁸²Since “for Me” can sometimes be understood as a direct object, the midrash is understanding the verse to mean: LET THEM TAKE ME AS A PRIESTLY SHARE. Me a priestly share.” [It is] I, [whom] you are taking.” “I said to you (in Exod. 27:20), ‘And let them bring unto you pure olive oil.’ Do I need your light? It is simply to preserve your souls, since the soul is likened to a lamp, where it is stated (in Prov. 20:27), ‘A person's soul is a lamp of the Lord.’ And now when it says (in Lev. 23:40), ‘And you shall take for yourselves on the first day,’ it is not because it is necessary for Me, but in order to benefit you.” (Lev. 23:40:) “A beautiful tree fruit, branches of palm trees, boughs of dense trees and willows of the brook.” What is the nature of these four species?⁸³Lev. R. 30:12. Some of them produce fruit and some of them do not produce fruit. “A beautiful tree fruit, the branches of the palm trees.” These are the righteous, [because they have good works, which are like these plants that have fruit]. “Boughs of dense trees and willows of the brook.” These are the average Israelites. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “All of you join together to become a single group, so that there not be leftovers among my children. If you have done so, I will be exalted upon you.” And so the prophet says (in Amos 9:6), “Who builds His upper chambers in the heavens and founds His celestial vault upon earth.” Now when is He exalted? When they become a single group (agudah), as stated (ibid., cont.), “and founds His celestial vault (agudah) upon earth.”