כִּי־בִ֭י יִרְבּ֣וּ יָמֶ֑יךָ וְיוֹסִ֥יפוּ לְּ֝ךָ֗ שְׁנ֣וֹת חַיִּֽים׃
Ибо благодаря мне дни твои умножатся, и годы жизни твоей будут увеличены.
Shir HaShirim Rabbah
“Draw me; we will run after you . The king has brought me to his chambers; let us exult and rejoice in you. We will recount your love through wine; sincerely do they love you” (Song of Songs 1:4).
“Draw me; we will run after you.” Rabbi Meir said: When the Israelites stood before Mount Sinai to receive the Torah, the Holy One blessed be He said to them: ‘Am I giving you the Torah without assurance? Rather, bring Me good guarantors that you will observe it, and I will give it to you.’156The midrash is expounding on the term “draw me [moshkheni],” which is related to the term collateral [mashkon], or “take collateral from me [mashkeni].” They said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, our ancestors will be guarantors for us.’ He said to them: ‘Your ancestors need guarantors.’ To what is this matter analogous? It is to one who went to borrow from the king. [The king] said to him: ‘Bring me a guarantor and I will lend to you.’ He went and brought him a guarantor. [The king] said to him: ‘Your guarantor needs a guarantor.’ He went and brought him a second guarantor. [The king] said to him: ‘Your guarantor requires a guarantor.’ Once he brought him a third guarantor, he said: ‘Know that because of this, I am lending to you.’ So, too, when the Israelites stood to receive the Torah, He said to them: ‘Bring Me good guarantors that you will observe it, and I will give it to you.’ They said before him: ‘Master of the universe, our ancestors are guaranteeing for us.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to them: ‘I have [claims against] your ancestors. Abraham, I have [a claim] against him, as he said: “How will I know” (Genesis 15:8).157When God promised to give the Land to Abraham, Abaraham asked: “How will I know that I will inherit it?” instead of just trusting God’s promise. Isaac, I have [a claim] against him, as he loved Esau, and I hated him, as it is stated: “And Esau I hated” (Malachi 1:3); Jacob, who said: “My way is hidden from the Lord” (Isaiah 40:27). Rather, bring me effective guarantors and I will give it to you.’
They said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, our prophets will be guarantors for us.’ He said to them: ‘I have [claims] against them, as it is stated: “And the shepherds were disloyal to me [and the prophets prophesied to the Baal]” (Jeremiah 2:8). And it is written: “Like foxes among the ruins, so are your prophets, Israel” (Ezekiel 13:4). Rather, bring me effective guarantors and I will give it to you.’ They said: ‘Our children are guaranteeing for us.’ The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘They are certainly good guarantors, I will give it to you on their account.’ That is what is written: “From the mouths of infants and sucklings You founded strength” (Psalms 8:3), and strength means only Torah, as it is stated: “The Lord will give strength to His people (Psalms 29:11). When payment is demanded from the borrower, but he lacks resources to pay, who is apprehended? It is the guarantor. That is what is stated: “You forgot the Torah of your God; I, too, will forget your children” (Hosea 4:6). Rabbi Aḥa said: “I, too,” [means that] as it were, I, too, am subject to forgetfulness. Who will say at the [reading of the] Torah before Me: Bless the blessed Lord? Is it not the sucklings? That is, due to the laxity of the Torah in you, your children were apprehended, as it is stated: “I struck your children in vain” (Jeremiah 2:30). As it were, I, too, am subject to forgetfulness. Who will say before Me: Bless the blessed Lord? Therefore, a person must introduce his son to Torah and train him in study, so that he will prolong his days in the world, as it is stated: “For with me your days will increase” (Proverbs 9:11).
“Draw me; we will run after you.” Rabbi Meir said: When the Israelites stood before Mount Sinai to receive the Torah, the Holy One blessed be He said to them: ‘Am I giving you the Torah without assurance? Rather, bring Me good guarantors that you will observe it, and I will give it to you.’156The midrash is expounding on the term “draw me [moshkheni],” which is related to the term collateral [mashkon], or “take collateral from me [mashkeni].” They said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, our ancestors will be guarantors for us.’ He said to them: ‘Your ancestors need guarantors.’ To what is this matter analogous? It is to one who went to borrow from the king. [The king] said to him: ‘Bring me a guarantor and I will lend to you.’ He went and brought him a guarantor. [The king] said to him: ‘Your guarantor needs a guarantor.’ He went and brought him a second guarantor. [The king] said to him: ‘Your guarantor requires a guarantor.’ Once he brought him a third guarantor, he said: ‘Know that because of this, I am lending to you.’ So, too, when the Israelites stood to receive the Torah, He said to them: ‘Bring Me good guarantors that you will observe it, and I will give it to you.’ They said before him: ‘Master of the universe, our ancestors are guaranteeing for us.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to them: ‘I have [claims against] your ancestors. Abraham, I have [a claim] against him, as he said: “How will I know” (Genesis 15:8).157When God promised to give the Land to Abraham, Abaraham asked: “How will I know that I will inherit it?” instead of just trusting God’s promise. Isaac, I have [a claim] against him, as he loved Esau, and I hated him, as it is stated: “And Esau I hated” (Malachi 1:3); Jacob, who said: “My way is hidden from the Lord” (Isaiah 40:27). Rather, bring me effective guarantors and I will give it to you.’
They said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, our prophets will be guarantors for us.’ He said to them: ‘I have [claims] against them, as it is stated: “And the shepherds were disloyal to me [and the prophets prophesied to the Baal]” (Jeremiah 2:8). And it is written: “Like foxes among the ruins, so are your prophets, Israel” (Ezekiel 13:4). Rather, bring me effective guarantors and I will give it to you.’ They said: ‘Our children are guaranteeing for us.’ The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘They are certainly good guarantors, I will give it to you on their account.’ That is what is written: “From the mouths of infants and sucklings You founded strength” (Psalms 8:3), and strength means only Torah, as it is stated: “The Lord will give strength to His people (Psalms 29:11). When payment is demanded from the borrower, but he lacks resources to pay, who is apprehended? It is the guarantor. That is what is stated: “You forgot the Torah of your God; I, too, will forget your children” (Hosea 4:6). Rabbi Aḥa said: “I, too,” [means that] as it were, I, too, am subject to forgetfulness. Who will say at the [reading of the] Torah before Me: Bless the blessed Lord? Is it not the sucklings? That is, due to the laxity of the Torah in you, your children were apprehended, as it is stated: “I struck your children in vain” (Jeremiah 2:30). As it were, I, too, am subject to forgetfulness. Who will say before Me: Bless the blessed Lord? Therefore, a person must introduce his son to Torah and train him in study, so that he will prolong his days in the world, as it is stated: “For with me your days will increase” (Proverbs 9:11).
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.”
Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer
"And God blessed the seventh day, and hallowed it" (Gen. 2:3). The Holy One, blessed be He, blessed and hallowed the Sabbath day, and Israel is bound only to keep and to hallow the Sabbath day. Hence they said: Whosoever says the benediction and sanctification over the wine on the eves of Sabbath, his days will be increased in this world, and in the world to come, as it is said, "For by me thy days shall be multiplied" (Prov. 9:11) in this world; "and the years of thy life shall be increased" (ibid.) in the world to come.