Midrash sa Mga Awit 55:19: Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition), Aggadat Bereshit, Devarim Rabbah & Bamidbar Rabbah

R. Isaac said to R. Nachman: "Why did not the master come to the synagogue to pray?" "Because I was not feeling well," answered R. Nachman. "The master should have gathered ten in his house and then prayed," said R. Isaac. "It was too hard a task for me," said R. Nachman. "If so," remarked R. Isaac, "then why did not the master direct the Sexton to inform him when the public pray? [so that he might pray at that time?]" "Why are you so particular about it?" asked R. Nachman, "Because," said R. Isaac, "R. Jochanan in the name of R. Simon b. Jochai said: (Fol. 8a) 'What is meant by the passage (Ps. 69, 14.) But as for me, I direct my prayer unto Thee, O Lord, in a time of favor. When is it a time of favor? It is when the community at large prays.'" R. Jose, the son of Chanina said: "We infer it from this, (Isa. 49, 8.) Thus hath said the Lord, in the time of favor have I answered thee." R. Chanina said: "We derive it from this, (Job 36, 5.) Behold, God is mighty and despiseth no one, and it is written (Ps. 55, 19.) He delivered my soul in peace from the battle against me; for in multitudes are they (contending) with me." We have also a Baraitha to the same effect, R. Nathan said: "Whence do we know that the Holy One, praised be He! despiseth not the prayers of a community? It is written (Job 36, 5.) Behold God, many He doth not despise, and it is written (Ps. 55, 19.) He delivereth my soul in peace from the battle against me; for in multitudes, etc., i.e., the Holy One, praised be He! says: 'When any one occupies himself with the study of the Torah and the practice of loving kindness I consider as if he delivered me and my children from the nations.' "

Chapter 3: Writings [1] For an educated conductor, a song of David, when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul, saying, “David has come to the house of Ahimelech.” (Psalm 52:1-2) This is what the scripture said: "You will be sheltered from the scourging and burning tongue." (Job 5:21). The language of evil is harder to retract than a sword or a knife, for how can one who has a sword in his hand and wants to kill his fellow man and then regrets it, retract his hand and not kill him? But one who seeks to kill his fellow man with an arrow cannot retract it once it has left his hand. And one who speaks evil about his fellow man, even if he wants to retract it, cannot do so. Why? Just as the arrow is likened to the language of evil, as it says, "Their tongue is a sharpened arrow, deceitful speech in their mouth, etc." (Jeremiah 9:7), so too, King Solomon says, "All of man’s earning is for the sake of his mouth, etc." (Ecclesiastes 6:7), even if he dies, there is no atonement for him. Come and learn from Doeg, who even though he died, our sages said he has no share in the world to come, as it says, "But the soul that sins, it shall die" (Ezekiel 18:20). Therefore, Job said, "The language of concealment is in my mouth." Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said it refers to Jacob, and Rabbi Samuel bar Nachmani said it refers to David. "You will redeem my soul in peace from the battle that is upon me" (Psalm 55:19). When he fled and came to Ahimelech and was hungry, and he ate the holy bread, as it says, "And the priest gave him the holy bread, etc." (1 Samuel 21:7). "and in war by the hand of the sword." (Job 5:20). When he went down to Goliath and killed him, as it says, "And David said to the Philistine, 'You come to me with a sword, etc.'" (1 Samuel 17:45). "In a smooth tongue you will hide, when Doeg came and spoke evil about him, as it is said about Doeg the Edomite, 'and he told'." (Psalm 52:2) "You shall laugh at destruction and famine" (Job 5:22). i will take care of Ahithophel, "And have no fear of wild beasts." (Job 5:22). Saul of Benjamin is compared to a predator, as it is said, 'Benjamin is a ravenous wolf' (Genesis 49:27)."

Another matter, what is written prior to this passage? “For if you will observe [this entire commandment]” (Deuteronomy 11:22). What is “this entire commandment”? Rabbi Levi said: This is the recitation of Shema. The Rabbis say: This is Shabbat, which is equivalent to all the mitzvot in the Torah.
Another matter, “for if you will observe [this entire commandment]” – bar Kappara said: The soul and the Torah were likened to a lamp. The soul, as it is written: “The soul of man is the lamp of the Lord” (Proverbs 20:27). And the Torah, as it is written: “For a mitzva is a lamp, the Torah is light” (Proverbs 6:23). The Holy One blessed be He said to man: ‘My lamp is in your hand and your lamp is in My hand. My lamp is in your hand – this is the Torah. Your lamp is in My hand – this is the soul. If you observe My lamp, I protect your lamp. If you extinguish My lamp, I extinguish your lamp.’ From where is this derived? As it is written: “Only beware, and protect yourself greatly, [lest you forget the matters that your eyes saw]” (Deuteronomy 4:9). That is, “for if you will observe.”³The verse states “if you will observe [shamor tishmerun],” with a double usage of the Hebrew term for “observe.” The midrash reads the verse as though it says “if you will observe [tishmor], you will be guarded [tishamerun]” (Matnot Kehuna).
Another matter, Rabbi Shimon said: To what is the matter comparable? To two people; one of them had a vineyard in the Galilee, and one….⁴A fuller version of this analogy appears in other midrashic texts. One man lived in Judah and had a vineyard in Galilee, and one lived in Galilee and had a vineyard in Judah. One day they met, and one said to the other: ‘Guard mine and I will guard yours. If you ruin mine, I will ruin yours’ (Yalkut Shimoni, Tehillim 671). So the Holy One blessed be He said to man: ‘My Torah is in your hand and your soul is in My hand – if you observe mine, I protect yours. If you ruin mine, I will ruin yours.’ That is, “for if you will observe.”
Another matter, Rabbi Yehuda bar Sima said: If you observed two hundred and forty-eight…until “will be broken.”⁵The reference here is possibly to a statement in a different midrash (Tanḥuma, Buber ed., Kedoshim 6): “Be careful about reciting Shema, for it has two hundred and forty-eight words, corresponding to the limbs of a man…the Holy One Blessed be He said: ‘If you observe mine, reciting it properly, I will guard yours.’”
Another matter, what is “for if you will observe”? The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘If you observe the words of the Torah, I will protect you from the demons.’ Rabbi Abba bar Ze’ira said: There is no beit rova⁶This is a small space, defined as the area required for sowing one-quarter of a kav of seed. According to Rav Avraham Ḥayyim Naeh, it amounts to 24 square meters. of space in the world in which there are not thousands of demons. Each one has a mask on its face so it will not look at a person and harm him. But when a person’s iniquities warrant it, it removes the mask from its face, and it looks at him and harms him. From where is this derived? As it is stated: “He redeemed me unharmed from the battle against me” (Psalms 55:19). When? [When He protects me, as in the verse:] “For there were many with me” (Psalms 55:19). Who are they? They are the angels that protect a person. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: An image goes before a person,⁷Human beings are created in the image of God (see Genesis 1:27). The meaning here is that man’s divine image is noticeable to the demons as the man approaches. and the heralds proclaim before him. What do they say? ‘Make room for the image of the Holy One blessed be He.’ See how many guards are protecting you. When [is this so]? When you observe the words of the Torah. I have placed two paths before you – blessing and curse; blessing, if you heed My words, curse, if you do not heed My words.