מדרש אויף איוב 28:21

When Rabbi Simon bar Zavdi died, Rabbi Ila entered and eulogized him. “But wisdom, where will it be found, and where is the place of understanding?” (Job 28:12). “The deep says: It is not in me; and the sea says: It is not with me” (Job 28:14). “It is vanished from the eyes of all living and hidden from the birds of the heavens” (Job 28:21). There are four elements that are crucial for the function of the world, but if they are lost they have replacements. These are: “For there is a source of silver and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the dust, and copper is smelted from rock” (Job 28:1–2). A Torah scholar, if he dies, who will bring us his replacement? We, who lost Rabbi Simon, where will we find someone like him? Rabbi Levi said: The tribes found a lost item, and it is written: “Their hearts sank and they trembled” (Genesis 42:28).⁴The sons of Jacob were fearful when they found that the money of one of them had been returned to his sack, despite the fact that, generally speaking, finding money is cause for celebration. We, who lost Rabbi Simon bar Zavdi, from where will we find his replacement? That is, “but wisdom, where will it be found?”

“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.”

“Rather the matter is very near to you” – Rabbi Shmuel bar Rav Naḥman said: To what is the matter comparable? It is to the daughter of a king whom no person knew. The king had a certain friend who would enter to the king all the time, and the king’s daughter was standing before him. The king said to him: ‘See how beloved you are to me, as there is no creature who knows my daughter, and she stands before you.’ So, the Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: ‘See how beloved you are to me, as there is no creature in my palace who knows the Torah, and I gave it to you,’ as it is stated: “It is vanished from the eyes of all living” (Job 28:21) . But you, “it is not hidden from you,” (Deuteronomy 30:11), but rather, “the matter is very near to you” (Deuteronomy 30:14). The Holy One blessed be He said to them: ‘My children, if the matters of Torah are near to you, I call you near as well, as so it is written: “For the children of Israel, the people who are near to Him. Halleluya”’ (Psalms 148:14).