"Midrash and the Legal Process" by Joel Roth in Etz Hayim, pp. 1470 - 1471
Normative Jewish tradition is a legal tradition, the foundation of which is the Torah. The goal of the tradition is to make clear in detail the commands of God's revealed will. In the earliest eras, God's will was revealed either directly through the biblical prophets, starting with Moses, or indirectly through other media of revelation in the Temple in Jerusalem, like the Urim and Thummim (Exod. 28:30; Num. 27:21; 1 Sam. 14:37-41, 28:6). However, "Ever since the Temple was destroyed, God's place in the world has been restricted to the four cubits of the law" (BT Ber. 8a). The entire legal system (halakhah) is based on the conviction that through it God's will becomes known. If that legal system is to remain viable, the Torah must be able to serve as the ultimate source for the resolution of legal questions, even in times far removed from the period of the Torah's composition. In other words, the Torah must be eternally relevant if the halakhic system is to remain vibrant.
The key to understanding the evolution of the legal system, as G. D. Cohen once noted, is midrash. Midrash is the method and process by which the words of the Torah are interpreted, explained, analyzed, and understood. Through the process midrash, the Torah has remained a living document, eternally relevant and able to serve as the basis of an ever-evolving Jewish law ...
Behavior norms at the beginning of the Rabbinic era (through the early 3rd century C.E.) were transmitted in either mishnah form or in the form of legal midrash (midrash halakhah). In mishnah style, norms are presented almost always without their source or basis in the Bible and without the argumentation that led to the conclusion. In midrash style, the norms are linked directly to the biblical verses that serve as their basis, and usually the argumentation is also presented. Many legal conclusions are identical in the works of both styles. They are not the result of conflicting processes that must lead to different conclusions; more accurately, they are different manners of transcription and transmission. Obviously, midrash style highlights the fact that the Torah is at the core of legal decisions. On the other hand, mishnah style (severing the laws from their scriptural basis) allows for organizing the material more systematically, making it easier to follow.
for they have violated Your teaching.
Do not read “and your majesty [vahadarkha],” rather, by changing some of the vocalization and the letters, read it as and He will sharpen you [veḥidedkha], and ultimately you will be successful.
Moreover, they who act in that manner will rise to prominence, as it is written: “Prosper, ride on.”
I might have thought even if one engages in the study of Torah not for its own sake; therefore, the verse states: “On behalf of truth.”
I might have thought that one would be rewarded with prosperity even if he became arrogant; therefore, the verse states: “Meekness and righteousness.”
And if they do so in the proper manner they merit the Torah that was given with the right hand of the Holy One, Blessed be He, as it is written: “And let your right hand teach you tremendous things” (Psalms 45:5).