Torah as the intimate gift from Hashem's mouth

ואיתא במד' על פסוק ה' יתן חכמה מפיו דעת ותבונה משל למלך המחלק מנות וכשבא בנו נותן לו מחלק שבפיו כו' ע"ש.

And it is brought in the Midrash on the pasuk "Hashem grants wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding" (Mishlei 2:6): a parable of a king who distributes portions, and when his own son comes, he gives him from the portion that is in his own mouth, see there.

The Midrash pictures a king who feeds the masses from the common store but feeds his beloved son from the very food in his own mouth — the most intimate giving, reserved for the son.

וכל זה מתקיים בימים אלו כי חכמה הוא חיות הכל כמ"ש כולם בחכמה עשית.

And all this is fulfilled in these days, for chochmah is the life-force of everything, as it is written, "You made them all with wisdom" (Tehillim 104:24).

Chochmah is the inner vitality of all creation; the giving of wisdom in this season is the giving of life itself to every creature.

וה' יתן חכמה הוא בר"ה ויוכ"פ שהקב"ה נותן חיים לכל ברי'.

"Hashem grants wisdom" — this is on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, when Hashem gives life to every creature.

The first phrase corresponds to the Days of Awe, when Hashem apportions life — the underlying chochmah — to all of creation.

מפיו דעת הוא בסוכות.

"From His mouth, knowledge" — this is on Sukkos.

The next gift, da'as, corresponds to Sukkos — a closer, more intimate bestowal that follows the granting of life.

ותבונה הוא בשמ"ע שהוא התישבת הדעת בהמקבל שזה ההפרש בין דעת לתבונה.

"And understanding" — this is on Shemini Atzeres, which is the settling of the knowledge within the receiver; for this is the difference between da'as and tevunah.

Tevunah is da'as fully absorbed and settled within a person. Shemini Atzeres is when the knowledge given on Sukkos takes firm root inside the one who receives it.

וי"ל עוד מפיו רומז על יוכ"פ שבנ"י מתענין ופיהם בקדושה רק בתפלה כל היום.

And one may further explain that "from His mouth" alludes to Yom Kippur, when Bnei Yisrael fast and their mouths are in holiness, engaged only in tefillah all day.

On Yom Kippur the mouth is sanctified — it neither eats nor drinks and speaks only words of prayer — making it a fitting "mouth" through which the higher gift flows.

וזה ההפרש בחג ושמ"ע שמיוחד לבנ"י ממה שבתוך פיו כנ"ל.

And this is the difference between the festival and Shemini Atzeres, which is singled out for Bnei Yisrael — from that which is within His mouth, as above.

Like the king's son who receives from the food in the king's own mouth, Shemini Atzeres gives Bnei Yisrael the innermost, intimate portion reserved for the son alone.

והיא התורה.

And it is the Torah.

That innermost portion "from His mouth" is the Torah itself — Hashem's own wisdom shared most intimately with His children.

לכן בנ"י שמחין בשמחת התורה יותר מכל השפעות חיים ומזוני כנ"ל:

Therefore Bnei Yisrael rejoice on Simchas Torah more than in all the bestowals of life and sustenance, as above.

Because the Torah is the intimate gift given "from His mouth" to the son, the joy of Simchas Torah surpasses all gifts of mere life and parnassah — it is the joy of closeness itself.

Summary: The Midrash's king gives the masses common portions but feeds his son from his own mouth. So Hashem grants chochmah (life) on the Yamim Nora'im, da'as on Sukkos, and tevunah — knowledge settled within — on Shemini Atzeres. This innermost gift "from His mouth" is the Torah, given to Bnei Yisrael as a son; therefore the joy of Simchas Torah exceeds all bestowals of life and sustenance.