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Tehillim 119:34
הֲבִינֵנִי וְאֶצְּרָה תוֹרָתֶךָ וְאֶשְׁמְרֶנָּה בְכָל-לֵב
havineni ve'etzra toratecha ve'eshmerena vechol-lev
Grant me understanding, that I may keep Your Torah and observe it with all my heart.

As it is not possible for one who lacks Torah learning to be devout, David Hamelech entreats, "Grant me understanding, that I may keep Your Torah... with all my heart." Only when I know how to keep the Torah, will my observance be wholehearted.

A subtle interpreation says, At the outset, "teach me, O Hashem, the way of Your statutes; and I will observe it" for what comes "in the end," namely, for the good reward (119:33). In so doing I will reach the condition that You "grant me understanding," and so "keep Your Torah and observe it with all my heart."

David Hamelech asked, "Grant ... that I may keep Your Torah" - retain what I study - in "my heart." Thus Chazal teach: To retain one's learning requires the help of Heaven.

David Hamelech promises that if one merits to acquire "understanding" of "Your Torah," he will "observe it with all" his "heart." Otherwise, "you set your eyes upon it, and it is already gone" (Mishlei 23:5).

Indeed, as Chazal teach: If you abandon it for a day, it will abandon you for two days.

- Me'am Lo'ez