Midrash Tanchuma on the Study of the Temple Architecture

"When Yechezkiel saw the vision of the future Temple, he exclaimed to God, 'You tell me to go and tell Israel the form of the House? Leave them until they go back to the Land and then I will tell them.' God answered, 'Is it right that because My children are in exile that the building of My Temple should be ignored?' Then God said, 'The study of the Temple architecture in the Torah is considered as being of equal importance to its construction. Go, tell them to study the Temple architecture and as a reward I will consider their study as equivalent to actually constructing the Beit haMikdash.'"

-- Midrash Tanchuma, Tzav 14

Midrash Mishlei on Studying Talmud

"A person who studied Talmud came before the divine judgment. The Holy One, blessed be He, says to him: 'My son, since you have occupied yourself in Talmud, have you also gazed upon the Merkavah? Have you looked upon My Throne of Glory? Have you beheld my Shi'ur Qomah? What is the measurement of My palm? What is the measurement of the toes of my feet?'"

-- Midrash Mishlei

The implication is that the study of the Talmud is a prerequisite for beholding the deeper mysteries of God. At the same time, it also says that discursive skill in Talmudic dialectics is not sufficient to penetrate to the deepest mysteries. Thus the passage simultaneously endorses and dissuades the student of Talmudic learning.