R. Jose and R. Isaac once were walking together when R. Jose remarked: ‘The Holy One, blessed be He, indeed chose Bezalel from all Israel for the work of the Tabernacle. Why so?’ R. Isaac replied: ‘There is something in a name. It has been laid down that God has appointed certain names here on earth to be a crown to men and to enable them to achieve certain things.’
R. Jose thereupon said: ‘A more recondite explanation is as follows. Judah was of the “left side”, but then attached himself to the “right side”, and so the Tabernacle was begun from the “left side” and then was joined to the “right side”, so that the whole was transformed into the “right”. Reuben, on the other hand, began on the “right” but turned aside to the “left”, and the other tribes of his company marched together with him, they also belonging to the “left”.
Hence Bezalel, who was of the tribe of Judah, and thus of the “right side”, made the Tabernacle and completed it. As already said, the Holy One, blessed be He, took delight in him and chose him above all the rest for this work,
and gave him wisdom and understanding and knowledge, inasmuch as he already was possessed of all wisdom of heart, as it is written: “and in the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have put wisdom” (Ex. 31, 6). For the Holy One, blessed be He, does not grant wisdom save to him that already has wisdom.’ R. Simeon said: ‘The name Bezalel was emblematic, and he was called so in virtue of his wisdom; esoterically the name is composed of b’zel-El (in the Shadow of God).
In the verse, “As an apple tree among the trees of the wood… under its shadow I delighted to sit” (S.S. 2, 3), the words, “under its shadow” (b’zilo), are an allusion to Bezalel, who made the Tabernacle, which is a delightful place wherein to sit, for it gives delight to the Community of Israel, and the Community of Israel sits under the shadow of God.
Hence, “And Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur”, “the son of Uri” denoting one of the right, and “the son of Hur” one of the left. And so, through him, full atonement was made for the sin of the Golden Calf.
ALL THE GOLD THAT WAS MADE: that is to say, that was destined for the purpose long before. FOR THE WORK IN ALL THE HOLY WORK; indicating that gold had to be used in the working out of each separate grade, for the reason that completeness can only be reached through the working together of Severity and Mercy. Hence gold had to go into all the work connected with the Sanctuary.
R. Abba, R. Jose, and R. Hizkiah were once sitting together studying the Torah. Said R. Hizkiah to R. Abba: ‘Since we see that the Holy One, blessed be He, finds delight in dealing out stern judgement, tempering mercy therewith, why, then, does He withhold it from sinners?’ R. Abba answered: ‘Many mountains have been uprooted1Cf the Talmudic phrase, “uprooter of mountains”=ingenious dialectician. on this question. But the Sacred Lamp (R. Simeon) has revealed a number of truths in regard to this matter.
Observe that the severity of judgement in which the Holy One, blessed be He, delights, is of the judgement fully clarified, the judgement that evokes clemency and gladness. But the sinners in this world are the embodiment of a judgement steeped in defilement, a judgement altogether displeasing to the Holy One, blessed be He. Hence He desires not to mingle holy judgement with defiled judgement until such time as the latter will be exterminated of itself and the sinner thus will be destroyed from the future world; by that very defiled judgement will he be destroyed from the world.’
רִבִּי יוֹסֵי וְרִבִּי יִצְחָק הֲווֹ אַזְלֵי בְּאָרְחָא, אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, וַדַּאי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִתְרְעֵי בֵּיהּ בִּבְצַלְאֵל לַעֲבִידַת מַשְׁכְּנָא, יַתִּיר מִכָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֲמַאי. אָמַר לֵיהּ, שְׁמָא גָּרִים, וְהָא אוֹקְמוּהָ, דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא שַׁוֵּי שְׁמָהָן בְּאַרְעָא, לְאִתְעַטְּרָא (ס"א לאתערא) בְּהוּ, וּלְמֶעְבַּד בְּהוּ עֲבִידְתָּא בְּעָלְמָא, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (תהילים מ״ו:ט׳) אֲשֶׁר שָׂם שַׁמּוֹת בָּאָרֶץ.
R. Jose and R. Isaac once were walking together when R. Jose remarked: ‘The Holy One, blessed be He, indeed chose Bezalel from all Israel for the work of the Tabernacle. Why so?’ R. Isaac replied: ‘There is something in a name. It has been laid down that God has appointed certain names here on earth to be a crown to men and to enable them to achieve certain things.’
אָמַר לֵיהּ, רָזָא אִיהוּ הָכָא, יְהוּדָה מִסְּטָר שְׂמָאלָא הֲוָה, וְאַהְדָּר וְאִתְדַּבָּק בִּימִינָא. וְעַל דָּא, בְּסִטְרָא דָּא אִתְעָבִיד מַשְׁכְּנָא, שָׁארֵי מִסְּטָר שְׂמָאלָא, וְאִתְדַּבָּק בִּסְטָר יְמִינָא, וּלְבָתַר אִתְכְּלִיל דָּא בְּדָא, וְאִתְעַבִיד כֹּלָּא יְמִינָא. כְּגַוְונָא דָּא אוֹרַיְיתָא, שָׁארֵי מִשְּׂמָאלָא, וְאִתְדַּבָּק בִּימִינָא, וְאִתְכְּלִיל דָּא בְּדָא, וְאִתְעָבִיד כֹּלָּא יְמִינָא. רְאוּבֵן שָׁרָא מִימִינָא, וְסָטָא לִשְׂמָאלָא, וְנַטְלוּ עִמֵּיהּ אִינּוּן שְׁאַר שְׁבָטִין, דְּאִינּוּן שְׂמָאלָא, בְּגִין דְּשָׁארִי מִימִינָא וְסָטָא לִשְׂמָאלָא.
R. Jose thereupon said: ‘A more recondite explanation is as follows. Judah was of the “left side”, but then attached himself to the “right side”, and so the Tabernacle was begun from the “left side” and then was joined to the “right side”, so that the whole was transformed into the “right”. Reuben, on the other hand, began on the “right” but turned aside to the “left”, and the other tribes of his company marched together with him, they also belonging to the “left”.
יְהוּדָה שָׁרָא מִשְּׂמָאלָא, וְסָטָא לִימִינָא, שָׁרָא מִשְּׂמָאלָא, בְּגִין דְּאָתֵי מִסְּטָר שְׂמָאלָא, וְאִתְדַּבָּק בִּימִינָא, וּמַשְׁכְּנָא בְּסִטְרָא דָּא אִתְעָבִיד. שָׁארֵי מִסְטַר שְׂמָאלָא, וְאִתְדַּבָּק בִּסְטָר יְמִינָא, וְעַל דָּא, בְּצַלְאֵל אִיהוּ דְּאָתֵי מִסִּטְרֵיהּ, עָבֵד מַשְׁכְּנָא וְאִתְתָּקַּן לְגַבֵּיהּ. וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ, דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִתְרְעֵי בֵּיהּ, וּבָרִיר לֵיהּ מִכֹּלָּא לַעֲבִידְתָּא דָּא.
Hence Bezalel, who was of the tribe of Judah, and thus of the “right side”, made the Tabernacle and completed it. As already said, the Holy One, blessed be He, took delight in him and chose him above all the rest for this work,
וְיָהַב לֵיהּ חָכְמָה וּתְבוּנָה וָדַעַת, כְּמָה דְּאוּקְמוּהָ. בְּגִין דְּעִמֵּיהּ הֲוָה בְּקַדְמִיתָא סָכְלְתָנוּ דְּלִבָּא, דִּכְתִּיב וּבְלֵב כָּל חֲכַם לֵב נָתַתִּי חָכְמָה. בְּגִין דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָא יָהִיב חָכְמְתָא, אֶלָּא לְמַאן דְּאִית בֵּיהּ חָכְמְתָא, וְאוּקְמוּהָ חַבְרַיָּיא וְאִתְּמַר. וְכֵן כְּגַוְונָא דָּא בְּצַלְאֵל. רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אָמַר, בְּצַלְאֵל שְׁמֵיהּ גָּרִים לֵיהּ, וְעַל חָכְמָתֵיהּ אִקְרֵי הָכִי, וְרָזָא דְּמִלָּה בְּצַלְאֵל, בְּצֵל אֵל.
and gave him wisdom and understanding and knowledge, inasmuch as he already was possessed of all wisdom of heart, as it is written: “and in the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have put wisdom” (Ex. 31, 6). For the Holy One, blessed be He, does not grant wisdom save to him that already has wisdom.’ R. Simeon said: ‘The name Bezalel was emblematic, and he was called so in virtue of his wisdom; esoterically the name is composed of b’zel-El (in the Shadow of God).
פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (שיר השירים ב׳:ג׳) כְּתַפּוּחַ בַּעֲצֵי הַיַּעַר כֵּן דּוֹדִי וְגוֹ'. בְּצִלּוֹ: הַיְינוּ בְּצַלְאֵל, דְּאִיהוּ אַתְקִין מַשְׁכְּנָא, וְעָבִיד לֵיהּ. דִּכְתִּיב חִמַּדְתִּי וְיָשַׁבְתִּי. דְּמַשְׁכְּנָא חֲמִידָא אִיהוּ לְמֵיתַב בֵּיהּ, דְּאִיהוּ עָבִיד חִמּוּדָא לִכְנְסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, וּכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל יָתְבָא בְּצִלָּא דְּאֵל. וְדָא אִיהוּ בְּצַלְאֵל.
In the verse, “As an apple tree among the trees of the wood… under its shadow I delighted to sit” (S.S. 2, 3), the words, “under its shadow” (b’zilo), are an allusion to Bezalel, who made the Tabernacle, which is a delightful place wherein to sit, for it gives delight to the Community of Israel, and the Community of Israel sits under the shadow of God.
וּפִרְיוֹ מָתוֹק לְחִכִּי, דְּדָא (רי"ד ע"ב) אִיהוּ דְּעָבִיד פֵּירִין טָבִין בְּעָלְמָא, דִּכְתִּיב, (הושע י״ד:ט׳) מִמֶּנִּי פֶּרְיְךָ נִמְצָא. מַאן הוּא פְּרִי. אִלֵּין אִינּוּן נִשְׁמָתְהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָּיא, דְּאִינּוּן אִיבָּא דְּעוֹבָדוֹי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. דְּהַהוּא נָהָר דְּנָפִיק מֵעֵדֶן, אִיהוּ אַפִּיק וְזָרִיק נִשְׁמָתִין לְעָלְמָא, וְאִינּוּן פֵּירִין דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וּבְּגִין כָּךְ פִּרְיוֹ. דָּא אִיהוּ כִּדְקָאָמְרָן.
בְּצִלּוֹ: דָּא הוּא בְּצַלְאֵל. וְעַל דָּא תִּקּוּנָא דְּמַשְׁכְּנָא עַל יְדָא דִּבְצַלְאֵל הֲוָה. וּבְּגִין כָּךְ וּבְצַלְאֵל בֶּן אוּרִי בֶּן חוּר. בֶּן אוּרִי, דָּא נְהוֹרָא דְּשִׁמְשָׁא דְּנָפִיק. בֶּן אוּרִי, דָּא יְמִינָא. בֶּן חוּר, דָּא אִיהוּ שְׂמָאלָא. בֶּן אוּרִי בֶּן חוּר, (ס"א בן חור בן חורי) וְעַל דָּא אִשְׁתְּלִים בֵּיהּ דִּינָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּעוֹבָדָא דְּעֶגְלָא.
Hence, “And Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur”, “the son of Uri” denoting one of the right, and “the son of Hur” one of the left. And so, through him, full atonement was made for the sin of the Golden Calf.
(שמות ל״ח:כ״ד) כָּל הַזָּהָב הֶעָשׂוּי. מֵהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא דְּיָהֲבוּ לֵיהּ יִשְׂרָאֵל, הֲוָה עָשׂוּי וְאִתְתָּקַּן מִקַּדְמַת דְּנָא, בְּכֹל מְלֶאכֶת הַקֹּדֶשׁ, כָּל הַהוּא דַּהֲבָא, אִתְעָבִיד וְאִתְתָּקַּן בְּכֹל מְלֶאכֶת הַקֹּדֶשׁ. מַאי טַעֲמָא. בְּגִין דִּבְכָל דַּרְגָּא וְדַרְגָּא, הֲוָה אִתְתָּקַּן בֵּיהּ דַּהֲבָא. דְּלֵית שְׁלִימוּ אֶלָּא רַחֲמֵי וְדִינָא, וְעַל דָּא דַּהֲבָא הֲוָה אָזִיל בְּכָל מְלֶאכֶת הַקֹּדֶשׁ, בְּכָל הַהִיא עֲבִידְתָּא דְּאִקְרֵי קֹדֶשׁ, הֲוָה אָזִיל בָּה דַּהֲבָא, דַּהֲבָא בְּכֹלָּא.
ALL THE GOLD THAT WAS MADE: that is to say, that was destined for the purpose long before. FOR THE WORK IN ALL THE HOLY WORK; indicating that gold had to be used in the working out of each separate grade, for the reason that completeness can only be reached through the working together of Severity and Mercy. Hence gold had to go into all the work connected with the Sanctuary.
רִבִּי אַבָּא רִבִּי יוֹסֵי וְרִבִּי חִזְקִיָּה הֲווֹ יַתְבִין וְלָעָאן בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, אָמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי חִזְקִיָּה לְרִבִּי אַבָּא, הָא חֲמֵינָן דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִתְרְעֵי בְּדִינָא בְּכֹלָּא, לְאִתְעָרְבָא דָּא בְּדָא, וְאִיהוּ אָרִיךְ דִּינָא בְּחַיָּיבֵי עָלְמָא, אִי אִיהוּ אִתְעְרֵי בְּדִינָא, אֲמַאי סָלִיק לֵיהּ מֵחַיָּיבַיָּא. אָמַר לֵיהּ, כַּמָה טוּרִין אִתְעַקְּרוּ בְּמִלָּה דָּא, אֲבָל כַּמָה מִלִּין גַּלֵּי בּוּצִינָא קַדִּישָׁא בְּהַאי.
R. Abba, R. Jose, and R. Hizkiah were once sitting together studying the Torah. Said R. Hizkiah to R. Abba: ‘Since we see that the Holy One, blessed be He, finds delight in dealing out stern judgement, tempering mercy therewith, why, then, does He withhold it from sinners?’ R. Abba answered: ‘Many mountains have been uprooted1Cf the Talmudic phrase, “uprooter of mountains”=ingenious dialectician. on this question. But the Sacred Lamp (R. Simeon) has revealed a number of truths in regard to this matter.
וְתָּא חֲזֵי, דִּינָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִתְרְעֵי בֵּיהּ, אִיהוּ דִּינָא בָּרִיר, אִיהוּ דִּינָא (נח ס"ד ע"א) דְּאִתְּעַר רְחִימוּ וְחֶדְוָה. אֲבָל חַיָּיבַיָּא כַּד אִינּוּן בְּעָלְמָא, כֻּלְּהוּ דִּינָא דְּזוּהֲמָא. כֻּלְּהוּ דִּינָא דְּלָא אִתְרְעֵי בֵּיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כְּלָל. וְעַל דָּא, לָא בָּעֵי לְאִתְעָרְבָא דִּינָא קַדִּישָׁא בְּדִינָא מִסְאֲבָא דְּזוּהֲמָא, עַד דְּאִיהוּ אִשְׁתְּצֵי מִגַּרְמֵיהּ, וּלְאוֹבָדָא לֵיהּ מִן עָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי, וְהַהוּא דִּינָא דְּזוּהֲמָא דְּבֵיהּ אִיהוּ אוֹבִיד לֵיהּ מֵעָלְמָא.
Observe that the severity of judgement in which the Holy One, blessed be He, delights, is of the judgement fully clarified, the judgement that evokes clemency and gladness. But the sinners in this world are the embodiment of a judgement steeped in defilement, a judgement altogether displeasing to the Holy One, blessed be He. Hence He desires not to mingle holy judgement with defiled judgement until such time as the latter will be exterminated of itself and the sinner thus will be destroyed from the future world; by that very defiled judgement will he be destroyed from the world.’