Take again the act of David in fleeing from before Saul. That was the cause of all the priests of Nob being destroyed, with the sole exception of Abiathar, the son of Zadok, and this in turn was the cause of many evils that befell Israel. Through it Saul and his sons were killed, and many thousands and myriads fell in Israel. But all the time the punishment to be exacted for that sin was hanging over David, until all his descendants perished in one day, with the sole exception of Joash,1v. 2 Kings, xi, 1-2. . who was stolen away from among the slain. Yet was that sin against Nob still awaiting expiation, as indicated in the words: “There is still a day for a halt to be made at Nob” (Isa. 10, 32).
The same balancing of accounts is indicated in the words here, “All the gold ready-made (he’asui) for the work”. What signifies the attribute “ready-made”? It signifies that God foresaw that the Israelites would give up their gold for the making of the Golden Calf, and so made them first give up their gold for the erection of the Tabernacle so as to make good the offering of the other gold. For had the Israelites still possessed all their gold at the time they made the Golden Calf, they would hardly have had to “break off the golden rings which were in their ears” (Ex. 32, 3). The offering of the gold for the Tabernacle was thus an atonement for the other gold.1There is here a lacuna in the text.
Hence, “And Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah”, of the side of royalty, “made all that the Lord commanded Moses”. For all the craftsmanship of the Tabernacle was achieved through these two, Bezalel performing all the work, and Moses afterwards putting the finishing touch. Moses and Bezalel were both parts, as it were, of one whole, Moses being above and Bezalel underneath, since the end of the body is also part of the body.
תָּא חֲזֵי, דָּוִד אִיהוּ הֲוָה דְּעָרַק קָמֵיהּ דְּשָׁאוּל. וְעַל דָּא גָּרִים, דְּאִתְאֲבִידוּ כָּל אִינּוּן כַּהֲנֵי דְּנוֹב, וְלָא אִשְׁתְּאַר מְכֻּלְּהוּ בַּר אֶבְיָתָר בִּלְחוֹדוֹי דְּעָרַק. וְדָא גָּרִים כַּמָה בִּישִׁין בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, וּמִית שָׁאוּל וּבְנוֹי, וְנָפְלוּ מִיִשְׂרָאֵל כַּמָה אַלְפִין וְרִבְּבָן. וְעִם כָּל דָּא, הַהוּא חוֹבָה הֲוָה תָּלֵי עַל דָּוִד לִגְבוֹת מִנֵּיהּ, עַד דְּכָל בְּנוֹי דְּדָוִד אִתְאֲבִידוּ בְּיוֹמָא חַד, וְלָא אִשְׁתְּאַר מִנַּיְיהוּ אֶלָּא יוֹאָשׁ בִּלְחוֹדוֹי, דְּאִתְגְּנִיב. כְּגַוְונָא דְּלָא אִשְׁתְּאַר מֵאֲחִימֶלֶךְ בַּר אֶבְיָתָר בִּלְחוֹדוֹי. וְעַד כְּעַן הַהוּא חוֹבָא הֲוָה תָּלֵי, לְמֶעְבַּד דִּינָא עַל נוֹב, עַל הַהוּא חוֹבָה דְּנוֹב, דִּכְתִּיב, (ישעיהו י׳:ל״ב) עוֹד הַיּוֹם בְּנוֹב לַעֲמוֹד וְאוּקְמוּהָ.
Take again the act of David in fleeing from before Saul. That was the cause of all the priests of Nob being destroyed, with the sole exception of Abiathar, the son of Zadok, and this in turn was the cause of many evils that befell Israel. Through it Saul and his sons were killed, and many thousands and myriads fell in Israel. But all the time the punishment to be exacted for that sin was hanging over David, until all his descendants perished in one day, with the sole exception of Joash,1v. 2 Kings, xi, 1-2. . who was stolen away from among the slain. Yet was that sin against Nob still awaiting expiation, as indicated in the words: “There is still a day for a halt to be made at Nob” (Isa. 10, 32).
כְּגַוְונָא דָּא, כָּל הַזָּהָב הֶעָשׂוּי לַמְּלָאכָה. מַאי הֶעָשׂוּי. הָכָא אִסְתָּכַּל קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, כַּד יָהֲבוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל דַּהֲבָא לְעֶגְלָא, וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַקְדִּים (קצ"ה ע"א) לוֹן דַּהֲבָא דָּא לְאַסְוָותָא, דְּהַאי דַּהֲבָא דְּמַשְׁכְּנָא אַקְדִּים לוֹן, לְהַהוּא דַּהֲבָא דְּיָהֲבוּ לְעֶגְלָא, דְּכָל דַּהֲבָא דְּהֲוָה עִמְּהוֹן, וְאִשְׁתְּכַח עִמְּהוֹן, יָהֲבוּ לְאָרָמַת מַשְׁכְּנָא. סַלְּקָא דַּעְתָּךְ, דְּכַד עָבְדוּ יַת עֶגְלָא אִשְׁתְּכַח עִמְּהוֹן דַּהֲבָא, וְאִינּוּן פְּרִיקוּ אוּדְנַיְיהוּ לְנַטְלָא הַהוּא דַּהֲבָא, דִּכְתִּיב, (שמות ל״ב:ג׳) וַיִּתְפָּרַקוּ כָּל הָעָם אֶת נִזְמֵי הַזָּהָב אֲשֶׁר בְּאָזְנֵיהֶם. וְעַל דָּא אַקְדִּים דַּהֲבָא דְּאָרָמוּתָא. לְכַפְּרָא עַל עוֹבָדָא דָּא. (חסר) (ובגין כך)
The same balancing of accounts is indicated in the words here, “All the gold ready-made (he’asui) for the work”. What signifies the attribute “ready-made”? It signifies that God foresaw that the Israelites would give up their gold for the making of the Golden Calf, and so made them first give up their gold for the erection of the Tabernacle so as to make good the offering of the other gold. For had the Israelites still possessed all their gold at the time they made the Golden Calf, they would hardly have had to “break off the golden rings which were in their ears” (Ex. 32, 3). The offering of the gold for the Tabernacle was thus an atonement for the other gold.1There is here a lacuna in the text.
וּבְצַלְאֵל בֶּן אוּרִי בֶּן חוּר לְמַטֵּה יְהוּדָה, מִסִּטְרָא דְּמַלְכוּתָא עָשָׂה אֶת כָּל אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְיָ' אֶת מֹשֶׁה. דְּהָא כָּל אוּמָנוּתָא דְּמַשְׁכְּנָא אִתְתַּקְּנַת בְּהוּ, וְעַל יְדַיְיהוּ. בְּצַלְאֵל אִיהוּ עָבִיד אוּמָנוּתָא, וּמֹשֶׁה אִיהוּ אַתְקִין כֹּלָּא לְבָתַר. מֹשֶׁה וּבְצַלְאֵל כַּחֲדָא הֲווֹ, מֹשֶׁה לְעֵילָּא, בְּצַלְאֵל תְּחוֹתֵיהּ, סִיּוּמָא (רנ"ט ע"א, רי"ד ע"ב) דְּגוּפָא כְּגוּפָא. בְּצַלְאֵל וְאָהֳלִיאָב, הָא אוּקְמוּהָ, דָּא יְמִינָא, וְדָא שְׂמָאלָא, וְכֹלָּא חַד. וּבְּגִין כָּךְ, וּבְצַלְאֵל בֶּן אוּרִי בֶּן חוּר לְמַטֵּה יְהוּדָה וְגוֹ', וְאִתּוֹ אָהֳלִיאָב בֶּן אֲחִיסָמָךְ לְמַטֵּה דָּן וְגוֹ'.
Hence, “And Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah”, of the side of royalty, “made all that the Lord commanded Moses”. For all the craftsmanship of the Tabernacle was achieved through these two, Bezalel performing all the work, and Moses afterwards putting the finishing touch. Moses and Bezalel were both parts, as it were, of one whole, Moses being above and Bezalel underneath, since the end of the body is also part of the body.