The name Betzalel caused

Synopsis

Rabbi Yosi and Rabbi Yitzchak are walking together. Rabbi Yosi says that God chose Betzalel to build the Temple because of his name, which means 'in the shadow of El,' 'El' being the name of Chesed. He adds that God made names on earth because they have significance. To further this argument he says that Judah started building the left side and the Tabernacle was constructed of left and right. In the same way the Torah, Tiferet, started on the left side, Gvurah, and joined the right, Chesed. Reuben started building on the right and turned to the left to bring in the tribes Shimon and Gad. We hear that God gave Betzalel wisdom because he was already wise-hearted.

Rabbi Shimon turns to: "Like the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons... I sat down under His shadow with great delight, and His fruit was sweet to my taste." He says that 'under His shadow' refers to Betzalel, and 'His fruit' refers to the souls of the righteous since they are the fruit of God's deeds.

Finally the verse: "All the gold that was applied" is explained as meaning that the gold that was supplied for the Tabernacle already existed above. In each work that was holy there was gold.

Bezalel Earth Shadow Tabernacle

53. Rabbi Yosi and Rabbi Yitzchak were walking along the way. Rabbi Yosi said: Assuredly the Holy One, blessed be He wanted Betzalel to do the work of the Tabernacle more than the rest of Yisrael. HE ASKS: Why? He told him: It was because of his name, FOR HE WAS CALLED 'BETZALEL', BETZEL (ENG. 'IN THE SHADOW OF') EL, AND EL IS THE NAME OF CHESED. It was already explained that the Holy One, blessed be He placed names (Heb. shemot) on earth to be adorned by them and to do there the work of this world, as it is written, "who has made desolations (Heb. shamot) in the earth" (Tehilim 46:9), MEANING THAT IT IS INCUMBENT BY HASHEM UPON MEN TO CALL BY NAME ON EARTH.

53. ר' יוֹסֵי וְרִבִּי יִצְחָק הֲווֹ אַזְלֵי בְּאָרְחָא, אָמַר ר' 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 בְּהוּ, וּלְמֶעְבַּד בְּהוּ עֲבִידְתָּא בְּעָלְמָא, הה"ד אֲשֶׁר שָׂם שַׁמּוֹת בָּאָרֶץ.

Banners Gad Judah Stars Tabernacle Torah Tribes Zeir Anpin

54. He told him: There is a secret here. Judah is of the left side, BEING OF MALCHUT, WHICH IS CONSTRUCTED BY THE LEFT SIDE. Then he joined the right, ZEIR ANPIN, and therefore the Tabernacle was built on that side, starting on the left side and joining the right side. Afterwards they were combined together and all was done from the right. In the same manner the Torah, WHICH IS TIFERET, started on the left side, FOR TIFERET RECEIVES THE EMANATION OF GVURAH WHICH IS LEFT, and joins the right, CHESED. They were combined together and all became right. Reuben started on the right. FOR REUBEN WAS CHESED, and turned to the left to take UNDER HIS BANNER the rest of the tribes, SHIMON AND GAD, that are of the left. For he started on the right and turned left.

54. אָמַר לֵיהּ, רָזָא אִיהוּ הָכָא, יְהוּדָה מִסְּטָר שְׂמָאלָא הֲוָה, וְאַהְדָּר וְאִתְדַּבָּק בִּימִינָא. וְעַל דָּא, בְּסִטְרָא דָּא אִתְעָבֵיד מַשְׁכְּנָא, שָׁארִי מִסְּטָר שְׂמָאלָא, וְאִתְדַּבָּק בִּסְטָר יְמִינָא, וּלְבָתַר אִתְכְּלִיל דָּא בְּדָא, וְאִתְעַבִיד כֹּלָּא יְמִינָא. כְּגַוְונָא דָּא אוֹרַיְיתָא, שָׁארִי מִשְּׂמָאלָא, וְאִתְדַּבָּק בִּימִינָא, וְאִתְכְּלִיל דָּא בְּדָא, וְאִתְעָבֵיד כֹּלָּא יְמִינָא. רְאוּבֵן שָׁרָא מִימִינָא, וְסָטָא לִשְׂמָאלָא, וְנַטְלוּ עִמֵּיהּ אִינּוּן שְׁאַר שְׁבָטִין, דְּאִינּוּן שְׂמָאלָא, בְּגִין דְּשָׁארִי מִימִינָא וְסָטָא לִשְׂמָאלָא.

Bezalel Judah Stars Tabernacle

55. HE EXPLAINS WHAT HE SAID: Judah started from the left side, FOR HE IS OF MALCHUT WHICH IS BUILT BY THE LEFT SIDE. And he joined the right, so the Tabernacle was ALSO constructed on that side, starting on the left side and joining the right side, BECAUSE THE TABERNACLE IS ALSO MALCHUT, and therefore Betzalel, who comes from Judah, built the Tabernacle and was established thereby. FOR HE IS CONSIDERED IN THE SAME WAY AS THE TABERNACLE. And it was already expounded that the Holy One, blessed be He, wanted him and preferred him above all Yisrael for the building OF THIS TABERNACLE.

55. יְהוּדָה שָׁרָא מִשְּׂמָאלָא, וְסָטָא לִימִינָא, שָׁרָא מִשְּׂמָאלָא, בְּגִין דְּאָתֵי מִסְּטָר שְׂמָאלָא, וְאִתְדַּבָּק בִּימִינָא, וּמַשְׁכְּנָא בְּסִטְרָא דָּא אִתְעָבֵיד. שָׁארִי מִסְטַר שְׂמָאלָא, וְאִתְדַּבָּק בִּסְטָר יְמִינָא, וְע"ד, בְּצַלְאֵל אִיהוּ דְּאָתֵי מִסִּטְרֵיהּ, עָבֵד מַשְׁכְּנָא וְאִתְתָּקַּן לְגַבֵּיהּ. וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ, דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִתְרְעֵי בֵּיהּ, וּבָרִיר לֵיהּ מִכֹּלָּא לַעֲבִידְתָּא דָּא.

Bezalel Heart Shadow Wisdom

56. And he gave him Chochmah and Tevunah, and Da'at as was explained, because he already possessed intelligence of heart, as it is written, "And in the hearts of all that are wise-hearted I have put wisdom" (Shemot 31:6), MEANING THAT HE WAS GIVEN WISDOM FOR BEING ALREADY WISE-HEARTED. For the Holy One, blessed be He gives wisdom only to him who already has wisdom. The friends explained it and we learned. In the same manner Betzalel, WHO WAS WISE, THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE GAVE HIM WISDOM. Rabbi Shimon said: Betzalel, his name caused this to him, and was called by that name for his wisdom. And the secret of the word 'Betzalel' is "in the shadow of El."

56. וְיָהַב לֵיהּ חָכְמָה וּתְבוּנָה וָדַעַת, כְּמָה דְּאוּקְמוּהָ. בְּגִין דְּעִמֵּיהּ הֲוָה בְּקַדְמֵיתָא 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. ר' שִׁמְעוֹן אָמַר, בְּצַלְאֵל שְׁמֵיהּ גָּרִים לֵיהּ, וְעַל חָכְמָתֵיהּ אִקְרֵי הָכִי, וְרָזָא דְּמִלָּה בְּצַלְאֵל, בְּצֵל אֵל.

Apples Bezalel Congregation Fruit Shadow Tabernacle Tree

57. He opened the discussion and said: "Like the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons... I sat down under His shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste" (Shir Hashirim 2:3). "Under his shadow (Heb. tzel)" refers to Betzalel, who prepared the Tabernacle and constructed it, as it is written, "I sat down...with delight." For it is delightful to sit in the Tabernacle, and it delights the Congregation of Yisrael. And the Congregation of Yisrael sits under the shadow of El. This is the meaning of Betzalel.

57. פָּתַח וְאָמַר, כְּתַפּוּחַ בַּעֲצֵי הַיַּעַר כֵּן דּוֹדִי וְגוֹ'. בְּצִלּוֹ: הַיְינוּ בְּצַלְאֵל, דְּאִיהוּ אַתְקִין מַשְׁכְּנָא, וְעָבֵד לֵיהּ. דִּכְתִּיב חִמַּדְתִּי וְיָשַׁבְתִּי. דְּמַשְׁכְּנָא חֲמִידָא אִיהוּ לְמֵיתַב בֵּיהּ, דְּאִיהוּ עָבֵיד חִמּוּדָא לִכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, וּכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל יָתְבָא בְּצִלָּא דְּאֵל. וְדָא אִיהוּ בְּצַלְאֵל.

Deeds Eden Fruit Righteous Rivers Soul, The Zeir Anpin

58. "And his fruit was sweet to my taste." ZEIR ANPIN produced good fruit to the world, as it is written, "From Me is your fruit found" (Hoshea 14:9). What is a fruit? It is the souls of the righteous that are the fruit of the deeds of the Holy One, blessed be He. For the river that went out of Eden, WHICH IS YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, pulls out and casts souls into the world, and they are the fruit of the Holy One, blessed be He. That is why IT IS WRITTEN, "His fruit was sweet to my taste," as we explained.

58. וּפִרְיוֹ מָתוֹק לְחִכִּי, דְּדָא אִיהוּ דְּעָבֵיד פֵּירִין טָבִין בְּעָלְמָא, דִּכְתִּיב 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 פֵּרִין דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וּבג"כ פִּרְיוֹ. דָּא אִיהוּ כִּדְקָאָמְרָן.

Bezalel Golden Calf Judgment Light Shadow Sun Tabernacle

59. בְּצִלּוֹ: דָּא הוּא בְּצַלְאֵל. וְעַל דָּא תִּקּוּנָא דְּמַשְׁכְּנָא עַל יְדָא דִּבְצַלְאֵל הֲוָה. וּבג"כ וּבְצַלְאֵל בֶּן אוּרִי בֶּן חוּר. בֶּן אוּרִי, דָּא נְהוֹרָא דְּשִׁמְשָׁא דְּנָפִיק. בֶּן אוּרִי, דָּא יְמִינָא. בֶּן חוּר, דָּא אִיהוּ שְׂמָאלָא. בֶּן אוּרִי בֶּן חוּר, וְעַל דָּא אִשְׁתְּלִים בֵּיהּ דִּינָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּעוֹבָדָא דְּעֶגְלָא.

Gold Grades Judgment Mercy Tabernacle

60. כָּל הַזָּהָב הֶעָשׂוּי. מֵהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא דְּיָהֲבוּ לֵיהּ יִשְׂרָאֵל, הֲוָה עָשׂוּי וְאִתְתָּקַּן מִקַּדְמַת דְּנָא, בְּכֹל מְלֶאכֶת הַקֹּדֶשׁ, כָּל הַהוּא דַּהֲבָא, אִתְעָבֵיד 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.