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.
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.
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.
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."
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.
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.
59. "In his shadow" refers to Betzalel. Therefore the Tabernacle was constructed by Betzalel. That is why IT IS WRITTEN, "Betzalel the son of Uri, the son of Chur" (Shemot 38:22). "The son of Uri" is of the light of the sun coming out. "The son of Uri" is the right: "The son of Chur" is of the left. Therefore, it was by him that the Judgment of the Holy One, blessed be He was completed during the golden calf. FOR HE WAS KILLED BY THE MIXED MULTITUDES.
60. "All the gold that was applied" (Shemot 38:24). From the time Yisrael gave it, it was already prepared and worked ABOVE by the holy work. What is the reason? That on each grade gold was arranged, for there is no wholeness but by Judgment and Mercy. Therefore, the gold was present in all the work of the Tabernacle, NAMELY, IN ALL THE GRADES OF MALCHUT, and in each work that was holy, there was gold. And gold was in everything.