Chasidut su Esodo 39:78
Kedushat Levi
When we consider this we can also better understand Nachmanides who, when commenting on the making of the priestly garments in Parshat Pekudey, (chapter 39) draws our attention to the fact that whereas in connection with the execution of the orders to make these garments, the Torah repeatedly states at the end of dealing with a particular garment, כאשר צוה ה' את משה, “in accordance of how G’d had instructed Moses.” In Parshat Vayakehel, where the construction of the Tabernacle itself is reported, we do not find a comparable confirmation of “as G’d had commanded Moses,” at the end of each section. This may be an allusion that as far as the Tabernacle was concerned Moses was able to arrive at the precise details of the Tabernacle without having to be instructed by G’d in the details.
The Zohar II 232 calls this uncanny ability of Moses as שכינה מדברת מתוך גרונו של משה, “the Sh’chinah was speaking from the throat of Moses.”
While the Tabernacle represented the Jewish people, Moses, as its leader could “be on the same wavelength” as G’d, concerning it. Seeing that Moses was not a priest, he could not be expected to be on the same “wavelength” as the priests, so that he required to be instructed in the details of how and from what materials the priestly garments were to be made.
Only after Moses had divested himself of all aspects of ego, individualism, was he able to know exactly how the priestly garments were to be made and from which materials. When the Creator spoke to him “mouth to mouth,” Moses was on that level of disembodied holiness.
[The remarkable aspect of the author’s explanation of why Moses’ name was not mentioned in this portion is that it was not a rebuke by G’d for his having given G’d an “ultimatum” that unless He would forgive the sin of the golden calf Moses would want his name to be erased from the Torah, as most other commentators say. For our author, the absence of Moses’ name is a compliment, not a rebuke. Ed.]
The Zohar II 232 calls this uncanny ability of Moses as שכינה מדברת מתוך גרונו של משה, “the Sh’chinah was speaking from the throat of Moses.”
While the Tabernacle represented the Jewish people, Moses, as its leader could “be on the same wavelength” as G’d, concerning it. Seeing that Moses was not a priest, he could not be expected to be on the same “wavelength” as the priests, so that he required to be instructed in the details of how and from what materials the priestly garments were to be made.
Only after Moses had divested himself of all aspects of ego, individualism, was he able to know exactly how the priestly garments were to be made and from which materials. When the Creator spoke to him “mouth to mouth,” Moses was on that level of disembodied holiness.
[The remarkable aspect of the author’s explanation of why Moses’ name was not mentioned in this portion is that it was not a rebuke by G’d for his having given G’d an “ultimatum” that unless He would forgive the sin of the golden calf Moses would want his name to be erased from the Torah, as most other commentators say. For our author, the absence of Moses’ name is a compliment, not a rebuke. Ed.]
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Kedushat Levi
Exodus 39,3. “they hammered out sheets of gold and cut threads to be worked into the blue wool, etc.;” ….., “the work of a skilful craftsman.”
A major criterion of the categories of work prohibited to be performed on the Sabbath is called מלאכת מחשבת, “work requiring skill.” In order to obtain a more detailed definition of this, the Talmud refers us to all the kinds of work needing skill that were performed in the construction of the Tabernacle. (Compare Beytzah, 13) What the Talmud means is the kind of work performed by Betzalel in connection with the Tabernacle, all of which required for him to be inspired by G’d specifically so that he could carry it out. Seeing that the Tabernacle symbolized the creation of the universe, it is plausible that the type of work, [creative activity, for want of a better expression. Ed.] performed by G’d during those 6 days, (though He only uttered the directive by word of mouth) is what we are to abstain from on the day that G’d abstained from creative activity.
According to Bereshit Rabbah 12,15, G’d commenced creating the universe by employing only the attribute of Justice, but when He saw that the universe would not be able to be stable and could not endure, He co-opted the attribute of Mercy.
When G’d created the universe, He had also prepared all the materials that would be required to ensure that the “work” was carried out successfully, i.e. all the gold, silver and copper, etc; originally, He had planned to use only gold. Upon reflection, He decided that it would be better to use primarily silver. Betzalel similarly, used many different kinds of materials in order to create a Tabernacle that would be a fair replica of the universe G’d had created at the time. Just as G’d decided to co-opt the attribute of Mercy to the attribute of Justice when He was in the process of creating the universe, so Betzalel and his assistants proceeded after first working with chunks of gold to beat the gold into thin sheets, i.e. [as when covering the wooden boards with sheets of gold, (Exodus 26,29) not make them nor the shittim wood the exclusive material, and to make golden threads to interweave with blue wool, etc., so that the precious metal gold would not be the exclusive or even predominant raw material. The composition of different materials used in the making of the Tabernacle demonstrated that though gold may be the most precious material, unless the universe also contained less precious materials it just would not be a “universe.”
[This editor finds it difficult to accept that G’d, Who according to all of our sages, intended for man, and amongst man Israel, to be the crowning achievement of the creation, originally intended to only use the attribute of Justice. It is much easier to understand the fact that the term Hashem is not mentioned in the Torah until G’d had created a free-willed human being, one that could rebel against Him, made the involvement of the attribute of Mercy necessary, is much more plausible, especially when we accept the principle of סוף מעשה במחשבה תחלה, “the final product was the original vision of the Creator”, as we sing in לכה דודי every Friday night. Ed.].
A major criterion of the categories of work prohibited to be performed on the Sabbath is called מלאכת מחשבת, “work requiring skill.” In order to obtain a more detailed definition of this, the Talmud refers us to all the kinds of work needing skill that were performed in the construction of the Tabernacle. (Compare Beytzah, 13) What the Talmud means is the kind of work performed by Betzalel in connection with the Tabernacle, all of which required for him to be inspired by G’d specifically so that he could carry it out. Seeing that the Tabernacle symbolized the creation of the universe, it is plausible that the type of work, [creative activity, for want of a better expression. Ed.] performed by G’d during those 6 days, (though He only uttered the directive by word of mouth) is what we are to abstain from on the day that G’d abstained from creative activity.
According to Bereshit Rabbah 12,15, G’d commenced creating the universe by employing only the attribute of Justice, but when He saw that the universe would not be able to be stable and could not endure, He co-opted the attribute of Mercy.
When G’d created the universe, He had also prepared all the materials that would be required to ensure that the “work” was carried out successfully, i.e. all the gold, silver and copper, etc; originally, He had planned to use only gold. Upon reflection, He decided that it would be better to use primarily silver. Betzalel similarly, used many different kinds of materials in order to create a Tabernacle that would be a fair replica of the universe G’d had created at the time. Just as G’d decided to co-opt the attribute of Mercy to the attribute of Justice when He was in the process of creating the universe, so Betzalel and his assistants proceeded after first working with chunks of gold to beat the gold into thin sheets, i.e. [as when covering the wooden boards with sheets of gold, (Exodus 26,29) not make them nor the shittim wood the exclusive material, and to make golden threads to interweave with blue wool, etc., so that the precious metal gold would not be the exclusive or even predominant raw material. The composition of different materials used in the making of the Tabernacle demonstrated that though gold may be the most precious material, unless the universe also contained less precious materials it just would not be a “universe.”
[This editor finds it difficult to accept that G’d, Who according to all of our sages, intended for man, and amongst man Israel, to be the crowning achievement of the creation, originally intended to only use the attribute of Justice. It is much easier to understand the fact that the term Hashem is not mentioned in the Torah until G’d had created a free-willed human being, one that could rebel against Him, made the involvement of the attribute of Mercy necessary, is much more plausible, especially when we accept the principle of סוף מעשה במחשבה תחלה, “the final product was the original vision of the Creator”, as we sing in לכה דודי every Friday night. Ed.].
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