출애굽기 38:35의 Chasidut
Kedushat Levi
Exodus 38,21. “These are the accounts of the Tabernacle of the Testimony that were rendered according to the commandment of Moses, etc.;” we have already written previously that the construction of the Tabernacle required holy spirit and the knowledge of how G’d used the aleph bet, i.e. the letters of the Torah and their respective combinations that G’d used when He created heaven and earth. (based on Yevamot 47). The subject has been elaborated on further in Bereshit Rabbah section 12,14 which quotes the school of Shammai saying that the idea to create the universe crystallized in G’d’s mind at night whereas the execution occurred by day, and that the letter ה written in smaller script in Genesis 2,4 in the word בהבראם is an allusion to the attribute א-ד-נ-י, one of G’d’s names, whereas afterwards in the same verse when the Torah writes ביום עשות ה' אלוקים ארץ ושמים, “on the day that <ihashem< i=""> made earth and heaven,” the apparent repetition is an allusion to the fact that G’d is unique and the exclusive Creator. [Our author must have had a different version of the Bereshit rabbah, as the second comment concerning the attribute א-ד-נ-י is not found in my updated version of that Midrash. Ed.]
The uniqueness of both Moses and Betzalel paralleled the description of unique attributes possessed by the Creator. Initially, the instructions given by Moses to Betzalel were similar to G’d’s formulating the thought of creating a universe, whereas the execution paralleled the words ביום עשות ה' אלוקים, G’d in His capacity as Hashem carrying out His plan to create the universe. The numerical value of the first letters of the opening words in our portion, אלה פקודי המשכן i.e. א'פ'ה' have a combined value of 86, equivalent to the letters in the name of G’d when it is spelled א-ל-ה-י-ם, i.e. His attribute of א-ד-נ-י, the word signifying the attribute of Justice. The respective last letters in the same sequence of words are ה'י'נ equaling 65, or the numerical value of the attribute א-ד-נ-י. When we examine the respective first and final letters in the second half of the introductory verse of our portion, i.e. משכן העדות, we find that the letters מ'ה correspond to the holy name of G’d consisting of 45 letters, whereas the final letters in these words, i.e. ת'נ or 450 i.e. ten times the value of the opening letters. This suggests that whereas Betzalel was indeed granted great insights, it was Moses, אשר פקד על פי משה who had the highest level of understanding how to manipulate all the letters in the names of G’d.
The uniqueness of both Moses and Betzalel paralleled the description of unique attributes possessed by the Creator. Initially, the instructions given by Moses to Betzalel were similar to G’d’s formulating the thought of creating a universe, whereas the execution paralleled the words ביום עשות ה' אלוקים, G’d in His capacity as Hashem carrying out His plan to create the universe. The numerical value of the first letters of the opening words in our portion, אלה פקודי המשכן i.e. א'פ'ה' have a combined value of 86, equivalent to the letters in the name of G’d when it is spelled א-ל-ה-י-ם, i.e. His attribute of א-ד-נ-י, the word signifying the attribute of Justice. The respective last letters in the same sequence of words are ה'י'נ equaling 65, or the numerical value of the attribute א-ד-נ-י. When we examine the respective first and final letters in the second half of the introductory verse of our portion, i.e. משכן העדות, we find that the letters מ'ה correspond to the holy name of G’d consisting of 45 letters, whereas the final letters in these words, i.e. ת'נ or 450 i.e. ten times the value of the opening letters. This suggests that whereas Betzalel was indeed granted great insights, it was Moses, אשר פקד על פי משה who had the highest level of understanding how to manipulate all the letters in the names of G’d.
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Kedushat Levi
In order to understand this we must once more fall back on a concept that we have dealt with repeatedly, i.e. the two different categories of serving G’d. One reason for serving the Lord is that when we experience miracles we realize that there is a Power beyond the laws of nature with which we are all more or less familiar. This power demonstrates through performance of miracles that it is not only independent of the laws of nature, but is able to make the laws of nature do its bidding. It becomes clear to us that instead of “serving” certain phenomena which clearly exert a great deal of influence on our daily lives, we will do much better to serve the Master under whose direction these phenomena, i.e. sun, moon, fire, water etc., perform their duties.
The second category of serving Hashem is based on our recognizing the Creator directly, without our having to arrive at His existence by such detours as reflecting on the limitations of the laws of nature. We recognize that He is the source of everything that exists and can be perceived by any or all of our senses. To someone who is aware that this Creator, because He created the physical universe, is obviously Himself not part of the physical domain, and therefore able to change the order of things at will, it does not seem strange when he sees that the Creator has decided to make changes in the order of things. This type of individual did not acquire the insights he possesses about the Creator because He saw Him perform miracles, but he arrives at this logically, realizing that the Creator is absolutely free from external pressures and having created this universe has voluntarily given up some of His freedom of action in order for His subjects to possess a feeling of self-worth, human dignity.
Going back to the question of the “smart” son. He wishes to know why G’d had to perform all these miracles seeing that even someone like himself is fully convinced of G’d’s stature and supremacy, and so have been his forefathers. In response to this question, the author of the Haggadah shel pessach advises the father of the questioning son to tell him the halachah concerning the need for the eating of the Passover lamb to be the last item on the menu on that evening. The father is to emphasize that the halachah wishes to impress upon us that when recognition of G’d and His power and His relationship to the Jewish people is the result of having experienced G’d’s miracles, such recognition of G’d will endure forever, whereas when it is merely the result of reason, there is no guarantee that at one time or another someone will not be able to “prove” that the belief in G’d, even when attained after sanctifying themselves, is liable to be shaken by arguments to the contrary.
The second category of serving Hashem is based on our recognizing the Creator directly, without our having to arrive at His existence by such detours as reflecting on the limitations of the laws of nature. We recognize that He is the source of everything that exists and can be perceived by any or all of our senses. To someone who is aware that this Creator, because He created the physical universe, is obviously Himself not part of the physical domain, and therefore able to change the order of things at will, it does not seem strange when he sees that the Creator has decided to make changes in the order of things. This type of individual did not acquire the insights he possesses about the Creator because He saw Him perform miracles, but he arrives at this logically, realizing that the Creator is absolutely free from external pressures and having created this universe has voluntarily given up some of His freedom of action in order for His subjects to possess a feeling of self-worth, human dignity.
Going back to the question of the “smart” son. He wishes to know why G’d had to perform all these miracles seeing that even someone like himself is fully convinced of G’d’s stature and supremacy, and so have been his forefathers. In response to this question, the author of the Haggadah shel pessach advises the father of the questioning son to tell him the halachah concerning the need for the eating of the Passover lamb to be the last item on the menu on that evening. The father is to emphasize that the halachah wishes to impress upon us that when recognition of G’d and His power and His relationship to the Jewish people is the result of having experienced G’d’s miracles, such recognition of G’d will endure forever, whereas when it is merely the result of reason, there is no guarantee that at one time or another someone will not be able to “prove” that the belief in G’d, even when attained after sanctifying themselves, is liable to be shaken by arguments to the contrary.
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Kedushat Levi
Exodus 38,22. “and Betzalel, son of Uri, son of Chur, of the tribe of Yehudah, executed all that G’d had commanded Moses.” A look at Rashi will reveal that in fact it is remarkable that the Torah did not write: “which Moses commanded Betzalel”, but wrote “which G’d commanded Moses.” This suggests that Betzalel had divined even the sequence of things that Moses had not revealed to him either deliberately or because he had forgotten. For example: Moses had instructed Bezalel to construct the furnishings of the Tabernacle before he had given him details for constructing the structure that was to house these furnishings. (Compare Jerusalem Talmud Peyah 1,1 According to the version there when Moses instructed Betzalel to first construct the furnishings, Betzalel queried this wondering if Moses had heard it in that order on Mount Sinai.) Upon hearing this, Moses reminded himself that G’d had in fact told him to construct the structure housing the furnishings first. He complimented Betzalel, saying that apparently he had stood in G’d’s shade at the time G’d had spoken to Moses. As a result, Betzalel constructed the structure, i.e. the boards and “carpets” serving as the ceiling of the Tabernacle, before he proceeded to fashion the furnishings.
I believe that it is in order to elaborate on this somewhat. When a person gets out of bed in the morning he needs to wash forthwith, i.e. as a prelude to reiterating that he accepts the kingdom of heaven, i.e. the commandments of the Torah, anew. This includes his faith in G’d, Who is the Creator of all the phenomena that we can perceive with our senses. Subsequent to this it is incumbent on the person to turn to G’d in prayer, and after that to study some of the Torah. This is followed by the performance of various commandments in the order in which the opportunity to do so presents itself. All of this is designed to teach us the attributes of the Creator and help us to have absolute faith in Him and to enable us to emulate His attributes.
“Faith” in the Creator consists of two levels. It begins with what we call “little faith,” i.e. faith based on the most basic intellectual faculties every human being is endowed with, which dictates that the universe as we know it could not have come into existence on its on, but must have been created by a Supreme Intelligence, that Intelligence which for want of a better word we call “G’d.”
After having realized this and having accepted it, we proceed to a more profound level of אמונה, “faith,” a level which results from our intellectual faculties having been refined through the study of G’d’s Torah. The level of “faith” that results from studying Torah is known as השראת שכינה, Divine inspiration.
I believe that it is in order to elaborate on this somewhat. When a person gets out of bed in the morning he needs to wash forthwith, i.e. as a prelude to reiterating that he accepts the kingdom of heaven, i.e. the commandments of the Torah, anew. This includes his faith in G’d, Who is the Creator of all the phenomena that we can perceive with our senses. Subsequent to this it is incumbent on the person to turn to G’d in prayer, and after that to study some of the Torah. This is followed by the performance of various commandments in the order in which the opportunity to do so presents itself. All of this is designed to teach us the attributes of the Creator and help us to have absolute faith in Him and to enable us to emulate His attributes.
“Faith” in the Creator consists of two levels. It begins with what we call “little faith,” i.e. faith based on the most basic intellectual faculties every human being is endowed with, which dictates that the universe as we know it could not have come into existence on its on, but must have been created by a Supreme Intelligence, that Intelligence which for want of a better word we call “G’d.”
After having realized this and having accepted it, we proceed to a more profound level of אמונה, “faith,” a level which results from our intellectual faculties having been refined through the study of G’d’s Torah. The level of “faith” that results from studying Torah is known as השראת שכינה, Divine inspiration.
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Kedushat Levi
Exodus 38,23. “and at his side, Oholiov son of Achisamach of the tribe of Dan, carver and designer, etc.;” Our sages in Chagigah 14 comment on the words חרש וחושב by explaining that the word חרש, or חרשים refers to a wise student, who as soon as he opens his mouth causes his teachers to become even wiser when they hear his questions, whereas חרשים are people who when they open their mouths cause others to fall silent, acknowledging superior knowledge.
Perhaps the Talmud refers to two levels of serving G’d; the first uses his intellect, i.e. the common sense G’d has endowed him with to do so, whereas the second does so by contemplating the enormity of the אין סוף, the indescribable superiority of the Creator, something that our common sense cannot even try to comprehend. This distinction has been alluded to in Numbers 12,8 [where the subject is Miriam and Aaron having compared their statures as prophets to that of Moses, Ed.] When G’d explains to them that Moses’ stature of prophecy enables him to תמונת ה' יביט, “to conceptually visualize the Creator as if he saw a picture of Him,” He alluded to the Divine assistance Moses enjoyed when visualizing such difficult concepts. He would only have been able to do so if he had first abandoned and negated any attempt to comprehend G’d’s essence by applying ordinary human intellect. People on that level are described in the Torah as חרש, having made themselves deaf to “normal” ways of perceiving and comprehending phenomena they see. When a person, after having been granted such superhuman perceptions and insights, reverts to his day to day routine, a residue of his experiences while he was on a higher level remains, i.e. he is filled with שפע, divinely transmitted spiritual largesse. As a result he is able to perform the work performed by embroiderers both on blue woolen fabrics, תכלת, and on purple and crimson coloured woolen fabrics, ארגמן. [The finished product of Oholiov’s handiwork reflected that he had been divinely inspired. Ed.]
Perhaps the Talmud refers to two levels of serving G’d; the first uses his intellect, i.e. the common sense G’d has endowed him with to do so, whereas the second does so by contemplating the enormity of the אין סוף, the indescribable superiority of the Creator, something that our common sense cannot even try to comprehend. This distinction has been alluded to in Numbers 12,8 [where the subject is Miriam and Aaron having compared their statures as prophets to that of Moses, Ed.] When G’d explains to them that Moses’ stature of prophecy enables him to תמונת ה' יביט, “to conceptually visualize the Creator as if he saw a picture of Him,” He alluded to the Divine assistance Moses enjoyed when visualizing such difficult concepts. He would only have been able to do so if he had first abandoned and negated any attempt to comprehend G’d’s essence by applying ordinary human intellect. People on that level are described in the Torah as חרש, having made themselves deaf to “normal” ways of perceiving and comprehending phenomena they see. When a person, after having been granted such superhuman perceptions and insights, reverts to his day to day routine, a residue of his experiences while he was on a higher level remains, i.e. he is filled with שפע, divinely transmitted spiritual largesse. As a result he is able to perform the work performed by embroiderers both on blue woolen fabrics, תכלת, and on purple and crimson coloured woolen fabrics, ארגמן. [The finished product of Oholiov’s handiwork reflected that he had been divinely inspired. Ed.]
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