לַחְשֹׁ֖ב מַחֲשָׁבֹ֑ת לַעֲשׂ֛וֹת בַּזָּהָ֥ב וּבַכֶּ֖סֶף וּבַנְּחֹֽשֶׁת׃
upang makaisip ng mga masining na disenyo, upang gumawa sa ginto, sa pilak, at sa tanso,
Olat Reiyah
“Their Torah is their craft.” [Shabbat 11a]
Craft is founded in wisdom: “to think thoughts, to work in silver and gold…” (Shmot 31:4) but it requires for its perfection also practice - an intellectual construct of the understanding of art is insufficient for one to give concrete reality to artistic conception. However, it is possible that one could be so whole in the perfection of their conceptions, and their practical abilities so readily influenced by these conceptions, that they reach the level of “learning a skill by seeing it” (Shabbat 103a) ; that through their intellectual conceptions, they achieve immediate perfection of the practical manifestations born of them as well. And behold, Torah must lead to action, and the foundation of good action and of Divine service is to realize in act and in life the highest, holiest images of Divine righteousness and rectitude. Emotive prayer is the vessel most fit for bringing into concrete action our highest moral inclinations because it actualizes feeling, which is closer to action than disembodied thought. Through the power of prayer, the heart is softened and one is prepared to do the deeds of righteousness which are learned from it (the heart) through Torah study. Through its guidance one becomes a craftsman of righteousness, as in “the craft of a man in this world is to make himself as a mute.”73The gemara clarifies that this is true in all things other than speaking the words of righteousness which are the Torah (see Tehillim 58:2 on which this gemarrah is based) (Chullin 89a) But so great was the spiritual influence of the Torah upon Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and his companions (Shabbat 11b), and they were so readily moved toward all that is good and lofty by their learning, that they no longer required prayer as a means of elevating their feelings. Their Torah in itself was sufficient to impress their spiritual conceptions deep upon their tools of action, in the sense of “learning a skill by seeing it,” through seeing alone, in the wondrous manner of those who excel in artistic ability, such as Betzalel74See Shemot 31:2-5. Betzalel is the quintessential artist in the Torah, but on a deeper level he is the ultimate expression of the Image of G–d carried by humanity as expressed through being a creator. Not only is he able to give form to G–d’s plan for the mishkan (Tabernacle), but in the rabbinic mind the mishkan is a microcosm which reflects the blueprint of creation itself. That is why they see it as the source for the 39 types of work forbidden on Shabbat, the day we rest from our role as creators in the world and recognize G–d as Creator. Thus his ability is a shadow of the Divine creativity and his art a shadow of Divine creation. Hence Betzalel is read by the Sages as b’tzel El in the shadow of G–d., who through the Divine spirit which filled him was already able to actualize all practical craft, and had no need for learning by trial; therefore they in their occupation with the Torah were exempt from prayer, because their Torah was sufficient to be their craft as well.
Craft is founded in wisdom: “to think thoughts, to work in silver and gold…” (Shmot 31:4) but it requires for its perfection also practice - an intellectual construct of the understanding of art is insufficient for one to give concrete reality to artistic conception. However, it is possible that one could be so whole in the perfection of their conceptions, and their practical abilities so readily influenced by these conceptions, that they reach the level of “learning a skill by seeing it” (Shabbat 103a) ; that through their intellectual conceptions, they achieve immediate perfection of the practical manifestations born of them as well. And behold, Torah must lead to action, and the foundation of good action and of Divine service is to realize in act and in life the highest, holiest images of Divine righteousness and rectitude. Emotive prayer is the vessel most fit for bringing into concrete action our highest moral inclinations because it actualizes feeling, which is closer to action than disembodied thought. Through the power of prayer, the heart is softened and one is prepared to do the deeds of righteousness which are learned from it (the heart) through Torah study. Through its guidance one becomes a craftsman of righteousness, as in “the craft of a man in this world is to make himself as a mute.”73The gemara clarifies that this is true in all things other than speaking the words of righteousness which are the Torah (see Tehillim 58:2 on which this gemarrah is based) (Chullin 89a) But so great was the spiritual influence of the Torah upon Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and his companions (Shabbat 11b), and they were so readily moved toward all that is good and lofty by their learning, that they no longer required prayer as a means of elevating their feelings. Their Torah in itself was sufficient to impress their spiritual conceptions deep upon their tools of action, in the sense of “learning a skill by seeing it,” through seeing alone, in the wondrous manner of those who excel in artistic ability, such as Betzalel74See Shemot 31:2-5. Betzalel is the quintessential artist in the Torah, but on a deeper level he is the ultimate expression of the Image of G–d carried by humanity as expressed through being a creator. Not only is he able to give form to G–d’s plan for the mishkan (Tabernacle), but in the rabbinic mind the mishkan is a microcosm which reflects the blueprint of creation itself. That is why they see it as the source for the 39 types of work forbidden on Shabbat, the day we rest from our role as creators in the world and recognize G–d as Creator. Thus his ability is a shadow of the Divine creativity and his art a shadow of Divine creation. Hence Betzalel is read by the Sages as b’tzel El in the shadow of G–d., who through the Divine spirit which filled him was already able to actualize all practical craft, and had no need for learning by trial; therefore they in their occupation with the Torah were exempt from prayer, because their Torah was sufficient to be their craft as well.