Vayakhel 5774 - English

By Rabbi Guido Cohen
Asociación Israelita Montefiore
Bogotá, Colombia

This week’s parashah continues with the description of the sanctuary, its rituals, utensils, and other elements.  It is in this context that Moses tells the people of Israel that God chose Bezalel, son of Uri son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and Oholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to lead the esthetic designing of the place for meeting and worship for the people of Israel, during their journey through the wilderness.

According to Rashi (commentary on Shemot 24), Hur, Bezalel’s grandfather, was born from the union of Miriam, Moses’ sister, and Caleb ben Yephuneh, who together with Joshua bin Nun were the only scouts who visited the land of Israel and came back with a positive report, saying that the conquest of a land where milk and honey flowed was actually worthwhile.  According to the midrash (Shemot Rabbah, Ki Tissa 41), this same man, Hur, tried to prevent the building of the golden calf and died as a result; in addition, he is mentioned in the Torah as one of the men who held up Moses’ arms in the battle against Amalek.

In short, Bezalel was what we call a person with lineage, a man of noble birth.  Moreover, and unlike his colleague Oholiab, he came from the tribe of Judah, one of the most eminent within the people.  Nephew of Moses, descendant of Caleb and Miriam, there was no doubt that Bezalel had enough weight to assume the challenge of leading the construction.  Nevertheless, last week we learned, with the episode of the golden calf, that the qualities for leadership are not necessarily inherited.  Although Aaron possesses a lot of qualities that place him on the lead of the priesthood among the people of Israel, he fails in leading and containing the people when he replaces his brother.  That is why it is suitable to ask ourselves: is Bezalel’s bloodline a sufficient element to place him on the lead of such a task?, should we “hire” him just because of who his grandparents were, or do we need his résumé, to decide whether he is capable or not of assuming the challenge?

Indeed, the Torah considers that lineage is not enough for us to put Bezalel in charge of the task, and so it adds:  “He has endowed him with a divine spirit of skill, ability, and knowledge in every kind of craft and has inspired him to make designs…” (Shemot 35:31-32).  Bezalel is not only “the son of” or “the grandson of”, but has his own merit, which makes him worthy of this assignment.  And the Torah needs to underline this, in order to avoid the possibility of our thinking that Bezalel is there just because of his last name, or his family history.  If Bezalel had not been such a wholesome artist, he would not have built the Mishkan, and possibly, if he had possessed all the qualities he possessed, he would have built it, even if he was not descended from Hur and Miriam.  The presence of Oholiab ben Ahisamach, a man with no “Last name”, with no history, from a poor tribe such as Dan’s tribe, perhaps proves this point: by sharing the same qualities held by Bezalel, it didn’t matter that he did not belong to the aristocracy of the people, and he was equally chosen.

But as if their suitability was not enough to make both of them lead the project, the Talmud (Berachot 55a) tells us how God, not satisfied with giving priority to “technocracy” above aristocracy, raised his bet and suggested to Moses that democracy is much healthier.  The Talmud describes that God recommends Moses to consult with the people, to see whether they agree with the appointment of Bezalel as leader of the works.  Let us recall: Bezalel is a man from a very powerful family, and is highly qualified for the venture.  None the less, all that is not enough to lead the building of the sanctuary; the people have to endorse his appointment, for Bezalel to take on the job.  Thus, the Talmud tells us that Moses consulted with the people, and they answered that if God and Moses considered Bezalel suitable, then surely they had to, as well.  Only after they answered did Moses put Bezalel in charge of the construction.

What do we learn from this Parashah?  We learn that a last name is not enough to put a person in a position of leadership, since some qualities are not inherited.  We learn that the virtues needed for some challenges must be cultivated and developed, and that they can be equally owned by people of noble birth and by someone from obscure origins.  And what is even more important, we learn that the recognition and wishes of the community are almost as important as the suitability to assume a leadership role.  If the people had not accepted Bezalel, being God’s chosen would not have served him at all.  Even the Lord, Blessed be He, needed to consult the people’s wishes, before deciding to entrust the works to Bezalel.

Shabbat shalom,

Rabbi Guido Cohen

Asociación Israelita Montefiore

Bogotá, Colombia