Parashat Vayakel, 5785, 2025: "Betzalel: Greatness Writ Large"

 
Rabbi David Etengoff
 
ה' יעזור וירחם על אחינו כל בני ישראל בארץ ישראל ובכל חלקי הארץ
 
Parshiot Vayakel and Pekudei are narrative Torah portions that exactingly describe the construction of the Mishkan and the creation of the bigdei Kohanim (garments of the Kohanim). The word, “va’ya’os— and he made,” is used 40 times throughout these passages, 39 of which are stated anonymously. The one exception is the Aron Luchot HaBrit (Ark of the Covenant): “Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood, two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high.” (Sefer Shemot 37:1, this and all Bible and Rashi translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach). 
 
Why was Bezalel’s name mentioned solely in regard to the Aron Luchot HaBrit when he was designated by Hashem to be the designer and architect of every aspect of the Mishkan? This is particularly of the moment, since the Torah informs us:

“See, I [Hashem] have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have imbued him with the spirit of God, with wisdom, with insight, with knowledge, and with [talent for] all manner of craftsmanship to do master weaving, to work with gold, with silver, and with copper, with the craft of stones for setting and with the craft of wood, to do every [manner of] work.” (Sefer Shemot 31:2-5)
 
In his Commentary on the Torah, Rashi (1040-1105) suggests, “Since he [Bezalel] devoted himself to the work more than the other wise men, it [the Aron Luchot HaBrit] was called by his name [that is, the work was attributed to him alone].” In his Commentary on the Torah, the Ibn Ezra (1089-1167) notes that although Bezalel joined others in creating all of the Miskan’s holy vessels, his name was associated, in particular, with the Aron Luchot HaBrit based upon its singular kedushah. While both Rashi and the Ibn Ezra help answer our question, I believe the most holistic response has been offered by Rabbi Meir Simcha of Dvinsk (1843-1926) in his Torah commentary entitled, “Meshech Chachma.”
 
Rav Meir Simcha begins his analysis by noting that “other people participated in the construction of the various kalim at the time of the first and second Beit HaMikdash and will do so in the future.” (Sefer Shemot 37:1, this and the following translations my own)  This, however, is not the case regarding the Aron Luchot HaBrit, whose purpose was to house the Luchot HaBrit, since “from the time it was hidden away [shortly before the destruction of the first Beit HaMikdash], no other one could be built, for another set of  HaLuchot could never be constructed.” As such, the Aron Luchot HaBrit is called:

...the Aron Bezalel, which will exist throughout all the generations — and there will never be another. This is perhaps the reason for our verse’s specificity [when it states, “and Bezalel made,”] to teach us that throughout the generations another Aron HaBrit, and set of Cherubim, may never be produced — but, rather, only those that Bezalel fashioned.
 
According to Rav Meir Simcha, Bezalel’s name is associated with the Aron Luchot HaBrit because there can never be another one, since there will never be another set of Luchot. Consequently, the Aron Luchot HaBrit is forever known as Aron Bezalel, the one and only Aron Luchot HaBrit that was created by Bezalel.
 
Rav Meir Simcha continues his discussion by addressing why Hashem chose Bezalel to build the Aron Luchot HaBrit. His position is based upon his view of the order of historical events surrounding the sin of the Egel HaZahav and the Mishkan, which is hotly debated among the Torah commentators. In Rav Meir Simcha’s view, Hashem initially designated Bezalel as the architect of the Mishkan. Shortly following his appointment, however, klal Yisrael participated in the heinous incident of the Egel HaZahav. At that point, Bezalel was specifically charged with the construction of the Aron Luchot HaBrit:

The Holy One blessed be He was concerned following the sin of the Egel HaZahav that perhaps when someone would build the Aron HaBrit, they would have forbidden thoughts during its construction that would be infused with various kinds of idol worship. Therefore, Bezalel was chosen to build the Aron HaBrit, since his grandfather [Chur] was murdered because of his refusal to participate in the creation of the Egel HaZahav.
 
Rav Meir Simcha concludes his trenchant analysis with a clear explanation as to why Bezalel’s name was explicitly mentioned regarding the Aron Luchot HaBrit:
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Therefore, based upon his [Bezalel’s] training and his natural orientation toward hating anything and everything associated with those who follow after foolishness, forms and images of all manner [of idol worship], he never would have embraced any of these foreign thoughts. Therefore, the Torah writes, “And Bezalel made,’ since he, and he alone, constructed the Aron HaLuchot without any [questionable] help whatsoever.
 
According to Rav Meir Simcha, Bezalel emerges as a true hero of the spirit who was blessed by Hashem with the unique talents and abilities not only to design and build the Mishkan in general, but to also construct the Aron Luchot HaBrit in particular. With Hashem’s help, may we be zocheh to follow in his footsteps b’taharah v’kedushah. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
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