Shabbos Parashas Vayakhel - 5776

Shabbos Parashas Vayakhel - 5776

Rabbi Hal Miller

Moshe said to the children of Israel, "See, G-d has proclaimed by name Betzalel,

son of Uri son of Hur, of the tribe of Yehudah. [Shemos 35:31]

Last week, at the beginning chapter 31, we read that G-d appointed Betzalel to the

job of building the Sanctuary. But we don't hear about Betzalel again until now, at

the end of chapter 35 and beginning of chapter 36. Last week, G-d told Moshe,

"See, I have proclaimed by name Betzalel son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Yehudah."

This week, after the delay, Moshe tells the people our verse, which is virtually identical.

The word "see" in both cases seems out of place. What is the Torah trying to tell us?

First, are there any differences in the two verses? The primary word in our question is

"see", which in English is identical. In Hebrew, the earlier verse is in the singular, whereas

in our verse here the word is in the plural. This proves that the earlier verse was said

only to Moshe, and ours is said to the entire people. Other than that, and the obvious

"I proclaimed" versus "G-d proclaimed", they are word for word identical.

Rav Moshe Feinstein thinks that our word refers specifically to vision, and he asks why

Moshe Rabbeinu would have thought that the people could "see" something in Betzalel

that they could not see in Aharon, since the word was not used in similar circumstances

there. He says that the people were able to see Betzalel's talents in the crafts, and that

the lesson has to do with our using such talents for G-dly works, not for secular efforts.

Each of us is accountable to G-d for the proper use of our resources and talents.

The Gemora in Berachos[55a] gives us a different lesson. "R'Yitzchak said, one does

not appoint a leader over the community unless one consults the community." The Gemora

explains that G-d asked Moshe whether he considered Betzalel worthy of the job, and

Moshe said, "If he's good enough for You, then he's good enough for me", and that when

Moshe asked the same thing of the people, they gave him effectively the same answer.

The word "see" thus implies asking a question: does the listener understand that ...

Ramban has a third approach. He asks that the Jewish people just came out from

centuries of forced labor in Egypt. They had no corporate nor individual knowledge of

the arts and crafts. How could they now, without highly experienced artisans to show

them, manage to build the beautiful things for the Sanctuary? The Torah uses the word

"see" to point out to the people that Betzalel was performing as though he had all the

necessary experience, and that this was an obvious miracle.

We can synthesize and combine these three viewpoints. When something is commonplace

it is hard to recognize that it is truly from G-d. When something is out of place, we can

"see" that the Master of the universe is behind it. It is for us to learn to see at all times,

to understand that even the commonplace is "out of place" unless explained as

being from G-d.