בְּצַלְאֵל בֶּן אוּרִי, זֶה אֶחָד מִשִּׁבְעָה בְנֵי אָדָם שֶׁנִּקְרָא לָהֶם שְׁמוֹת. יִשַׁי נִקְרָא לוֹ אַרְבָּעָה, בְּצַלְאֵל שִׁשָּׁה, יְהוֹשֻׁעַ שְׁמוֹנָה, אֵלִיָּהוּ אַרְבָּעָה, מֹשֶׁה שִׁבְעָה, מָרְדְּכַי שְׁמוֹנָה, דָּנִיֵּאל חֲנַנְיָה מִישָׁאֵל וַעֲזַרְיָה אַרְבָּעָה. אֵלִיָּהוּ אַרְבָּעָה. אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן פְּדָת: אִישׁ יְרוּשַׁלְמִי הָיָה, וּמִשֵּׁבֶט בִּנְיָמִין הָיָה, וּמִיּוֹשְׁבֵי לִשְׁכַּת הַגָּזִית הָיָה, וּמִכְּרָךְ שֶׁל יְהוּדָה הָיָה, וּבִשְׁנֵי שְׁבָטִים הָיָה חֶלְקוֹ. חֲמִשָּׁה בְּבִנְיָמִין, דִּכְתִיב: וְצֵלַע הָאָלֶף וְהַיְבוּסִי הִיא יְרוּשָׁלַיִם גִּבְעַת קִרְיַת (יהושע יח, כח). וּשְׁלִישִׁית בִּיהוּדָה, צְנָן וַחֲדָשָׁה וּמִגְדַּל גָד (יהושע טו, לז). צְנָן, שֶׁהִיא צִנָּה. חֲדָשָׁה, שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מְחַדְּשָׁהּ לֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא. מִגְדַּל גָּד, שֶׁמִּשָּׁם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא יוֹצִיא וּמְגַדֵּד מִשְׁכְּנוֹתֵיהֶן וּמַשְׁתִּיתֵיהֶן שֶׁל אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם. Bezalel the son of Uri (Exod. 31:2). He was one of the seven descendants of Adam called by various names. Jesse was called by four names, Bezalel by six, Joshua by eight, Elijah by four, Moses by seven, Mordecai by eight, and Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah by four. Elijah was known by four names. R. Eleazar the son of Pedat said: He was called a man of Jerusalem, of the tribe of Benjamin, one who dwelt in the chamber of hewn stones in the Temple (i.e., he was a member of the Sanhedrin), and he came from a great city in Judah. He had a share in the land of two tribes, and in five localities in Benjamin, as it is said: And Zela, Elaph, and the Jebusite—the same is Jerusalem, Gibeath; and Kiriath (Josh. 18:28), and three in Judah: Zenan, and Hadashah and Migdal-Gad (ibid. 15:37). He was called Zenan because he was a zinah (“buckler,” i.e., protector of Israel), Hadashah because God would restore (mehadesh) it in the time-to-come; Migdal-Gad because from there the Holy One, blessed be He, would destroy (magdid) their dwelling places and lay the foundations of the nations of the world.
וְנִקְרָא לוֹ אַרְבָּעָה שֵׁמוֹת (בדברי הימים), שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְיַעֲרֶשְׁיָה וְאֵלִיָּה וְזִכְרִי בְּנֵי יְרֹחָם (דה״א ח, כז). יַעֲרֶשְׁיָה, שֶׁבְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא כּוֹעֵס וּמַרְעִישׁ עוֹלָמוֹ, עוֹמֵד אֵלִיָּה וּמַזְכִּיר אֲבוֹת הָעוֹלָם לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וּמְרַחֵם. לְפִיכָךְ כְּתִיב: וְיַעֲרֶשְׁיָה וְאֵלִיָּה וְזִכְרִי בְּנֵי יְרֹחָם, הֲרֵי אַרְבָּעָה שֵׁמוֹת. Elijah was called by four names in the Book of Chronicles: And Jaareshiah, and Elijah, and Zichri, were the sons of Jeroham (I Chron. 8:27). Elijah was called Jaareshiah because at the time that the Holy One, blessed be He, became angry and shook (mar’ish, “quake”) His world, Elijah arose and reminded (mazkir) Him of the merit of the fathers. He then showed mercy (merahem). Hence it is written: Jaareshiah, Elijah, and Zichri were the sons of Jeroham. Hence he had four names.
בְּצַלְאֵל נִקְרָא לוֹ שִׁשָּׁה, וְאַתָּה מְיַחֵס וּבָא מִשִּׁבְטוֹ שֶׁל יְהוּדָה בְּדִבְרֵי הַיָּמִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וּבְנֵי יְהוּדָה פֶּרֶץ חֶצְרוֹן וְכַרְמִי וְחוּר וְשׁוֹבָל (דה״א ד, א). וַהֲרֵי אֵין חֶצְרוֹן אֶלָּא בֶּן בְּנוֹ שֶׁל יְהוּדָה הָיָה, דִּכְתִיב: וַיִּהְיוּ בְנֵי פֶרֶץ חֶצְרֹן וְחָמוּל (בראשית מו, יב). וְכָתוּב אֶחָד אוֹמֵר: וְאַחַר מוֹת חֶצְרוֹן בְּכָלֵב אֶפְרָתָה וְאֵשֶׁת חֶצְרוֹן אֲבִיָּה וַתֵּלֶד לוֹ אֶת אַשְׁחוּר אֲבִי תְקוֹעַ (דה״א ב, כד). וְכִי יֵשׁ אָדָם מֵת בְּאָדָם שֶׁהוּא אוֹמֵר וְאַחַר מוֹת חֶצְרוֹן בְּכָלֵב? אֶלָּא מַה הוּא? מִשֶּׁמֵּת חֶצְרוֹן, בָּא כָּלֵב אֶל אֶפְרָת, זוֹ מִרְיָם, שֶׁפָּרוּ וְרָבוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל יָדֶיהָ. וּכְתִיב: וַתָּמָת עֲזוּבָה וַיִּקַח לוֹ כָלֵב אֶת אֶפְרָת וַתֵּלֶד לוֹ אֶת חוּר, וְחוּר הוֹלִיד אֶת אוּרִי, וְאוּרִי הוֹלִיד אֶת בְּצַלְאֵל (דה״א ב, יט, כ). וּרְאָיָה בֶן שׁוֹבָל הֹלִיד אֶת יַחַת, וְיַחַת הֹלִיד אֶת אֲחוּמַי וְאֶת לָהַד, אֵלֶּה מִשְׁפְּחוֹת הַצָּרְעָתִי (דה״א ד, ב). Bezalel was called by six names. From his genealogy listed in the Book of Chronicles you learn that he was descended from the tribe of Judah, as is said: And the sons of Judah: Perez, Hezron, and Carmi, and Hur, and Shobal. And Reaiah the son of Shobal begot Jahath, etc. (ibid. 4:1–2). Now Hezron was in fact the grandson of Judah, as it is said: And the sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul (Gen. 46:12), and it is also written: And after that Hezron was dead in Caleb-ephrath, then Abiah Hezron’s wife bore him Ashhur (I Chron. 2:24). Can a man die within another man that it should say: And after that Hezron died in Caleb? This must mean that after Hezron died Caleb came to Ephrath, who was in fact Miriam, through whom Israel increased and multiplied, as it is written: And Azubah died, and Caleb took unto him Ephrath, who bore him Hur. And Hur begot Uri, and Uri begot Bezalel (ibid., vv. 19–20). And Reaiah the son of Shobal begot Jahath; and Jahath begot Ahumai, and Lahad (ibid. 4:2).
בְּצַלְאֵל, שֵׁם שֶׁקָּרְאָה לוֹ אִמּוֹ אֻמָּתוֹ. וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא קָרָא לוֹ חֲמִשָּׁה, עַל שְׁמוֹ שֶׁל מִשְׁכָּן שֶׁל אַהֲבָה. רְאָיָה, שֶׁהֶרְאָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁהוּא מְתֻקָּן מִבְּרֵאשִׁית לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן. בֶּן שׁוֹבָל, שֶׁהוּא בָּא לְהַעֲמִידוֹ. יַחַת, שֶׁנָּתַן חִתִּיתוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל. אֲחוּמַי, שֶׁאִחָה אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא. לָהַד, שֶׁהֶעֱמִיד הוֹד וְהָדָר בַּמִּשְׁכָּן שֶׁהָיָה הֲדָרָן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל. Bezalel was the name by which his mother and his people called him, but the Holy One, blessed be He, called him by other terms of endearment, because of the Sanctuary. He was called Reaiah because the Holy One, blessed be He, made known to all (hirah) the Israelites that he was destined from the very beginning to erect the Tabernacle; Shobal because he would erect a dovecot for God (shobek-el); Jahath because he instilled fear (hatito) of God in the Israelites; Ahumai because he united (ihah) God and Israel; Lahad because he brought glory (hod) and splendor through the Tabernacle, which was the glory of Israel.
וְרַבִּי אַדָּא בַּר חִיָּא אָמַר: לָהַד, שֶׁהַדַּל שֶׁבַּשְּׁבָטִים מִדַּבֵּק לוֹ בַּמִּשְׁכָּן. וְאֵיזֶה? וְאִתּוֹ אָהֳלִיאָב בֶּן אֲחִיסָמָךְ לְמַטֵּה דָן (שמות לח, כג). אָמַר רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בֶּן פָּזִי: אֵין לְךָ גָּדוֹל מִכָּל הַשְּׁבָטִים מִשֵּׁבֶט יְהוּדָה. וְאֵין לְךָ יָרוּד מִן שֵׁבֶט דָּן, שֶׁהָיָה מִן הַשְּׁפָחוֹת, מַה כְּתִיב בּוֹ: וּבְנֵי דָן חֻשִׁים (בראשית מו, כג). אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: יָבוֹא וְיִזְדַּוֵּג לוֹ, שֶׁלֹּא תְּהֵא רוּחוֹ גַּסָּה, שֶׁגָּדוֹל וְקָטָן שָׁוִין לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא. אָמַר רַבִּי חֲנִינָא: לְעוֹלָם יָגֵיס אָדָם בִּכְבוֹדוֹ, הַמִּשְׁכָּן נַעֲשָׂה בִּשְׁנֵי שְׁבָטִים אֵלּוּ. וְאַף בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ כֵּן עָשׂוּהוּ, שְׁלֹמֹה מִיהוּדָה וְחִירָם מִדָּן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: בֶּן אִשָּׁה אַלְמָנָה הוּא מִמַּטֵּה נַפְתָּלִי (מלכים א ז, יג). וּבְדִבְרֵי הַיָּמִים כְּתִיב: בֶּן אִשָּׁה מִן בְּנוֹת דָּן (דה״ב ב, יג), שֶׁהָיָה אָבִיו מִנַּפְתָּלִי וְאִמּוֹ מִדָּן. אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה עֲשִׂיתֶם מִשְׁכָן וּמִקְדָּשׁ שֶׁהָיוּ כַּחוֹמָה. וְלֶעָתִיד אֲנִי אֶבְנֶה אֶת בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ וְתִהְיֶה מֻקֶּפֶת בְּחוֹמַת אֵשׁ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַאֲנִי אֶהְיֶה לָּהּ נְאֻם ה' חוֹמַת אֵשׁ (זכריה ב, ט). R. Abba the son of Hiyya17In text: R. Ada the son of Hiyya. said: He was called Lahad because the lowliest (hadal) of the tribes was associated (in the building of the Tabernacle) with him. He was Oholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. R. Hanina the son of Pazzi said: No tribe was greater than Judah, and none was more lowly than Dan, which descended from one of the maidservants, as it says: And the sons of Dan: Hushim (Gen. 46:23). The Holy One, blessed be He, declared: Let him come and join with Judah so that no tribe might become arrogant, for both the great and the lowly are equal in the sight of the Holy One, blessed be He. R. Hanina maintained: No man should become arrogant because of the honors bestowed upon him. The Tabernacle and the Sanctuary were erected by these two tribes, for Solomon was of the tribe of Judah, and Hiram was of the tribe of Dan, as it is said: The son of a widow of the tribe of Naphtali (I Kings 7:4), and in the Book of Chronicles: The son of a woman of the daughters of Dan (II Chron. 2:12). These verses indicate that his father was of the tribe of Naphtali and his mother of the tribe of Dan. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: In this world you erected a Tabernacle and a Sanctuary which were walled about, but in the world-to-come I will build a Sanctuary that will be encircled by a wall of fire, as it is said: For I, saith the Lord, will be unto her a wall of fire (Zech. 2:9).