(א) וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃
(ב) רְאֵ֖ה קָרָ֣אתִֽי בְשֵׁ֑ם בְּצַלְאֵ֛ל בֶּן־אוּרִ֥י בֶן־ח֖וּר לְמַטֵּ֥ה יְהוּדָֽה׃
(ג) וָאֲמַלֵּ֥א אֹת֖וֹ ר֣וּחַ אֱלֹהִ֑ים בְּחָכְמָ֛ה וּבִתְבוּנָ֥ה וּבְדַ֖עַת וּבְכָל־מְלָאכָֽה׃
(ד) לַחְשֹׁ֖ב מַחֲשָׁבֹ֑ת לַעֲשׂ֛וֹת בַּזָּהָ֥ב וּבַכֶּ֖סֶף וּבַנְּחֹֽשֶׁת׃
(ה) וּבַחֲרֹ֥שֶׁת אֶ֛בֶן לְמַלֹּ֖את וּבַחֲרֹ֣שֶׁת עֵ֑ץ לַעֲשׂ֖וֹת בְּכָל־מְלָאכָֽה׃ (ו) וַאֲנִ֞י הִנֵּ֧ה נָתַ֣תִּי אִתּ֗וֹ אֵ֣ת אָהֳלִיאָ֞ב בֶּן־אֲחִֽיסָמָךְ֙ לְמַטֵּה־דָ֔ן וּבְלֵ֥ב כָּל־חֲכַם־לֵ֖ב נָתַ֣תִּי חָכְמָ֑ה וְעָשׂ֕וּ אֵ֖ת כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוִּיתִֽךָ׃
(1) The LORD spoke to Moses:
(2) See, I have singled out by name Bezalel son of Uri son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah.
(3) I have endowed him with a divine spirit of skill, ability, and knowledge in every kind of craft;
(4) to make designs for work in gold, silver, and copper,
(5) to cut stones for setting and to carve wood—to work in every kind of craft.
(6) Moreover, I have assigned to him Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and I have also granted skill to all who are skillful, that they may make everything that I have commanded you:
(ל) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר מֹשֶׁה֙ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל רְא֛וּ קָרָ֥א יְהוָ֖ה בְּשֵׁ֑ם בְּצַלְאֵ֛ל בֶּן־אוּרִ֥י בֶן־ח֖וּר לְמַטֵּ֥ה יְהוּדָֽה׃
(לא) וַיְמַלֵּ֥א אֹת֖וֹ ר֣וּחַ אֱלֹהִ֑ים בְּחָכְמָ֛ה בִּתְבוּנָ֥ה וּבְדַ֖עַת וּבְכָל־מְלָאכָֽה׃
(לב) וְלַחְשֹׁ֖ב מַֽחַשָׁבֹ֑ת לַעֲשֹׂ֛ת בַּזָּהָ֥ב וּבַכֶּ֖סֶף וּבַנְּחֹֽשֶׁת׃
(לג) וּבַחֲרֹ֥שֶׁת אֶ֛בֶן לְמַלֹּ֖את וּבַחֲרֹ֣שֶׁת עֵ֑ץ לַעֲשׂ֖וֹת בְּכָל־מְלֶ֥אכֶת מַחֲשָֽׁבֶת׃
(לד) וּלְהוֹרֹ֖ת נָתַ֣ן בְּלִבּ֑וֹ ה֕וּא וְאָֽהֳלִיאָ֥ב בֶּן־אֲחִיסָמָ֖ךְ לְמַטֵּה־דָֽן׃
(לה) מִלֵּ֨א אֹתָ֜ם חָכְמַת־לֵ֗ב לַעֲשׂוֹת֮ כָּל־מְלֶ֣אכֶת חָרָ֣שׁ ׀ וְחֹשֵׁב֒ וְרֹקֵ֞ם בַּתְּכֵ֣לֶת וּבָֽאַרְגָּמָ֗ן בְּתוֹלַ֧עַת הַשָּׁנִ֛י וּבַשֵּׁ֖שׁ וְאֹרֵ֑ג עֹשֵׂי֙ כָּל־מְלָאכָ֔ה וְחֹשְׁבֵ֖י מַחֲשָׁבֹֽת׃
(30) And Moses said to the Israelites: See, the LORD has singled out by name Bezalel, son of Uri son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah.
(31) He has endowed him with a divine spirit of skill, ability, and knowledge in every kind of craft
(32) and has inspired him to make designs for work in gold, silver, and copper,
(33) to cut stones for setting and to carve wood—to work in every kind of designer’s craft—
(34) and to give directions. He and Oholiab son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan
(35) have been endowed with the skill to do any work—of the carver, the designer, the embroiderer in blue, purple, crimson yarns, and in fine linen, and of the weaver—as workers in all crafts and as makers of designs.
Similarly, Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Three matters are proclaimed by the Holy One, Blessed be He, Himself: Famine, plenty, and a good leader. The Gemara enumerates the sources for these cases: Famine, as it is written: “For the Lord has called for a famine; and it shall also come upon the land seven years” (II Kings 8:1). Plenty, as it is written: “And I will call for the grain, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you” (Ezekiel 36:29). And a good leader, as it is written: “And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying: See, I have called by name Bezalel, son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah” (Exodus 31:1–2).
With regard to Bezalel’s appointment, Rabbi Yitzḥak said: One may only appoint a leader over a community if he consults with the community and they agree to the appointment, as it is stated: “And Moses said unto the children of Israel: See, the Lord has called by name Bezalel, son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah” (Exodus 35:30). The Lord said to Moses: Moses, is Bezalel a suitable appointment in your eyes? Moses said to Him: Master of the universe, if he is a suitable appointment in Your eyes, then all the more so in my eyes. The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to him: Nevertheless, go and tell Israel and ask their opinion. Moses went and said to Israel: Is Bezalel suitable in your eyes? They said to him: If he is suitable in the eyes of the Holy One, Blessed be He, and in your eyes, all the more so he is suitable in our eyes.
Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said that Rabbi Yonatan said: Bezalel was called by that name on account of his wisdom. When the Holy One, Blessed be He, said to Moses: Go say to Bezalel, “Make a tabernacle, an ark, and vessels” (see Exodus 31:7–11), Moses went and reversed the order and told Bezalel: “Make an ark, and vessels, and a tabernacle” (see Exodus 25–26). He said to Moses: Moses, our teacher, the standard practice throughout the world is that a person builds a house and only afterward places the vessels in the house, and you say to me: Make an ark, and vessels, and a tabernacle. If I do so in the order you have commanded, the vessels that I make, where shall I put them? Perhaps God told you the following: “Make a tabernacle, ark, and vessels” (see Exodus 36). Moses said to Bezalel: Perhaps you were in God’s shadow [betzel El], and you knew precisely what He said. You intuited God’s commands just as He stated them, as if you were there.
Rav Yehuda said that Rav said: Bezalel knew how to join the letters with which heaven and earth were created. From where do we derive this? It is written here in praise of Bezalel: “And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship” (Exodus 31:3); and it is written there with regard to creation of heaven and earth: “The Lord, by wisdom, founded the earth; by understanding He established the heavens” (Proverbs 3:19), and it is written: “By His knowledge the depths were broken up and the skies drop down the dew” (Proverbs 3:20). We see that wisdom, understanding, and knowledge, the qualities with which the heavens and earth were created, are all found in Bezalel.
דָּבָר אַחֵר, רְאוּ קָרָא ה' בְּשֵׁם בְּצַלְאֵל בֶּן אוּרִי בֶּן חוּר, מָה רָאָה לְהַזְכִּיר כָּאן חוּר, אֶלָּא בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁבִּקְּשׁוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לַעֲבֹד עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים נָתַן נַפְשׁוֹ עַל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וְלֹא הִנִּיחָן, עָמְדוּ וַהֲרָגוּהוּ, אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא חַיֶּיךָ שֶׁאֲנִי פּוֹרֵעַ לְךָ.
מָשָׁל לְמֶלֶךְ שֶׁמָּרְדוּ עָלָיו לִגְיוֹנוֹתָיו, עָמַד שַׂר הַצָּבָא שֶׁלּוֹ וְנִלְחַם עִמָּהֶם, אָמַר לָהֶם עַל הַמֶּלֶךְ אַתֶּם מוֹרְדִים, עָמְדוּ וְהָרְגוּ אוֹתוֹ. אָמַר הַמֶּלֶךְ אִלּוּ מָמוֹן נָתַן לִי לֹא הָיִיתִי צָרִיךְ לִפְרֹעַ לוֹ, עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה שֶׁנַּפְשׁוֹ נָתַן עָלַי, מָה אֲנִי עוֹשֶׂה לוֹ, אֶלָּא כָּל בָּנִים שֶׁיֵּצְאוּ מִמֶּנּוּ אֲנִי מַעֲמִידָם דֻּכָּסִים וְאִפַּרְכִּים. כָּךְ בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁעָשׂוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל הָעֵגֶל עָמַד חוּר וְנָתַן נַפְשׁוֹ עַל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, אָמַר לוֹ חַיֶּיךָ כָּל בָּנִים הַיּוֹצְאִים מִמְּךָ אֲנִי מְגַדְּלָם שֵׁם טוֹב בָּעוֹלָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: רְאוּ קָרָא ה' בְּשֵׁם בְּצַלְאֵל, וַיְמַלֵּא אֹתוֹ רוּחַ אֱלֹהִים. וְלֹא זֶה בִּלְבָד אֶלָּא כָּל מִי שֶׁנִּתְעַסֵּק בִּמְלֶאכֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן נָתַן בּוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא חָכְמָה וּבִינָה וָדַעַת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות לו, ח): וַיַּעֲשׂוּ כָל חֲכַם לֵב. וְלֹא בִּבְנֵי אָדָם, אֶלָּא אֲפִלּוּ בִּבְהֵמָה וּבְחַיָּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות לו, א): חָכְמָה וּתְבוּנָה בָּהֵמָה, בְּהֵמָה כְּתִיב, שֶׁנִּתְּנָה חָכְמָה בָּאָדָם וּבַבְּהֵמָה, וְלֹא נִתְפַּרְסֵם מִכֻּלָּם אֶלָּא בְּצַלְאֵל, הֱוֵי: קָרָא ה' בְּשֵׁם בְּצַלְאֵל.
Another thought: "See, the LORD has singled out by name Bezalel son of Uri son of Hur" (Exodus 35:30) What did Moses see that he listed Hur here? When the people of Israel sought to worship idols, Hur became a martyr for the Holy One, Blessed is He, and did not give in. The people rose and killed him. The Holy One, Blessed is He, told him, "On your life, I will return my debt.
A parable: A king's legions committed treason again him and his Minister of War stood against them and fought them, saying, "You are committing treason against the king." They rose and killed him. The king said, "If he had given me wealth, would I not have to pay my debt? All the more so now that he has given his life for me. What will I do for him? I will appoint all the descendants who come from his line as commanders and governors.
Thus when Israel made the Golden Calf, Hur stood and gave his life for the Holy One, Blessed is He. He said to him, "By your life, I will raise all the descendants who come from you to a good name in this world, as it is said, "See, the LORD has singled out by name Betzalel, And He endowed him with the divine spirit."
And not only this. Also the Holy One, Blessed is He gave everyone who engaged in the work of the Tabernacle wisdom, understanding, and knowledge, as it is said: "All craftsmen with the spirit of wisdom made the Tabernacle it if ten drapes" (Exodus 36:8). And not only humans, but even wild and domesticated animals, and it is said, "whom the LORD gave wisdom and understanding to them." "To them," bahemah, is written "beasts," behemah. He gave wisdom to humans and beasts. None of them were publicly mentioned except Bezalel, saying, "The Lord has singled out Bezalel by name."