Stafford Drops Back and Throws to... Ohaliav Ben Achisamach? A Super Bowl LVI Dvar Torah

לע׳׳נ יחזקאל אפרים חיים בן ארי שלום ואסתר ז׳׳ל

In every area of life there seem to be the blue chip prospects and those that fly under the radar. Does fame predict future success? Let's investigate this question thru the lens of the builders of our Mishkan and through the two starting wide receivers of the LA Rams.

This Dvar Torah is inspired in part by this article on Chabad.org

https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/2483944/jewish/The-Dynamic-Duo-Betzalel-and-Aholiav.htm

שמות ל״א:ב׳

(ב) רְאֵ֖ה קָרָ֣אתִֽי בְשֵׁ֑ם בְּצַלְאֵ֛ל בֶּן־אוּרִ֥י בֶן־ח֖וּר לְמַטֵּ֥ה יְהוּדָֽה׃

Exodus 31:2

(2) See, I have singled out by name Bezalel son of Uri son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah.

Hashem starts by shining a bright spotlight on Betzalel as the main architect of the building of the Mishkan.

שמות ל״א:ג׳-ה׳

(ג) וָאֲמַלֵּ֥א אֹת֖וֹ ר֣וּחַ אֱלֹהִ֑ים בְּחׇכְמָ֛ה וּבִתְבוּנָ֥ה וּבְדַ֖עַת וּבְכׇל־מְלָאכָֽה׃ (ד) לַחְשֹׁ֖ב מַחֲשָׁבֹ֑ת לַעֲשׂ֛וֹת בַּזָּהָ֥ב וּבַכֶּ֖סֶף וּבַנְּחֹֽשֶׁת׃ (ה) וּבַחֲרֹ֥שֶׁת אֶ֛בֶן לְמַלֹּ֖את וּבַחֲרֹ֣שֶׁת עֵ֑ץ לַעֲשׂ֖וֹת בְּכׇל־מְלָאכָֽה׃

Exodus 31:3-5

(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.

Hashem proudly proclaims that Betzalel is the perfect person for this job as he has given Betzalel lots of special gifts and talents. It seems that Betzalel was born for the sole purpose of designing and building the Mishkan, G-d's dwelling place.

שמות ל״א:ו׳

(ו) וַאֲנִ֞י הִנֵּ֧ה נָתַ֣תִּי אִתּ֗וֹ אֵ֣ת אׇהֳלִיאָ֞ב בֶּן־אֲחִֽיסָמָךְ֙ לְמַטֵּה־דָ֔ן וּבְלֵ֥ב כׇּל־חֲכַם־לֵ֖ב נָתַ֣תִּי חׇכְמָ֑ה וְעָשׂ֕וּ אֵ֖ת כׇּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוִּיתִֽךָ׃

Exodus 31:6

(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:

We are then introduced to Betzalel's helper. We aren't given much in way of an introduction to him. In the same breath, Hashem introduces the other assistants who will help build the Mishkan as well. Ohaliav doesn't get the same fanfare as Betzalel did.

ילקוט שמעוני על התורה קנ״ט

ד"א יודוך למלוך עליהן בעולם הזה ובעולם הבא. ועמדו ממנו מלכים שנאמר ואלה תולדות פרץ רחבעם אביה אסא עד יכניה וכן לעולם הבא ודוד עבדי נשיא להם לעולם. ועוד משבט יהודה יצתה אלישבע אם הכהונה. ועוד משבט יהודה יצא נחשון ראש לנשיאים. ועוד במסעות היה ראשון ונסע דגל מחנה יהודה. ועוד משבט יהודה יצא בצלאל אלא שעשה המשכן וכל כליו. אחר מיתת יהושע שאלו מי יעלה לנו בתחילה ויאמר ה' יהודה יעלה. ומשבט יהודה יצא עתניאל ראשון לשופטים. ועוד משבט יהודה בועז. ועוד משבט יהודה יצא שלמה והוא בנה את בית המקדש. ועוד משבט יהודה יצא יהושפט ויותם ויאשיהו וזרובבל בן שלתיאל פחת יהודה ומלך המשיח. שלמה בנה בית ראשון זרובבל בנה בית שני ומלך המשיח עתיד לבנות בית המקדש...

Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 159

Summary: The tribe of Yehudah has put forward many key contributors to Am Yisrael throughout the years including the Matriarch of the Kohanim, the David dynasty, Betzalel - the builder of the Mishkan among many others.

Betzalel came from the tribe of Yehuda, a tribe renowned for its stellar track record of producing greats in Am Yisrael. If this wasn't enough, lets see who else Betzalel is related to through his grandfather Chur:

רש"י על שמות ל״ה:ל׳:א׳

חור. בְּנָהּ שֶׁל מִרְיָם הָיָה:

Rashi on Exodus 35:30:1

חור HUR was the son the Miriam (Sotah 11b; cf. Rashi on Exodus 24:14).

Betzalel is directly related to the future kingmakers of the Bnei Yisrael and the current most powerful family in Am Yisrael. To say he was destined for greatness is an understatement.

And how about Ohaliav? What did he have in way of connections to the elite of Am Yisrael?

The answer: none. And not only that, Shevet Dan's only claim to fame in the Torah is the person who blasphemed G-d. Ohaliav was the first and only bright spot in Shevet Dan's history!

שמות רבה מ״ח:ב׳

וְאִתּוֹ אָהֳלִיאָב בֶּן אֲחִיסָמָךְ, שֶׁבַח לוֹ שֶׁבַח לְאָבִיו שֶׁבַח לְמִשְׁפַּחְתּוֹ שֶׁבַח לַשֵּׁבֶט שֶׁיָּצָא מִמֶּנּוּ. וּמַדְכְּרִין וּמְשַׂחֲקִים (ויקרא כד, יא): וְשֵׁם אִמּוֹ שְׁלֹמִית בַּת דִּבְרִי לְמַטֵּה דָן, גְּנַאי לָהּ וּלְאָבִיהָ וּלְמִשְׁפַּחְתָּהּ וְלַשֵּׁבֶט שֶׁיָּצְתָה מִמֶּנּוּ.

Shemot Rabbah 48:2

Ohaliav was a source of pride not only for himself but for his family and tribe. The blasphemer, whose mother was from Dan is an insult to her family and her tribe.

Despite Betzalel's illustrious ancestry and immense talents, he was paired with the relatively anonymous Ohaliav. Hashem decided that both needed to work together to design His home, the Mishkan. Rashi and Rabbeinu Bachya formulate it differently below:

רש"י על שמות ל״ה:ל״ד

(א) ואהליאב. מִשֵּׁבֶט דָּן מִן הַיְרוּדִין שֶׁבַּשְּׁבָטִים – מִבְּנֵי הַשְּׁפָחוֹת – וְהִשְׁוָהוּ הַמָּקוֹם לִבְצַלְאֵל לִמְלֶאכֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן וְהוּא מִגְּדוֹלֵי הַשְּׁבָטִים, לְקַיֵּם מַה שֶּׁנֶּ' וְלֹא נִכַּר שׁוֹעַ לִפְנֵי דָל (איוב ל"ד):

Rashi on Exodus 35:34

(1) ואהליאב AND OHOLIAB — he was of the tribe of Dan, of one of the lowest of the tribes, of the sons of the handmaids, and yet the Omnipresent placed him with regard to the work of the Tabernacle on a level with Bezalel although he was a member of one of the noble tribes (Judah)! in order to confirm what Scripture says, (Job 34:19) “He regardeth not the rich more than the poor” (Midrash Tanchuma 2:10:13).

רבנו בחיי, שמות ל״א:ו׳:א׳

ואני הנה נתתי אתו את אהליאב בן אחיסמך למטה דן. אמר ר' חנינא אין לך גדול משבט יהודה ואין לך קטן משבט דן שהיה מן הלחינות, אמר הקב"ה יבא להזדווג לו שלא תהא רוחו גסה שגדול וקטן שווים לפני הקב"ה המשכן נעשה בשניהם זה משבט יהודה וזה משבט דן, ואף בית המקדש בשני שבטים אלו שלמה משבט יהודה וחירם משבט דן מצד אמו שכן כתוב בדברי הימים (דברי הימים ב ב׳:י״ג) בן אשה מן בנות דן.

Rabbeinu Bahya, Shemot 31:6:1

ואני הנני נתתי אתו את אהליאב בן אחיתמך למטה דן, “As for Me, here I have given him as an assistant Oholiav son of Achisamach of the tribe of Dan.” We read in the name of Rabbi Chanina in Shemot Rabbah 40,4 that no tribe was more exalted than Yehudah and none was less regarded than the tribe of Dan, seeing he was descended from one of the maidservants of Yaakov. G’d decided that Betzalel and a descendant of Dan should partner each other so that neither Betzalel nor his tribe should become haughty. All human beings are equal before G’d. The fact that the Tabernacle was built by these two architects was an important object lesson teaching this parity between the tribes in their social standing. Interestingly enough, when Solomon built the Temple this pattern was repeated seeing that the principal participants in constructing it were Solomon of the tribe of Yehudah, and Chirom the son of a mother from the tribe of Dan (compare Chronicles II 2,13).

There are definite parallels of this dynamic on the LA Rams. The Rams have two very different receivers in Cooper Kupp and Odell Beckham Jr yet the team has needed each their contributions to arrive at the Super Bowl. Let's compare the beginning of their careers.

Odell Beckham Jr.

-His mother was a track star and his father was an NCAA running back

-A top 40 ranked player in the nation coming out of HS

-Chose to attend LSU (top tier NCAA football program) from among dozens of scholarship offers. Started in his freshman year and had a prodigious college career where he racked up achievement after achievement. He won national awards and garnered national acclaim.

-First round draft pick (14th overall) in NFL Draft.

-Won NFL Rookie of the Year in 2014.

-3x Pro Bowler

Cooper Kupp

-Had a stellar HS career

-Received no scholarship offers coming out of HS.

-Walked on at Eastern Washington University, a FCS school. (Second tier NCAA football)

-They didn't let him join the team at first. Kupp redshirted his first year and became practice squad player of the year.

-Kupp became a star receiver on EWU team and rewrote the FCS record books for wide receivers.

-Kupp was a 3rd round draft (69th overall) pick in NFL Draft.

-After two strong seasons (1x all rookie honors and a 1,000 year season), Cooper Kupp won offensive player of the year award in 2021. He completed the wide receiver triple crown by leading the league in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.

Cooper Kupp and Odell Beckham Jr. are both elite receivers in the NFL. But they each arrived there in vastly different ways. OBJ has been in the public limelight since college. He was destined for greatness and he capitalized on his immense talent with almost immediate success in the NFL. Kupp didn't have the background, talent or fame that Beckham Jr. had but he found success by toiling away in near obscurity until he found explosive success in the NFL even if he wasn't always a household name. Fame and talent can get one recognition but hard work and commitment is what gets results at the end of the day. As we saw from Betzalel and Ohaliav, success and greatness isn't always commensurate with fame and talent. Hashem chose Ohaliav and Betzalel. They were both needed to build Hashem's Mishkan.