Appointing Betzalel

שלשה דברים מכריז עליהם הקב"ה בעצמו ואלו הן רעב ושובע ופרנס טוב רעב דכתיב (מלכים ב ח, א) כי קרא ה' לרעב וגו' שובע דכתיב (יחזקאל לו, כט) וקראתי אל הדגן והרביתי אותו פרנס טוב דכתיב (שמות לא, ב) (ויאמר) ה' אל משה לאמר ראה קראתי בשם בצלאל וגו'

Berakhot 55a:10

R. Johanan said: There are three things which the Holy One, blessed be He, Himself proclaims, namely, famine, plenty, and a good leader. 'Famine', as it is written: The Lord hath called for a famine.¹⁷ 'Plenty', as it is written: I will call for the corn and will increase it.¹⁸ 'A good leader', as it is written: And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, See I have called by name Bezalel, the son of Uri.¹⁹

ברכות נ״ה א:י״א

אמר רבי יצחק אין מעמידין פרנס על הצבור אלא אם כן נמלכים בצבור שנא' (שמות לה, ל) ראו קרא ה' בשם בצלאל אמר לו הקדוש ברוך הוא למשה משה הגון עליך בצלאל אמר לו רבונו של עולם אם לפניך הגון לפני לא כל שכן אמר לו אף על פי כן לך אמור להם הלך ואמר להם לישראל הגון עליכם בצלאל אמרו לו אם לפני הקדוש ברוך הואו לפניך הוא הגון לפנינו לא כל שכן

Berakhot 55a:11

Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani said in the name of Rabbi Yonetan: Betzalel was called upon because of his wisdom. In the moment that the Holy One Blessed be God said to Moses: Say to Betzalel: make for me a Mishkan, an ark, and vessels. Moses went and switched the order, and he said to him (Betzalel): make an ark, vessels, and a Mishkan. [Betzalel] said to him, our teacher, it is the custom of everyone that one builds a house, and afterwards places inside vessels, and you are saying, make for me an ark, vessels, and a Mishkan. Where do I place the vessels that I am making? Perhaps the Holy One blessed be God said to you: Make a Mishkan, an ark, and vessels. Moses responded] said to him: Perhaps you were in the shadow of God and you knew! Rav Yehuda said: Rav Said: Betzalel knew how to combine the letters that were used to create the Heavens and the Earth. It was written here, “And he filled him with the spirit of God with Wisdom, Understanding, and Intellect.” (Exodus 35:31) and it was written there, “The LORD founded the land with Wisdom and established the Heavens with Understanding.” (Proverbs 3:19) and it is written, “with his intellect, the depths were broken.” (Proverbs 3:20)

R. Isaac said: We must not appoint a leader over a Community without first consulting it, as it says: See, the Lord hath called by name Bezalel, the son of Uri.²⁰ The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: Do you consider Bezalel suitable? He replied: Sovereign of the Universe, if Thou thinkest him suitable, surely I must also! Said [God] to him: All the same, go and consult them. He went and asked Israel: Do you consider Bezalel suitable? They replied: If the Holy One, blessed be He, and you consider him suitable, surely we must!

Questions: Must a community be consulted before a leader is appointed for them?

Are communities able to choose a leader well?

ברכות נ״ה א:י״ב

א"ר שמואל בר נחמני א"ר יונתן בצלאל על שם חכמתו נקרא בשעה שאמר לו הקדוש ברוך הוא למשה לך אמור לו לבצלאל עשה לי משכן ארון וכלים הלך משה והפך ואמר לו עשה ארון וכלים ומשכן אמר לו משה רבינו מנהגו של עולם אדם בונה בית ואחר כך מכניס לתוכו כלים ואתה אומר עשה לי ארון וכלים ומשכן כלים שאני עושה להיכן אכניסם שמא כך אמר לך הקב"ה עשה משכן ארון וכלים אמר לו שמא בצל אל היית וידעת

Berakhot 55a:12

R. Samuel b. Nahmani said in the name of R. Johanan: Bezalel was so called on account of his wisdom. At the time when the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses; Go and tell Bezalel to make me a tabernacle, an ark and vessels,²¹ Moses went and reversed the order, saying, Make an ark and vessels and a tabernacle. Bezalel said to him: Moses, our Teacher, as a rule a man first builds a house and then brings vessels into it; but you say, Make me an ark and vessels and a tabernacle. Where shall I put the vessels that I am to make? Can it be that the Holy One, blessed be He, said to you, Make a tabernacle, an ark and vessels? Moses replied: Perhaps you were in the shadow of God²² and knew!

Questions: Which of these men speak if he is the leader in this interaction?
What does Moses' comment that Betzalel was "in the shadow of God" mean?