Vayakel Flashcards
(3 cards)
Why did Hashem select Oholiav (35:34) to build the Mishkan together with Betzalel?
The Midrash teaches that Betzalel came from the most respected tribe, Yehuda, from which kings
were descended. Oholiav was from the tribe of Dan, which was considered the lowest of the tribes.
Hashem specifically selected him to serve as Betzalel’s partner to teach that whether one comes from
distinguished ancestry or blemished lineage, all are equal in Hashem’s eyes if they maximize their
individual potential to serve Him to the best of their abilities.(Shemos
Rabbah 40:4)
Moshe informed the Jewish people (35:30-35) that Hashem selected Betzalel to build the
Mishkan, and he added that Hashem had also bestowed upon Betzalel all the necessary skills to
do the job, including the ability to teach. Once Betzalel possessed the requisite knowledge for the
job, why was it necessary to specifically give him the ability to teach? (Ibn Ezra, Ohr HaChaim
HaKadosh, Ayeles HaShachar)
The Ibn Ezra and Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh write that there are many people who possess
tremendous wisdom, but they have a difficult time teaching their knowledge to others. As a result, it was
insufficient for Betzalel to be given wisdom, and he needed the additional gift of being able to impart it to
the other workers. However,
Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman notes that Rav Chaim Soloveitchik has a
well-known saying that if a person has a difficult time explaining a concept, it is an indication that he
doesn’t fully understand it, and a similar idea is mentioned by the Vilna Gaon (Mishlei 22:18). This seems
to indicate that it is not possible to fully understand a topic unless one is also able to explain and teach it
to others, in apparent contradiction to the opinion of the Ibn Ezra and Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh.
Where did the shoham stones on the choshen mishpat come from ?
The Targum Yonason writes that heavenly clouds brought the stones from the Pishon River (see
Bereishis 2:11) to the wilderness, where the tribal leaders found them and donated them to the Mishkan.
One Midrash says that these precious stones fell together with the Manna, as the Gemora teaches that
pearls and valuable gems fell together with the Manna. The Ichud B’Chidud cites a second Midrash that
explains that these stones were expelled by the Yam Suf after the Egyptians drowned and were collected
by the tribal leaders. Based on the shared use of the word ויכלא (restrained) in the narratives of the flood
(Bereishis 8:2) and the construction of the Mishkan (Shemos 36:6) – the only two places in the Torah
where this word appears – the Maharam MiRottenburg posits that the valuable stones used in the
Mishkan came down together with the floodwaters in the times of Noach.
