Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Exodus 31:1/אבן עזרא על שמות ל״א:א׳
אוידבר. אמר הגאון למה נבחרו בצלאל ואהליאב, והשיב כי בצלאל מבני יהודה שהמשילו יעקב לגור אריה גם אהליאב מבני דן שהמשילו משה לגור אריה והאריה צר מאחוריו, וככה היה הבית וזה דרש הדורש כי בצלאל ואהליאב לא בנו הבית, ורוחב המשכן שעשו היה שוה ואין טעם לשאלתו, כי נבחרו בעבור שלא היה בישראל כמוהם:
1AND THE LORD SPOKE. Rabbi Saadiah Gaon asked, “Why were Bezalel and Oholiab chosen?”1 He answered that Bezalel was chosen because he was descended from Judah, whom Jacob compared to a lion’s whelp (Gen. 49:9). Oholiab was chosen because he was descended from Dan, whom Moses also compared to a lion’s whelp (Deut. 33:22). The lion is narrow at the end. The temple was similarly narrow at the end.2 4:7, “The sanctuary was narrow behind and wide in front, and it was like a lion, as it is written, Ah, Ariel (literally, lion of God), Ariel, the city where David encamped (Is. 29:1); as a lion is narrow behind and wide in front so the sanctuary was narrow behind and wide in front” (Danby translation). Now this is a preacher’s homily,3 for Bezalel and Oholiab did not build the temple.4 The width of the tabernacle which they made did not vary.5 There is no basis for Saadiah Gaon’s question. Bezalel and Oholiab were chosen because there was no one in Israel who equaled them.6