Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Exodus 31:2/רמב"ן על שמות ל״א:ב׳

ארְאֵה קָרָאתִי בְשֵׁם בְּצַלְאֵל בֶּן אוּרִי בֶן חוּר אָמַר הַשֵּׁם לְמֹשֶׁה "רְאֵה קָרָאתִי בְשֵׁם", וּמֹשֶׁה אָמַר לְיִשְׂרָאֵל "רְאוּ קָרָא ה' בְּשֵׁם" (שמות ל"ה:ל'). וְהַטַּעַם, כִּי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּמִצְרַיִם פְּרוּכִים בַּעֲבוֹדַת חֹמֶר וּלְבָנִים, לֹא לָמְדוּ מְלֶאכֶת כֶּסֶף וְזָהָב וַחֲרֹשֶׁת אֲבָנִים טוֹבוֹת וְלֹא רָאוּ אוֹתָם כְּלָל. וְהִנֵּה הוּא פֶּלֶא שֶׁיִּמָּצֵא בָּהֶם אָדָם חָכָם גָּדוֹל בַּכֶּסֶף וּבַזָּהָב וּבַחֲרֹשֶׁת אֶבֶן וְעֵץ וְחוֹשֵׁב וְרוֹקֵם וְאוֹרֵג, כִּי אַף בַּלּוֹמְדִים לִפְנֵי חֲכָמִים לֹא יִמָּצֵא בָּקִי בְּכָל הָאֻמָּנִיּוֹת כֻּלָּם, וְהַיּוֹדְעִים וּרְגִילִים בָּהֶם בְּבֹא יְדֵיהֶם תָּמִיד בְּטִיט וָרֶפֶשׁ לֹא יוּכְלוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת בָּהֶן אֻמָּנוּת דַּקָּה וְיָפָה. וְעוֹד, שֶׁהוּא חָכָם גָּדוֹל בְּחָכְמָה בִּתְבוּנָה וּבְדַעַת לְהָבִין סוֹד הַמִּשְׁכָּן וְכָל כֵּלָיו לָמָּה צֻוּוּ וְאֶל מָה יִרְמוֹזוּ:
וְלָכֵן אָמַר הַשֵּׁם לְמֹשֶׁה שֶׁיִּרְאֶה הַפֶּלֶא הַזֶּה, וְיֵדַע כִּי הוּא מִלֵּא אוֹתוֹ רוּחַ אֱלֹהִים לָדַעַת כָּל אֵלֶּה בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה הַמִּשְׁכָּן, כִּי הָיָה רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנָיו לַעֲשׂוֹת הַמִּשְׁכָּן בַּמִּדְבָּר, וְלִכְבוֹדוֹ בְּרָאוֹ, כִּי הוּא קוֹרֵא הַדּוֹרוֹת מֵרֹאשׁ (ישעיה מא ד), כְּדֶרֶךְ "בְּטֶרֶם אֶצָּרְךָ בַבֶּטֶן יְדַעְתִּיךָ וּבְטֶרֶם תֵּצֵא מֵרֶחֶם הִקְדַּשְׁתִּיךָ" (ירמיה א ה) וּבַלָּשׁוֹן הַזֶּה (שמות ט"ז:כ"ט) "רְאוּ כִּי ה' נָתַן לָכֶם הַשַּׁבָּת עַל כֵּן הוּא נֹתֵן לָכֶם בַּיּוֹם הַשִּׁשִּׁי לֶחֶם יוֹמָיִם": וּלְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ בָּזֶה מִדְרָשׁ (שמו"ר מ ב), הֶרְאָה אוֹתוֹ סִפְרוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן וְאָמַר לוֹ כָּל אֶחָד הִתְקַנְתִּיו מֵאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה, וְאַף בְּצַלְאֵל מֵאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה הִתְקַנְתִּי אוֹתוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "רְאֵה קָרָאתִי בְשֵׁם בְּצַלְאֵל", וְהוּא כָּעִנְיָן שֶׁפֵּרַשְׁתִּי. וְעוֹד אָמְרוּ (ברכות נה.) יוֹדֵעַ הָיָה בְּצַלְאֵל לְצָרֵף אוֹתִיּוֹת שֶׁנִּבְרְאוּ בָּהֶן שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ. וְהָעִנְיָן, כִּי הַמִּשְׁכָּן יִרְמֹז בְּאֵלּוּ, וְהוּא הַיּוֹדֵעַ וּמֵבִין סוֹדוֹ:

1SEE, I HAVE CALLED BY NAME BEZALEL THE SON OF URI, THE SON OF HUR. G-d said to Moses, See, I have called by name, and Moses said to Israel, See, the Eternal hath called by name.²⁰⁴ The reason for this is because Israel in Egypt had been crushed under the work in mortar and in brick,²⁰⁵ and had acquired no knowledge of how to work with silver and gold, and the cutting of precious stones, and had never seen them at all. It was thus a wonder that there was to be found amongst them such a great wise-hearted man who knew how to work with silver and gold, and in cutting of stones [for setting] and in carving of wood, a craftsman, an embroiderer, and a weaver.²⁰⁶ For even amongst those who study before the experts, you cannot find one who is proficient in all these crafts. And even those who know them and are used to doing them, if their hands are continually engaged in [work with] lime and mud, lose the ability to do with them such artistic and delicate work. Moreover, he [i.e. Bezalel] was a great Sage in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge,²⁰⁷ to understand the secret of the Tabernacle and all its vessels, why they were commanded and to what they hinted. Therefore G-d said to Moses that when he sees this wonder he should know that I filled him with the spirit of G-d,²⁰⁷ to know all these things in order that he would make the Tabernacle. For it was His Will to make the Tabernacle in the wilderness, and He created him for His glory,²⁰⁸ “Whatsoever the Holy One, blessed be He, created in His world He created it but for His glory.” Bezalel thus was born for that sacred purpose, as the thought continues to be unfolded by Ramban. for it is He that called the generations from the beginning,²⁰⁹ it being similar in meaning to the verse, Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee, and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee.²¹⁰ The same type of expression we find in the verse, See that the Eternal hath given you the Sabbath; therefore He giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days.²¹¹Our Rabbis have on this topic a Midrash:²¹² “G-d showed Moses the book of the first man and told him: ‘Each person I have given a role from that moment on, and Bezalel too I have given a role already then, as it is said, See, I have called by name Bezalel.’” This is similar to what I have explained. The Rabbis have also said:²¹³ “Bezalel knew how to combine the letters with which heaven and earth were created.” The purport of this saying is that the Tabernacle alludes to these matters [heaven and earth], and he knew and understood its secret.