Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani said in the name of Rabbi Yonatan: Bezalel was called by a name that reflects his wisdom [Betzalel, read as be-tzel El, "in the shadow of God"]. Rav Yehudah said in the name of Rav: Bezalel knew how to combine the letters by which the heavens and the earth were created. It is written here: "And He filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge" (Exodus 35:31), and it is written there: "The LORD by wisdom founded the earth, He established the heavens by understanding" (Proverbs 3:19), and it is written: "By His knowledge the depths were broken open" (Proverbs 3:20). Rabbi Yochanan said: The Holy One, blessed be He, gives wisdom only to one who already has wisdom in him, as it is said: "He gives wisdom to the wise, and knowledge to those who know understanding" (Daniel 2:21).
Creation By Letters
Berakhot 55 a
אָמַר רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָנִי אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹנָתָן: בְּצַלְאֵל עַל שֵׁם חׇכְמָתוֹ נִקְרָא. אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר רַב: יוֹדֵעַ הָיָה בְּצַלְאֵל לְצָרֵף אוֹתִיּוֹת שֶׁנִּבְרְאוּ בָּהֶן שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ. כְּתִיב הָכָא: ״וַיְמַלֵּא אֹתוֹ רוּחַ אֱלֹהִים בְּחׇכְמָה וּבִתְבוּנָה וּבְדַעַת״, וּכְתִיב הָתָם: ״ה׳ בְּחׇכְמָה יָסַד אָרֶץ כּוֹנֵן שָׁמַיִם בִּתְבוּנָה״. וּכְתִיב: ״בְּדַעְתּוֹ תְּהוֹמוֹת נִבְקָעוּ״. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: אֵין הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא נוֹתֵן חָכְמָה אֶלָּא לְמִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ חָכְמָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״יָהֵב חׇכְמְתָא לְחַכִּימִין וּמַנְדְּעָא לְיָדְעֵי בִינָה״.
Themes
Original Sources
- B. Berakhot 55a
- Midrash Tanhuma-Yelammedenu, Bereshit 5
- Sefer ha-Bahir 3
- Pesikta Rabbati 21:21
- Midrash Tehillim 62:1
- 3 Enoch 41
- Synopse zur Hekhalot-Literatur 16
- Sha'arei Orah 5:68b-69a