Bezalel Called by Name and the Letters That Made Heaven and Earth

"See, I have called by name" (Exodus 31:2). Rabbi Yochanan said: There are three things that the Holy One, blessed be He, proclaims by Himself, and these are they: famine, as it is written, "For the LORD has called for a famine" (II Kings 8:1); plenty, as it is written, "And I will call for the grain and increase it" (Ezekiel 36:29); and a leader, as it is written, "See, I have called by name Bezalel." Rabbi Yitzchak said: One does not appoint a leader over the community unless one consults the community, as it is said, "See, I have called by name Bezalel." The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: Moses, is Bezalel acceptable to you? He said before Him: Master of the universe, if he is acceptable to You, to me how much more so. He said to him: Even so, go and tell Israel. He went and told Israel: Is Bezalel acceptable to you? They said: Moses our teacher, if he is acceptable before the Omnipresent and acceptable to you, to us how much more so. Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman said: Bezalel was named for his wisdom. When the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, Go tell Bezalel, make Me a Tabernacle, an ark, and vessels, Moses went and reversed it and said to him, Make an ark, vessels, and a Tabernacle. He said to him: Moses our teacher, the custom of the world is that a person builds a house and afterward brings vessels into it, yet you say make an ark, vessels, and a Tabernacle — the vessels that I make, where shall I put them? Perhaps the Holy One, blessed be He, said thus: Make a Tabernacle, an ark, and vessels. He said to him: Yes. Perhaps you were in the shadow of God [be-tzel El] and knew! Rav Yehuda said in the name of Rav: Bezalel knew how to combine the letters by which heaven and earth were created. It is written here, "And He filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding" (Exodus 35:31), and it is written there, "The LORD by wisdom founded the earth, established the heavens by understanding," and it is written, "By His knowledge the depths were broken up" (Proverbs 3:19-20). Rabbi Yochanan said: The Holy One, blessed be He, gives wisdom only to one who already has wisdom, as it is said, "He gives wisdom to the wise." Rav Tachlifa of the West heard this and said it before Rabbi Abbahu. He said to him: You learn it from there; we learn it from here, as it is written, "And in the heart of all who are wise-hearted I have put wisdom" (Exodus 31:6).