Parshat Vayak'hel-Pekudei
Monday, March 16, 2020
Parshat Vayak'hel-Pekudei
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר משֶׁה֙
אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל רְא֛וּ קָרָ֥א יְהֹוָ֖ה בְּשֵׁ֑ם בְּצַלְאֵ֛ל
בֶּן־אוּרִ֥י בֶן־ח֖וּר לְמַטֵּ֥ה יְהוּדָֽה:
"Moses said to the children of Israel:
"See, YHVH has called by name
Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah.'"
In the beginning of
the second Aliyah we are introduced to the two men who were responsible for
crafting the furnishings for the inside of the Sanctuary. We are told that the
people of Israel were called upon by Moses to provide the needed supplies to
construct these furnishings.
In the beginning of
the second Aliyah we are introduced to the two men who were responsible for
crafting the furnishings for the inside of the Sanctuary. We are told that the
people of Israel were called upon by Moses to provide the needed supplies to
construct these furnishings.
We know that the
people of Israel have recently come out of Mitrayim,
which represents that base carnal and animalistic nature. It is a state of
gross material consciousness. The exodus of Israel is an analogy of the
liberation of the consciousness from the expressly carnal to a state of
spiritual liberty. In Kabbalistic terms, this is the state of mochin d'katnut transcending to the
state of mochin d'gadlut. In Biblical
terms this is Jacob becoming Israel.
The Israelites
represent illuminated thoughts of higher spiritual consciousness which are
being developed through discipline. These illuminated thoughts are "drawn
out" by the Moses Principle (note: the term Moshe literally means to draw
out). Moses draws out these higher spiritual thoughts (Israelites) through
the Divine Torah which is a law of execution and activity – the Torah is a
universal Law that purifies the consciousness through the realization of Truth.
Note that when we refer to Torah we are
expressing its truest nature as the expression of Divine Ideals that order the
Universe.
The Sanctuary is a temporal
vessel for the transient state of wandering wherein the Shekinah dwells in the
physical world. Likewise, the human being is a temporal vessel on a transient
journey in the material world which has to be built up in its consciousness in
order to be refined as a proper vessel for the Shekinah in the physical world.
This is an aspect of the Kabbalistic secret known as the "Unification of
the Name."
Among the higher
spiritual consciousness of Israel there are two aspects drawn out: Bezalel and Oholiab. These are two "craftsmen" who take the
collective contributions of the Israelites (Spiritual thoughts) and apply them
productively towards the furnishing of the Sanctuary (Human Being/Temple).
The name Bezalel is from the root term b'tzelem which appears in Genesis 1:26,
27 when Man is created in the image of
God. Bezalel means in the
"image, likeness and shadow of God." Bezalel is the Son of Ur
(enlightened understanding) and the grandson of Hur (filled with Light). The
Torah states that Bezalel was filled with Wisdom (Chokmah) and Understanding (Binah).
The name Oholiab means: "tent of the
Father" and he is the son of Ahisamach
(supporting brother) and grandson of Dan which represents Judgement (Da'at).
In other words, the
Shekinah can dwell in the human body (Sanctuary) and experience Itself in a
transitory state of Being when the human vessel has its thoughts (Israelites)
refined to a higher state of Chockmah
and Binah (mochin d'gadlut) which is supported and properly ordered by correct
Judgment (Da'at). Da'at (judgment) is the correct attitude
of Man which builds up and supports the Sanctuary by balancing Chokmah and Binah through the moderating force of Judgment.
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