Bezalel was chosen to be the architect of the Tabernacle. His name translates as “a shadow of God. This is to teach us that we all have talent from God and it is up to us on how we use it.
Author: Shlomo Bar-Ayal
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Where is God?
This was a question asked by the Kotzker Rebbe in the 19th Century. The answer is wherever you let Him in. God wants to enter the world, but we have to let Him in by our actions.
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Don’t Just Be Spiritual
The Torah goes into detail about how the Tabernacle should be built. The question is why. The answer is that we have to obey the commandments to make ourselves better people. It is not up to our subjective judgment.
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We Need the Tabernacle
The purpose of the Tabernacle was not for God but for us. God does not need us to build Him a home. Just as our prayers are more for us than for God.
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Do Not Pervert Judgement
The Torah admonishes judges to be upright and follow the law, even when the majority want it to do otherwise. The worst thing that can happen to a society of that there is no justice.
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Slaves Cannot Serve God Fully
If a slave states that he prefers slavery to freedom, he is punished. This is to teach us that slavery is not the normal state of a person. God wants us to be free people.
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God Wants Action, Not Words
God wants us to do the right thing. No where in the Torah is there a commandment to believe in God. But there are on how to behave.
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Morality & Religion
The difference between the Torah and previous law codes is that the previous law codes were totally secular. The Torah states that even “secular” or ethical laws are from God.
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Ritual Needs Morality
After the revelation of Mt. Sinai, the logical step would be to build a Tabernacle to God. But the Torah takes a detour and speaks about how to build an ethical society.