Parshat Vayakhel Rabbi Chaim Brovender

Let us learn a posuk with Rashi

"U'Lihorot-to decide, [Hashem] gave him [Bezalel] that ability and to Ohaliav the son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan" (35: 34).

Bezalel is responsible for building the mishkan and Ohaliav will serve as his assistant.

We suppose that the selection of Ohaliav took talent and competence as an artisan into account. Still, we are told that he is from the "tribe of Dan," an opaque reference. U'Lihorot, the ability to decide, however, might indicate some special competence shared also by Ohaliav that made him the right person for the job: a qualification.

Rashi wonders why the Torah stressed that Ohaliav came from the tribe of Dan. He writes: "Dan is of the lowest tribes. A son of a maidservant [not a wife]. Hashem put Ohaliav on the level of Bezalel as a builder of the mishkan. Bezalel was from the tribe of Yehuda, the greatest of the tribes. This to fulfill the verse: "And the nobleman is not recognized ahead of the pauper..." (Iyyov 34:19)."

Rashi is concerned about a particular point. On the one hand, the monarchy was given to Yehuda and to his family. The mishkan represented the glory of the people and even the clothing worn by the priests was derived from kingly garb (see Ramban, Truma). It is therefore reasonable that the mishkan should be built by Bezalel. The majesty of the mishkan deserved the involvement of someone from the tribe of Yehuda: the tribe of Israel's Kings. However, Bezalel had an assistant, Ohaliav. Ohaliav was not from the Tribe of Yehuda but from Dan.

Earlier in Sefer Shemot, we read "I shall give you the tablets of stone and the Torah, and the commandment that I have written, L'horotum-to instruct them..." (24:12).

Moshe will receive the Torah "to instruct or teach." This is the same word as "to decide" in our verse. The ability to decide mentioned above is, in light of this earlier pasuk, related to Torah teaching. Ohaliav had to be able to determine what the Torah demanded and to execute it. He was chosen because of the confidence Heaven had that he would make correct Torah decisions.

Let us return to Rashi. The problem that Rashi is trying to deal with is not why Oholoiav was chosen: he was chosen for his competence in Torah. Rashi's problem is why did the Torah mention that he was of the tribe of Dan. What importance might that be?

Rashi explains. Even though the Temple was connected to the power invested in the tribe of Yehuda, decisions need to be made according to the will of the Torah. In this case no tribal hierarchy plays a role. The decision was to choose the best man, the greatest scholar of Torah, Oholiav of the tribe of Dan.

Chaim Brovender

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