By: Jina Davidovich
In New York, art is present all around: in grandiose buildings, graffiti on the walls, and the myriad museums that litter the city streets. It is no surprise, then, that artistry makes a significant appearance in the first tabernacle, the dessert-bound mishkan, the place that we served God before all Jews made the grand exodus to the east coast. Although he does not have a Ninja Turtle named after him, Betzalel, the great artist of the mishkan, is a character who is literally shrouded in mystery. Prior to his appointment as the designer of the mishkan[1], Betzazel is never mentioned in any leadership role or even in a creative capacity. One would imagine that the hands who craft the very vessels that the Israelites would use to commune with God would have a more significant place in the text. Betzalel’s very name carries the connotation of obscurity. He is in the shadow (tzel) of God (El). Naturally, as an extrovert, my reaction to a figure that plays such a significant role within the Biblical narrative is to question why his character has not played a leading role in the text.
In a recent TED talk, filmed in 2012, Susan Cain, a Wall Street attorney, extols the virtues of introversion[2]. For Cain, introversion is not about the shy, quiet, student who sits in the back of a classroom and does not contribute to the group conversion, rather, the introvert is the individual who truly connects with his/her own creative spirit, and through independent work and thinking, comes to great ideas. Though she does not mention him explicitly, it seems that for Cain, Betzalel would present as a paradigmatic introvert.
While the nature of many great leaders is thought to come from their public personas or oratory capabilities, perhaps it is the man who is able to contend with his own mind who should be found the most virtuous. Indeed, in the creation narrative, man is made “betzelem elokim” - “in the image of God.” Interestingly, the words tzelem and tzel (the root of Betzalel’s name) share an etymological root. While this may imply something about the nature of God’s presence in the lives of man, that He is hidden in the shadows, perhaps it says something much more profound about the nature of man. The image of God can be read as a call for man to be autonomous over his own mind; just as God is autonomous over His world and His creations. Rather than expressing our grand ideas to the world, garnering attention, and exploiting our talents, it is man’s mission to contend with himself, his mind, and gain an understanding of how to utilize his God-given gifts without needing explicit recognition.
Rashi explains that Hashem bestowed Betzalel with ruach ha’kodesh. This elusive term, applied to many individuals throughout Biblical and rabbinic literature, can be understood in the following manner: being imbued with a Divine spirit is the recognition of one’s God-given talents, the hard work that is put in to hone them, and sharing them with the world. This is the very nature of Betzalel, he is the true embodiment of Susan Cain’s introversion and ruach ha’kodesh - the biblical model for those who have great ideas, but prefer to have their personas in the shadows, rather than in the spotlight of leadership.
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