In the book of R. Hamnuna the Ancient it is written concerning the two letters Heth and Teth that they were not engraved upon the precious stones, those stones of perfection (on the High Priest’s ephod), and the names of the Twelve Tribes inscribed on those stones do not contain these two letters, because together they would form the word Het (sin).
All the letters of the Alphabet hang in engraved mysteries of the Holy Names in the Temple place; also Heaven and Earth, and all that is above and below; yea, the Holy Name itself is engraved there.
So it was in the Tabernacle also, because “Bezalel possessed such great wisdom that he knew how to combine those letters of the Alphabet by which heaven and earth were created”,1T. B. Berakhoth, 55a. and so, on account of his great wisdom, the building of the Tabernacle was entrusted to him, and he was set apart from among all the children of Israel.
And as one was set apart above, so the Holy One wished that he should be set apart also below. As the Lord said unto Moses: “Behold I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah” (Ex. 21, 2), so did Moses say unto the children of Israel: “Behold the Lord hath called by name Bezalel”, etc. (Ibid. 25, 30). Therefore his name was Bezalel, i.e. bezel El, “in the very shadow of God”. And who is that one? The Righteous, who sits in the shadow of Him whose name is “The Highest God” (El elyon). So this one holds a position below corresponding to that of El above: as El “took six sides”, so did the Righteous take six sides; as the El sends out light above, so does this Righteous shed light below; as that El is the synthesis of all the six dimensions, so is that Righteous.
“The son of Uri”-the son of primeval light (or), which the Holy One created in the time of Creation. “The son of Hur”-the son of absolute freedom (herut); or “the son of the whitest (havra) of all colours”- And he is appropriately “of the tribe of Judah”.
וּבְסִפְרָא דְּרַב הַמְנוּנָא סָבָא, הָכָא אִינּוּן תְּרֵין אַתְוָון: ח', ט'. וְעַל דָּא לָא הֲווֹ כְּתִיבִין גּוֹ אַבְנִי בּוּרְלָא, אֲבָנִין דְּאַשְׁלָמוּתָא, וּשְׁבָטִין דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, תְּרֵין אַתְוָון אִלֵּין אִתְמְנָעוּ מִנַּיְיהוּ, בְּגִין דְּלָא יְהֵא רָשִׁים בְּגַּוַּויְיהוּ חֵ"ט.
In the book of R. Hamnuna the Ancient it is written concerning the two letters Heth and Teth that they were not engraved upon the precious stones, those stones of perfection (on the High Priest’s ephod), and the names of the Twelve Tribes inscribed on those stones do not contain these two letters, because together they would form the word Het (sin).
בְּאֲתָר דְּבֵי מַקְדְּשָׁא תַּלְיָין כָּל אַתְוָון דְּאַלְפָא בֵּיתָא, בְּרָזִין גְּלִיפָן דִּשְׁמָהָן קַדִּישִׁין, קְשִׁירִין, מְרֻקָּמָן עָלֵיהּ, וְכָל עָלְמָא דִּלְעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא, כֹּלָּא בְּרָזָא דְּאַתְוָון מִּתְחַמְמָן (נ"א מתחקקן) וּגְּלִיפָא, וְרָזִין דִּקְדֻשָׁא (ס"א דשמא קדישא) עִלָּאָה, עָלַיְיהוּ אִתְגְּלִיף.
All the letters of the Alphabet hang in engraved mysteries of the Holy Names in the Temple place; also Heaven and Earth, and all that is above and below; yea, the Holy Name itself is engraved there.
בְּמַשְׁכְּנָא אִתְגְּלִיפוּ וְאִתְצָיָירוּ אַתְוָון כַּדְקָא חֲזִי. דְּהָא בְּצַלְאֵל הֲוָה יָדַע חָכְמְתָא, לְצָרְפָא אַתְוָון דְּאִתְבְּרִיאוּ בְּהוּ שְׁמַיָא וְאַרְעָא. וְעַל חָכְמְתָא דִּילֵיהּ, (נ"א דא) אִתְבְּנֵי מַשְׁכְּנָא עַל יְדֵיהּ, וְאִתְבְּרִיר מִכָּל עַמָּא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל.
So it was in the Tabernacle also, because “Bezalel possessed such great wisdom that he knew how to combine those letters of the Alphabet by which heaven and earth were created”,1T. B. Berakhoth, 55a. and so, on account of his great wisdom, the building of the Tabernacle was entrusted to him, and he was set apart from among all the children of Israel.
וּכְמָה דְּאִיהוּ אִתְבְּרִיר לְעֵילָּא, הָכִי בָּעָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא דְּיִתְבְּרִיר לְתַתָּא. לְעֵילָּא כְּתִיב, (שמות ל״א:ב׳) רְאֵה קָרָאתִי בְשֵׁם בְּצַלְאֵל. לְתַתָּא (שמות ל״ה:ל׳) רְאוּ קָרָא יְיָ' בְּשֵׁם בְּצַלְאֵל. וּשְׁמֵיהּ בְּרָזָא עִלָּאָה אִקְרֵי הָכִי בְּצַלְאֵל: בְּצֵל אֵל. וּמַאן אִיהוּ. דָּא צַדִּיק. דְּאִיהוּ יָתִיב בְּצֵל אֵל, הַהוּא דְּאִקְרֵי אֵל (לך לך ע"ז ע"א) עֶלְיוֹן. וְאִיהוּ יָתִיב כְּגַוְונָא דְּהַהוּא אֵל. הַהוּא אֵל נָטִיל שִׁית סִטְרִין, הַהוּא צַדִּיק נָטִיל לוֹן. אוּף הָכִי, הַהוּא אֵל אַנְהִיר לְעֵילָּא, הַאי צַדִּיק אַנְהִיר לְתַתָּא. הַהוּא אֵל, כְּלָלָא דְּכֻלְּהוּ שִׁית סִטְרִין. הַהוּא צַדִּיק, כְּלָלָא דְּכֻלְּהוּ שִׁית סִטְרִין.
And as one was set apart above, so the Holy One wished that he should be set apart also below. As the Lord said unto Moses: “Behold I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah” (Ex. 21, 2), so did Moses say unto the children of Israel: “Behold the Lord hath called by name Bezalel”, etc. (Ibid. 25, 30). Therefore his name was Bezalel, i.e. bezel El, “in the very shadow of God”. And who is that one? The Righteous, who sits in the shadow of Him whose name is “The Highest God” (El elyon). So this one holds a position below corresponding to that of El above: as El “took six sides”, so did the Righteous take six sides; as the El sends out light above, so does this Righteous shed light below; as that El is the synthesis of all the six dimensions, so is that Righteous.
בֶּן אוּרִי: בֶּן אוֹר קַדְמָאָה, דְּבָרָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּעוֹבָדָא דִּבְרֵאשִׁית. בֶּן חוּר: בֶּן חִירוּ דְּכֹלָּא. דָּבָר אַחֵר, בֶּן חוּר: בֶּן חִוָּור מִכָּל גַּוְונִין. וְדָא אִתְמָנֵי לְמַטֵּה יְהוּדָה, כֹּלָּא כַּדְקָא יֵאוֹת.
“The son of Uri”-the son of primeval light (or), which the Holy One created in the time of Creation. “The son of Hur”-the son of absolute freedom (herut); or “the son of the whitest (havra) of all colours”- And he is appropriately “of the tribe of Judah”.