“See, I have called by name Betzalel the son of Uri, the son of Chur, of the tribe of Yehuda: and I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship” (Shemos 31:2-3)

Chazal tell us that when Betzalel constructed the Tabernacle and its vessels, he knew how to combine the very letters with which the world was created – and he kept this in mind while crafting them. This is clearly a kabbalistic concept which feels quite foreign to our everyday understanding. I’d like to share an insight from the Chasam Sofer that sheds some light on this idea.

The Chasam Sofer (Moses Schreiber 1762–1839), in several places in his work, “Likutei Teshuvos”, discusses praying in languages other than lashon hakodesh, and translating the Torah into other languages. He likens this to the story of Achashveirosh and Vashti. Achashveirosh wanted to display his wife’s beauty by having her appear before his guests unclothed. The Chasam Sofer observes that if an ordinary king made such a request – even if the queen would comply – she would likely cry. She might tell him, “You believe you’re honoring yourself by parading me uncovered before everyone, but you’re actually doing the opposite. Clothing refines and elevates beauty; it highlights, frames, and adds dignity. Without it, true beauty is lost – nothing stands out. A queen must leave something to the imagination for her true dignity and beauty to shine through.”

He applies this to Torah learning. The Torah can be understood through four categories, known by the acronym “pardes” (pshat, remez, drush, and sod). The same verse can have one meaning on one level, and an entirely different or even deeper meaning on another.

Here’s a simple example: A mother tells her teenager, “I am sure you want to clean your room.” The child responds, “Yeah, sure!” On the pshat (simple) level, it sounds like the child agreed: “Yes”, meaning “I’d love to”. But on the drush level, the response meant, “Absolutely not – but you are forcing me to do it!” Both interpretations correctly fit the words, but they’re just different levels of understanding.

Understanding the Torah works similarly – there are multiple levels of meaning within the same text. The Radvaz (David ben Solomon ibn Zimra 1479–1573) in his Teshuvos (3:643) asks, “Why is the Torah written without vowels and cantillations? Wouldn’t that have made learning it so much easier?” He answers that the vowels and cantillations bring breadth and depth of understanding to the words, revealing the ruchnios (spiritual side) of the words. Whereas the letters themselves are just the gashmius of the words. This, explains the Chasam Sofer, is what Chazal meant when they said Betzalel knew how to use the letters with which the world was created – he understood this spiritual aspect of the Torah – the vowels and cantillations, which gave him a profound insight into what the vessels truly represented. With this deeper understanding, he was able to create them, aligning their physical form with their spiritual essence.

This is why the Torah describes Betzalel as full of wisdom (chochma) and understanding (tevuna). With these qualities, he unlocked the secrets of the Mishkan’s design.

The Chasam Sofer extends this to us today: When we learn Torah using the methods handed down through the mesorah of Chazal, combined with our unique intellect, we can unlock new chiddushei Torah that were never known beforehand.
May we merit to understand the Torah and fulfill what we understand, to the point that we find favor in Hashem’s eyes. Through that merit, may we celebrate this upcoming Pesach in the rebuilt Holy Temple in Jerusalem.