I

n Vayakhel we meet, for the
second time, the man who
became the symbol of the
artist in Judaism, a man by the
name of Betzalel.
Then Moses said to the
Israelites, “Know
that the Lord has
chosen Betzalel,
son of Uri, the
son of Hur, of the
tribe of Judah,
and has filled him
with a Divine
spirit of wisdom,
understanding and knowledge
in every craft, to make artistic
designs for work in gold, silver
and bronze, as well as cutting
stones for setting, carving wood,
engaging in every other craft.
He has also given him the ability
to teach others, together with
Oholiav, son of Achisamach of
the tribe of Dan. He has filled
them with the skill to do all
kinds of work as engravers,
designers, embroiderers in sky-
blue, purple, or scarlet wool or
fine linen, and as weavers. They
will be able to carry out all the
necessary work and design.
” Ex.
35:30-35

It would be Betzalel (together
with Ohaliab) who would
make the Tabernacle and its
furnishings and be celebrated
through the centuries as the
inspired craftsman who used
his skills for the greater glory of
God.
The aesthetic dimension
of Judaism has tended to be
downplayed, at least until the
modern era, for obvious reasons.
The Israelites worshipped the
invisible God who transcended
the universe. Other than the
human person, God has no
image. Even when He revealed
Himself to the people at Sinai:
“You heard the sound of words
but saw no image; there was only
a Voice.
” Deut. 4:12
Given the intense connection
— until around the 18th
century — between art and
religion, image-making was
seen as potentially idolatrous.
Hence the second of the Ten
Commandments: “Do not make
for yourself any carved image
or likeness of in the form of any
creature in heaven above or the
earth beneath or in the waters
below.
” Ex. 20:4

This concern continued
long after the biblical era. The
Greeks, who achieved unrivaled
excellence in the visual arts,
were, in the religious sphere,
still a pagan people of myth and
mystery, while the Romans had
a disturbing tendency to turn
Caesars into gods and erect
statues to them.
However, the visual dimension
was not wholly missing from
Judaism. There are visible
symbols, like tzitzit and tefillin.
There is, according to the Sages,
a meta-mitzvah known as hiddur
mitzvah — “beautifying the
command” — to try to ensure
that all objects used in the
performance of a command are
as beautiful as possible.
The most significant intrusion
of the aesthetic dimension
was in the Tabernacle itself, its
framework and hangings, its
furniture, the cherubim above
the ark, the menorah, and the
vestments of the priests and the
High Priest, lekavod uletifaret,
“for dignity and beauty” (Ex.
28:2).
Maimonides in The Guide for
the Perplexed (III:45) says that

most people are influenced by
aesthetic considerations, which is
why the Sanctuary was designed
to inspire admiration and awe;
why a continual light burned
there; why the priestly robes
were so impressive; why there
was music in the form of the
Levitical choir; and why incense
was burned to cover the smell of
the sacrifices.
Maimonides himself, in
the work known as The Eight
Chapters — the introduction to
his commentary on Mishnah
Avot — speaks about the
therapeutic power of beauty and
its importance in counteracting
depression: “Someone afflicted
with melancholy may dispel
it by listening to music
and various kinds of song,
by strolling in gardens, by
experiencing beautiful buildings,
by associating with beautiful
pictures, and similar sorts of
things that broaden the soul …
”
The Eight Chapters, chapter 5

A BALM TO THE SOUL
Art, in short, is balm to the soul.
In modern times, the thinker
who spoke most eloquently
about aesthetics was Rav Kook.
In his Commentary to the
Siddur, he wrote: “Literature,
painting and sculpture give
material expression to all the
spiritual concepts implanted in
the depths of the human soul,
and as long as even one single
line hidden in the depth of the
soul has not been given outward
expression, it is the task of art
[avodat ha-umanut] to bring it
out.
” Olat Re-ayah, II, 3
Evidently, these remarks
were considered controversial,
so in later editions of
the Commentary, the phrase
“Literature, painting and
sculpture” was removed and in
its place was written, “Literature,
its design and tapestry.”
The name Betzalel was
adopted by the artist Boris Schatz
for the School of Arts and Crafts
he founded in Israel in 1906,

Rabbi Lord
Jonathan
Sacks

SPIRIT
A WORD OF TORAH

God’s Shadow

34 | MARCH 7 • 2024
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