sholem aleichem,

In our parsha, haShem selects Betzalel to build the mishkan, saying: “I have filled him with the spirit of Elokim, with wisdom, and with understanding and with knowledge”.

In the Sifrei, Rebbi explains the difference between wisdom and understanding (R Silverstein’s translation): “The wise man is like a traveling money changer. When he is brought (coins to assess), he examines them. When he is not brought (coins), he sits idle. The understanding man is like a rich money-changer. When he is not brought (coins) to examine, he examines his own.”

Like Betzalel, we need to be both.

A story:

One time, some students came to the Baal Shem Tov and asked him: “In what manner is atheism permitted?” And he replied: “in charity, you don't say to a poor person that they should have trust and certainly haShem will help them. Just be an atheist in that moment and do for [the poor person] all that is in your power.”

The Baal Shem Tov is telling his students to be wise. When the circumstances call on them to act, they must act. When there is a person in need that they can help, they must help.

But to know that they can help, they need to first be like the wealthy merchant of understanding. They need to have counted their wealth, to know that they have what to give, to know how the world is asking them to help. To know if they are the one who can act in these circumstances.

So -

We all need the understanding to know, like the wealthy merchant, what our resources are and how we can act in the world. And we need to wisdom to recognize, like the traveling merchant, when the world is demanding us to act and when it is not.

We need the confidence of understanding, to know that we have power in this world. And we need the humility of wisdom, to know when we are powerless.

I am but dust and ashes.
The world world was created just for me.

good shabbos,
ada

p.s. You might notice how often the word “know” appears above. I’m curious about the synthesis of wisdom and understanding in the third trait given to Betzalel, which was knowledge. If you have thoughts, please share!

p.p.s. I’m also curious how this balance of wisdom and understanding relates to what the Taoists call “wei wu wei”. Here’s Ursula K. LeGuin: “Over and over, Lao Tzu says wei wu wei: Do not do. Doing not-doing. To act without acting. Action by inaction. You do nothing yet it gets done…”

p.p.p.s. I learned the Sifrei quoted above from R’ Ari Shishler.