gold and silver round coins — Photo by Zlaťáky.cz on Unsplash

Gimme Some Torah #219

Exodus 35:30-32

וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל רְאוּ קָרָא יְהֹוָה בְּשֵׁם בְּצַלְאֵל בֶּן־אוּרִי בֶן־חוּר לְמַטֵּה יְהוּדָה׃ וַיְמַלֵּא אֹתוֹ רוּחַ אֱלֹהִים בְּחׇכְמָה בִּתְבוּנָה וּבְדַעַת וּבְכׇל־מְלָאכָה׃ וְלַחְשֹׁב מַחֲשָׁבֹת לַעֲשֹׂת בַּזָּהָב וּבַכֶּסֶף וּבַנְּחֹשֶׁת׃

And Moses said to the Israelites: See, יהוה has singled out by name Bezalel, son of Uri son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, endowing him with a divine spirit of skill, ability, and knowledge in every kind of craft, and inspiring him to make designs for work in gold, silver, and copper,

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Moses tells the nation that God has appointed Bezalel to be the chief artisan in charge of the Mishkan’s construction. He furthermore says that all of Bezalel’s talent comes from God, and that the Holy One has inspired him with a comprehensive knowledge of every craft. (A handy Jew!)

Inspiration is the mental energy that powers our lives. It effects every corner of our lives, from our most meaningful and holy moments to the most quotidian and mundane. Ex. 35:32 singles out the precious metals (what we call money) as things that require a great deal of inspiration and thought.

Rabbi Yehuda Leib Avida (bio) taught that we often think about money in a backwards fashion—we think that it is hard to make money and easy to spend it:

People assume that the main worry is how to make money, and that we already know what do with the money once we make it. But this is a mistake. Those who are truly wise remember Proverbs 30:8, which says “Give me neither poverty nor riches.” Money raises a man up, and money kills him. People used money to make the Mishkan, but they also used it to make the Golden Calf. And this is what Ex. 35:32 means when it says, “and inspiring him to make designs for work in gold, silver, and copper.” There is a great need for understanding, wisdom, and thought so that we know what to do with our gold and silver. (From Itturei Torah, ed. R. Aharon Greenberg, vol. 3, p. 285, translation mine)

Making money in this world is not easy, But how one spends that money is the real challenge in life.

Discussion Questions:

Do you agree with R. Yehuda Avida that making money is easier than spending it? If not, why not?
How important is money to you? What are some things that are more important?

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Rabbi Eli Garfinkel is the spiritual leader of Temple Beth El in Somerset, New Jersey. He is the author of The JPS Jewish Heritage Torah Commentary.

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#219: Making Money and Spending Money