We're often told that the Mishkan (portable desert temple) was built exactly to God's instructions, with the repeating words "kaasher tzvivah Hashem". No human creativity involved. But dig a little deeper and we see that Betzalel, the master craftsman had a kind of insight that bypassed Moshe on occasion and intuited God's intent directly.
For this, Moshe recognises that Betzalel's name, in a play on words, reflects him being "B'tzel El" - directly "in God's shadow".
Artists have a knack of cutting through what society tells us, bypassing authority figures and getting straight to a kind of higher truth.
And "Betzalel", for this reason, is the name of Israel's leading art school.
We need more of this in this world, so I hope that I can make more time for my own inner artist in the future.
And with this, we complete the book of Shemot.
Chazak chazak v'nitchazek!
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