וַיַּעַשׂ בְּצַלְאֵל אֶת הָאָרֹן. אַתָה מוֹצֵא כָּל מַה שֶּׁהָיָה בַמִּשְׁכָּן, עַל הַסֵּדֶר הָיָה עָשׂוּי. בַּתְּחִלָּה עָשָׂה אֶת הַקְּרָשִׁים וְחִבְּרָם, וְאַחַר כָּךְ עָשָׂה יְרִיעוֹת עִזִּים, שֶׁיְּהֵא פוֹרֵשׂ עֲלֵיהֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְעָשִׂיתָ יְרִיעֹת עִזִּים לְאֹהֶל עַל הַמִּשְׁכָּן (שמות כו, ז), וְאַחַר כָּךְ עָשָׂה אֶת הַפָּרֹכֶת, שֶׁתְּהֵא נִתְלֵית בִּפְנֵי הָאָרוֹן. מִשֶּׁעָשָׂה אֶת הָאָרוֹן וְעָשָׂה אוֹתָהּ, עָשָׂה כַּפֹּרֶת זָהָב, שֶׁהָיְתָה נְתוּנָה עַל הָאָרוֹן. And Bezalel made the ark (Exod. 37:1). You find that everything constructed for the Tabernacle was made in its proper order. First he made the boards and joined them together. After that he made the curtain of goats’ hair to spread over them, as it is said: And thou shalt make a curtain of goats’ hair for a tent over the Tabernacle (Exod. 26:7). When he completed the ark, he made the cover that was to be hung before the ark: After he made the ark, he made the ark cover of pure gold (ibid. 37:6).
אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּרַבִּי יוֹסִי, אֲנִי רָאִיתִי אֶת הַכַּפֹּרֶת בְּרוֹמִי וְרָאִיתִי עָלֶיהָ כְּמִין טִפֵּי דָם, וְשָׁאַלְתִּי אוֹתָם מָה הַדָּם הַזֶּה שֶׁעַל הַכַּפֹּרֶת. וְאָמְרוּ לִי, מִדָּם שֶׁל יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים מַה שֶּׁהָיָה כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל מַזֶּה. לְפִיכָךְ כַּפֹּרֶת הָיְתָה נְתוּנָה עַל אָרוֹן. R. Eliezer the son of R. Yosé said: I saw the ark covering in Rome15After the conquest of the land of Israel by Rome, the ark and the covering were taken to Rome. and noticed drops of blood upon it. I asked them why this blood was upon the ark cover. They told me: This was some of the blood the high priest sprinkled on the Day of Atonement. Therefore this ark cover must have been on the ark made by Bezalel.
וְלָמָּה נִקְרָא שְׁמָהּ כַּפֹּרֶת, שֶׁהָיְתָה מְכַפֶּרֶת עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל. מִשֶּׁעָשָׂה כַּפֹּרֶת, עָשָׂה אֶת הַשֻּׁלְחָן שֶׁהָיָה לֶחֶם הַפָּנִים עָלָיו שֶׁהָיָה נָתוּן לִפְנֵי הָאָרוֹן מִשֶּׁעָשָׂה אֶת הַשֻּׁלְחָן, עָשָׂה אֶת הַמְּנוֹרָה, שֶׁתְּהֵא מְאִירָה עַל הַשֻּׁלְחָן. הֱוֵי, כְּטַכְסִין שֶׁל מְלָכִים עָשָׂה אוֹתָהּ. לְפִיכָךְ כְּתִיב: וַיַּעַשׂ בְּצַלְאֵל אֶת הָאָרֹן עֲצֵי שִׁטִּים. וּבְצַלְאֵל עַצְמוֹ עָשָׂה הַכֹּל? שֶׁכָּל פַּעַם וָפַעַם הוּא אוֹמֵר וַיַּעַשׂ בְּצַלְאֵל! אֶלָּא עַל יְדֵי שֶׁנָּתַן נַפְשׁוֹ הַרְבֵּה עַל הַמִּשְׁכָּן, לְפִיכָךְ לֹא קִפַּח הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שְׂכָרוֹ וְהוּא מְפַרְסְמוֹ בְּכָל פַּעַם וָפַעַם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיַּעַשׂ בְּצַלְאֵל. Why was the ark cover called a kapporet? Because it effected atonement (mekapper) for Israel. After he made the ark cover, he fashioned the table upon which the show-bread rested, which was placed before the ark. When he completed the table, he constructed the menorah that illuminated the table. Hence he made everything according to the usual practice of kings. Therefore it is written: And Bezalel made the ark of acacia-wood. Did Bezalel do all the work by himself, that Scripture should repeat each time And Bezalel made? Indeed not. But since he devoted himself so zealously to the work of the Tabernacle, the Holy One, blessed be He, would not deprive him of his reward, and so He mentioned him each time, as is written: And Bezalel made.
כַּיּוֹצֵא בַדָּבָר אַתָּה אוֹמֵר, אַךְ יוֹנָתָן בֶּן עֲשָׂהאֵל וְיַחְזְיָה בֶן תִּקְוָה עָמְדוּ עַל זֹאת, וּמְשֻׁלָּם וְשַׁבְּתַי הַלֵּוִי עֲזָרֻם (עזרא י, טו). כְּתִיב יוֹנָתָן, נָתַן נַפְשׁוֹ וּבָאוּ אֵלָיו וְעָזְרוּ אוֹתוֹ אֲבָל פִּרְסְמוֹ הַכָּתוּב תְּחִלָּה עַל שֶׁנָּתַן נַפְשׁוֹ הַרְבֵּה וְאַף בְּצַלְאֵל, כָּל הַחֲכָמִים עָשׂוּ עִמּוֹ. וּלְפִי שֶׁנָּתַן נַפְשׁוֹ עַל הַמִּשְׁכָּן הַרְבֵּה, לְפִיכָךְ כְּתִיב: וַיַעַשׂ בְּצַלְאֵל אֶת הָאָרֹן. Another illustration of this is in the verse Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah stood up against this matter (supporting Ezra’s decree that the Israelites were to send away their foreign wives); and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite helped them (Ezek. 10:15).16See Ezra 10:9–33. Because Jonathan devoted himself zealously to this matter while the other only helped him, his name is mentioned first. Similarly in the case of Bezalel. All the wise men assisted him, but because he devoted himself most zealously to the erection of the Tabernacle, it is written: And Bezalel made the ark.
אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, חַיֵּיכֶם, בִּזְכוּת הַמִּשְׁכָּן אֲנִי מֵאִיר לָכֶם, לְפִי שֶׁכָּל דָּבָר וְדָבָר שֶׁאַתֶּם עוֹשִׂים בַּמִּשְׁכָּן, כָּךְ אֲנִי פוֹרֵעַ לָכֶם. וְלֹא תֹאמַר בַּמִּשְׁכָּן, אֶלָּא אֲפִלּוּ בִּגְדֵי כֹהֵן גָּדוֹל, לְכָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד הָיוּ מְכַפְּרִים. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: Be assured that because of the importance of the Tabernacle, I shall be a light unto you, and because of everything you did in constructing the Tabernacle, I will reward you. But do not imagine that it is for the Sanctuary alone that you will be rewarded. I will reward you, as well, for the garments worn by the high priest. Each one obtained forgiveness for the people.
אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, עֲשִׂיתֶם יְרִיעוֹת עִזִּים לְאֹהֶל עַל הַמִּשְׁכָּן, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאַתֶּם פּוֹרְעִים לִי, מַעֲלֶה אֲנִי עֲלֵיכֶם כְּאִלּו אַתֶּם גּוֹמְלִים עָלָי. לְפִי שֶׁבְּשָׁעָה שֶׁיְּצָאתֶם מִמִּצְרַיִם, הֵבֵאתִי עָנָן וְהָיָה עָשׂוּי כְּמִין אֹהֶל וְהָיָה מֵגִין עֲלֵיכֶם. וַאֲנִי פוֹרֵעַ לָכֶם לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וּבָרָא ה' עַל כָּל מְכוֹן הַר צִיּוֹן וְעַל מִקְרָאֶהָ עָנָן יוֹמָם וְעָשָׁן וְנֹגַהּ אֵשׁ לֶהָבָה לָיְלָה כִּי עַל כָּל כָּבוֹד חֻפָּה (ישעיה ד, ה). עֲשִׂיתֶם לְפָנַי כַּפֹּרֶת, חַיֵּיכֶם, עַל יְדֵי הַכַּפֹּרֶת מְכַפֵּר לָכֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: בְּכַפְּרִי לָךְ לְכָל אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂית (יחזקאל טז, סג). אַתֶּם עֲשִׂיתֶם לְפָנַי אָרוֹן שֶׁיֵּצֵא מִמֶּנּוּ אוֹר לָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, חַיֵּיכֶם, אֲנִי מֵאִיר עֲלֵיכֶם לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְהָיָה אוֹר הַלְּבָנָה כְּאוֹר הַחַמָּה וְגוֹ' (ישעיה ל, כו). וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר, קוּמִי אוֹרִי כִּי בָא אוֹרֵךְ (ישעיה ס, א). The Holy One, blessed be He, said: Because you have made a curtain of goats’ hair to serve as a tent over the Tabernacle in order to cover Me, I will cover you with a cloud on high, and I will consider it as if you had repaid Me. Because, at the time you went forth from Egypt, I brought a cloud that was a kind of tent to protect you, and I will reward you (in the same fashion) in the time-to-come, as it is said: And the Lord will create over the whole habitation of Mount Zion, and over her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night, for over all the glory shall be a canopy (Isa. 4:5). You made an ark cover for Me, so be assured, because of the ark cover I will forgive all your sins, as it is said: When I have forgiven thee all that thou hast done (Ezek. 16:63). Because you made an ark for Me from which light will go forth to the world, be assured I will illumine for you the world-to-come, as it is said: Moreover, the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun (Isa. 30:26), and it is written elsewhere: Arise, shine, for thy light is come (Isa. 60:1).
אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, עַל כָּל הַדְּבָרִים וְהַמִּצְוֹת שֶׁעֲשִׂיתֶם, אֲנִי פוֹרֵעַ לָכֶם לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא. וּבִזְכוּת הָאָרוֹן שֶׁעֲשִׂיתֶם שֶׁהַתּוֹרָה נְתוּנָה לְתוֹכוֹ, לְפִיכָךְ אֲנִי מֵאִיר לָכֶם וַאֲנִי מֵטִיב לָכֶם הַטּוֹבָה הַצְּפוּנָה לַצַּדִּיקִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: מָה רַב טוּבְךָ אֲשֶׁר צָפַנְתָּ לִּירֵאֶיךָ פָּעַלְתָּ לַחוֹסִים בָּךְ נֶגֶד בְּנֵי אָדָם (תהלים לא, כ). וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר, אוֹר זָרֻעַ לַצַּדִּיק וּלְיִשְׁרֵי לֵב שִׂמְחָה (תהלים צח, יא). The Holy One, blessed be He, declared; Because of all the things you did and the commandments you performed, I will repay you in the world-to-come. Because of the ark you made, in which the law is placed, I will be a light unto you and will bestow upon you the good that is stored up for the righteous, as it is said: Oh how abundant is Thy goodness, which Thou has laid up for them that fear Thee; which Thou hast wrought for them that take refuge in Thee, in the sight of the sons of men (Ps. 31:20). And it is also written: Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart (Ps. 97:11).