According to Dr. Newman, the tablet proves that Bezalel was a poor student who was given his talent by the Lord. “Bezalel was marked as a ‘goat’ in every single subject, signifying his unimpressive academic performance, yet God hired him for the job anyway,” Dr. Newman said. “God can endow even the least talented person with divine skill.”
However, Professor Herman Fleur of Brandeis University, author of the book Bob Dylan & Jonah Lehrer: The Origin of Poetic License, disagrees with Dr. Newman’s interpretation. “In biblical times, the goat was the preferred form of sacrifice to God,” Professor Fleur said. “To be marked as a ‘goat’ shows Bezalel was already a gifted student. God was making a choice that any employer today would make: hiring the best for his construction crew.”
The disagreement raises serious questions about the nature of artistic inspiration. Does artistic ability come from within? Or is it divinely bestowed?
It’s a question that scholars, artists, and, for that matter, scientists may never answer.
In ancient Rome, a genius was regarded as an external, guiding spirit. By the time of Augustus, however, the word had come to be associated with the creative vision of talented artists themselves.
That debate has continued through modern times. Romantic poets imagined their inspiration coming from outside. Their model was the aeolian harp—a musical instrument that is played by the wind. Conversely, Sigmund Freud and the psychoanalysts believed artistic ability was derived from the subconscious.
“If we accept that the goat image is a sign of success, we know that artistic ability is innate, and not external,” said Professor Fleur. “It allows us to begin to understand and quantify ability.”
Dr. Newman disagrees. “Culture holds that a goat is a sign of failure,” he said. “Bezalel’s abilities were clearly God given. Now that we know artistic creation comes from God, we can treat that divine gift with the humility and respect it deserves.”
Other experts disagree that the image is of a goat at all. “It looks like a man with large ears,” Roger Butterfield, director of the Institute for Judaic Art, wrote in an email. “Maybe Bezalel was just a really good listener?”
Controversy surrounding the selection of Bezalel and Oholiab has plagued the two for centuries. Talmudic scholars have long debated whether or not God’s hiring decisions for the Tabernacle accord with best practices for contemporary human resources. It’s widely believed, for example, that artists and craftsmen of the time who were not chosen challenged Moses, arguing that no craftsmen of their impoverished backgrounds could possibly be expert in materials as diverse as wood, gold, and copper.
Allegations of cronyism persist. Bezalel, critics claim, was chosen as a way of rewarding his grandfather Hur, who laid down his life to sanctify the name of the Lord, rather than join in worshipping a golden calf.
Others have wondered why two craftsmen of such diverse backgrounds—Oholiab is said to be the descendant of prostitutes—could be expected to collaborate.
Although Dr. Newman’s discovery holds out tantalizing possibilities for understanding our most inscrutable skills, scholarly agreement seems unlikely.
“Think about it. The Tabernacle wasn’t designed or built by either of these guys,” added Mr. Butterfield, a former Judaica fabricator. “Given what we know about the social culture of the Israelites, this was a community effort. The Tabernacle was crowd-sourced.”
“These are the records of the Tabernacle, the Tabernacle of the Pact, which were drawn up at Moses’ bidding.” —Exodus 38:21
P’KUDEI (“Amounts of”)
Exodus 38:21–40:38
Construction complete: bezalel’s achievement as project chief is celebrated, alongside that of Oholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, his carver, designer, and embroiderer. Working backward from the half-shekel levy, the census determines that the Israelites number 603,550 men over the age of twenty.
Upon completion, the Tabernacle, with its tent and full complement of furnishings, is presented to Moses. He inspects the new construction; after determining that it has been built to the Lord’s exacting specifications, he blesses those who created it.
The Lord runs through the Tabernacle’s day-to-day operations with Moses, teaching him how to make it holy, and how to purify Aaron and his sons. Moses follows every detail.
When Moses finishes his task list, God’s cloud descends on the Tent of Meeting, and the Lord’s presence fills the Tabernacle. Whenever the cloud rises, the Israelites know it is time to set out on their journey, and they will follow God’s presence in cloud form by day, and as a pillar of fire by night.
Josh Kun
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Part Three
Leviticus
If you like ritual, this is the book for you.
Beginning with detailed breakdowns of altar offerings, ranging from rams and he-goats to oxen, this is a volume in which the blood, organs, and smoke of sacrifices always linger.
No need for narrative here! The text reads like a crash course in Israelite legislation, concerning matters of purity, priestly probity, genital infections, and bestiality. The prescribed dose of fire, water, oil, or blood appears able to correct most things. It also makes this book tough going for most first-time readers.
Michelle Quint
Va-yikra (“And he called”) Leviticus 1:1–5:26
Rachel Levin
Tzav (“Command”) Leviticus 6:1–8:36
David Sax
Sh’mini (“Eighth”) Leviticus 9:1–11:47
Jamie Glassman
Tazri·a (“She conceives”) Leviticus 12:1–13:59
Tim Samuels
M’tzora (“Being diseased”) Leviticus 14:1–15:33
Amichai Lau-Lavie
Aharei Mot (“After death”) Leviticus 16:1–18:30
A. J. Jacobs
K’doshim (“Holy ones”) Leviticus 19:1–20:27
Dana Adam
Shapiro Emor (“Speak”) Leviticus 21:1–24:23
Mireille Silcoff
B’har (“On the Mount”) Leviticus 25:1–26:2
Christopher Noxon
B’hukkotai (“By my decrees”) Leviticus 26:3–27:34
“He shall then present, as an offering by fire to the Lord, the fat from a sacrifice of well-being: the whole broad tail, which shall be removed close to the backbone; the fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is about the entrails.” —Leviticus 3:9
VA-YIKRA (“And he called”)
Leviticus 1:1–5:26
The mystery of offerings is revealed. The Lord breaks down the specific categories of altar offerings so that Moses can explain the technical mechanics of sacrifice to the Israelites:
“Burnt offerings” require male bulls free of blemish. Aaron and his sons are to splash the blood against the altar before burning the flayed sections on a wood fire. A similar procedure is outlined for sheep or goats. If birds are brought for sacrificial purposes, only turtledoves or pigeons will suffice.
The recipe for “meal offerings” is spelled out: flour mixed with oil and frankincense. Unleavened cakes, wafers, grain, or fruit can also serve. The priests are to burn a token amount, but should feel free to eat the remainder.
“Sacrifices of well-being” are male or female livestock free of blemish.
“Sin offerings” for inadvertent transgressions require an unblemished bull, unless the sin is performed by a tribal chief, in which case a goat will be needed.
A “guilt offering,” necessary in the case of an unwitting transgression of a sacred commandment, can take the form of a female goat or sheep.
A person guilty of failing to testify when in a position to do so, of touching an unclean object like a carcass, or of breaking a forgotten oath can rectify the situation by offering a sheep or goat, two turtledoves or two pigeons—one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering—or, if the lawbreaker is impoverished, choice flour and oil.
If a person has been sacrilegious, a ram or its equivalent worth in silver shekels is required. A ram is also needed for someone guilty of deceitful dealings with other humans, be it through broken pledges, robbery, or fraud. A restitution payment of the principal amount plus 20 percent is also demanded.
Michelle Quint
THE TENT OF MEETING: AN OFFERINGS GUIDEBOOK FOR YOUR KITCHEN
Tony’s Bloody Guilt Roast
When we first put this dish on the altar, it brought a lot of guilty Israelites into the Tent. So we heard a lot of opinions. Some folks prefer to do the slaughter inside or flash fry smaller strips of fat. But at the Tent, we like to keep our floor clean and our cuts large.
Big cuts of meat—like you’re going to have with a bull—are some of our favorite offerings to burn at the Tent, because they’re so easy to do well. The Lord might disagree, but we think that, at the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter if you do entrails first or last, because that liver/kidney/loins combo is impossible to beat.
Throw a hunk on your altar and let it rest a good, long while. You might notice the meat shrinking and be tempted to jump in there. Don’t do it. Meat is a muscle, so it’s going to contract as it burns. If you’re doing it right, that bull is going to get nice and smoky. Just relax. You can’t rush a good guilt offering.
Ingredients
1 bull of the herd
7 bunches aromatic incense, such as bay leaf, frankincense, or hyssop
40 pounds hickory wood chips for the altar
Salt and pepper, to taste
Variation: If you can’t get a bull, you can sub in a sheep or an ox (just make sure it’s blemish-free).
Active Prep Time: 6 hours
Total Cook Time: Three days/three nights
Servings: One for the Eternal, blessed be He, or 40 appetizer portions
Serving Suggestions: Alongside a shame offering, or with panzanella salad (p. 32)
Preheat a wood fire on a clean ash heap outside.
Slaughter bull (at any entrance to the altar) by slitting throat, keeping hand on bull’s head in the presence of the Lord. Collect blood in a large bowl.
After bringing bowl into your kitchen, dip two fingers into blood and sprinkle the ground seven times, taking care not to splash the curtain of your shrine.
Apply a thin coat of blood to the altar (blood should coat the surface but not pool).
Pour remaining blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering, or reserve for later use.
Remove all fat from the bull, taking special care to remove fat surrounding the entrails, the loins, the kidneys, and the protuberance of the liver (removal of the entire kidneys is also fine). Burn fat on the altar as an offering, taking care to waft smoke upward toward heaven (guilt should begin to lift, too).
Take the hide, the flesh, the head, the legs, the entrails, and the dung of the bull to the ash heap outside of camp. Burn it all in the wood fire until only ash is left.
“And Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood that was on the altar and sprinkled it upon Aaron and upon his vestments, and also upon his sons and upon their vestments. Thus he consecrated Aaron and his vestments, and also his sons and their vestments.” —Leviticus 8:30
TZAV (“Command”)
Leviticus 6:1–8:36
Making sacrifices: the lord breaks down the details of sacrificial procedures for Moses to relay to Aaron and the priests. The critical issues of how long a burnt offering s
hould last, what the priest should wear, and where the waste should be disposed of are explored. Moses is also instructed to ensure that the altar fire burns perpetually.
Procedures for sin offerings, guilt offerings, sacrifices of well-being, and meal offerings are also clarified, including exactly how much the priests can keep to eat themselves.
The ordination of the priests
Moses invites the entire community to assemble at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting with the priests, their clothing, anointing oil, a bull for sin offering, two rams, and a basket of unleavened bread.
During the ceremony Moses motions Aaron to step forward, then washes and dresses him as the Lord commanded. He takes the oil and uses it to consecrate the Tabernacle by sprinkling it on the altar before pouring some on Aaron’s head. After that, he dresses Aaron’s sons, who then help Moses pull the bull and rams to slaughter to consecrate the altar. Moses pours oil and blood on the priests’ clothing and concludes the ceremony by ordering them to remain in the Tent for seven days to complete their ordination.
Rachel Levin
I am only a few lines into the Torah portion that is Tzav and my eyes have already glazed over. Burnt offerings, linen raiment with linen breeches, ashes, vestments, smoke, fat, flour, fire. The details are exhausting, and I have yet to reach verse seven.
I think of stopping, but I have been assigned to write about this passage, and I am at my core the dutiful oldest daughter of a rabbi, a follower of directions. So I begin again, and that is when I notice him—a kindred responsible older sibling. It is Aaron, the brother called in to speak to Pharaoh for Moses, the one left to deal with a bunch of complaining Israelites when his younger sibling climbed up a mountain for forty days.
Unscrolled : 54 Writers and Artists Wrestle With the Torah (9780761178743) Page 14
