Parashat Vayakhel – 5785

There are individuals for whom learned information remains merely theoretical, and there are others who internalize their learning until it becomes part of their very being. We know the second ones in biblical language as “wise-hearted” (חכמי לב). A “wise-hearted” individual understands and internalizes their learning until it permeates their thoughts and actions.

A few weeks ago, we read the famous line from Exodus 25:8  in which God commands us to make a sanctuary so he will dwell among us. Numerous commentators read this as “within them truly” (בתוכם ממש , betokham mamash). That is, God will dwell within the very essence of each Israelite.

Before the Mishkan, the Israelites’ relationship with the divine was with the transcendent, miraculous God of the splitting of the Red Sea and the revelation at Sinai. At Sinai, the people trembled in fear at the awesome revelation and withdrew from a direct personal encounter (See Parashat Yitro). The people of Israel were now preparing for a different connection with the divine through the Mishkan. An earthly dwelling-place of God that enabled a more intimate encounter. The Mishkan was not just any meeting place, but, as both the midrash and Jewish mysticism suggest, a place of great intimacy. Building it required not only great skills but also powerful sensitivity, but the Mishkan would have been nothing more than a physical structure without the deep intentionality required of those who had already made space for the Divine within themselves—the Hokhmei Lev, the wise-hearted. Their spiritual wisdom and devotion infused the Mishkan with meaning, transforming it from mere craftsmanship into a sacred dwelling.

In our Parashah, Vayakhel, the term חֲכַם־ לֵב (Hakham Lev) describes those endowed with wisdom, in knowledge and skillful action. Bezalel, Oholiab, and the skilled artisans are described as wise-hearted because of their abilities. But they were not just technical, as the most common English translations suggest, but infused with divine insight (See Exodus 35:31). They transformed raw materials into sacred vessels, merging craftsmanship with deep spiritual understanding. The Tabernacle was more than just a physical structure; it symbolized God’s closeness to Israel. Therefore, those involved in its construction needed to be wise-hearted, embodying the spiritual significance of their work.

Our spiritual journeys are often marked by questions about purpose. One answer is, perhaps, striving to achieve Hokhmat lev, wisdom of the heart.

In a world that usually demands logic and proof, we can learn from this parashah to also turn to our inner voice, which tells us what is right before we even consider it—proving that our Torah can be internalized by finding that God is in our hearts.

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Rabbi Ḥazzan Luis Cattan (AJR ’20) is currently serving at Sutton Place Synagogue in New York City. He is the Immediate Past President of the Cantors Assembly. As a native Uruguayan, he attended the Catholic University of Montevideo receiving his BA in Social Communication Sciences with a major in Advertising. He sought private instruction under the tutelage of renowned local teachers. Upon returning from Israel, where he spent a year studying, he started his Ḥazzanut training with different mentors in Uruguay and Argentina as well. He became the Head Ḥazzan at the NCI (the largest Conservative Synagogue in Uruguay). He also served as International Vice President of Mercaz Olami (Zionist Conservative Movement) as one of the founders of the Uruguayan Branch.