2022/5782

In Parashat Terumah, from a couple weeks ago, it says “וְאַתָּ֗ה תְּדַבֵּר֙ אֶל־כׇּל־חַכְמֵי־לֵ֔ב אֲשֶׁ֥ר מִלֵּאתִ֖יו ר֣וּח “חׇכְמָ֑ה וְעָשׂ֞וּ אֶת־בִּגְדֵ֧י אַהֲרֹ֛ן לְקַדְּשׁ֖וֹ לְכַהֲנוֹ־לִֽי “Next you shall instruct all who are skillful, whom I have endowed with the gift of skill, to make Aaron’s garments, for consecrating him to serve Me as Kohen” (Shemot 28:3). The Torah keeps mentioning these “חַכְמֵי־לֵ֔ב,” especially in VaYakheil, this week's Parashah. One example is וְעָשָׂה֩ בְצַלְאֵ֨ל וְאׇהֳלִיאָ֜ב וְכֹ֣ל ׀ אִ֣ישׁ חֲכַם־לֵ֗ב אֲשֶׁר֩ נָתַ֨ן יְהֹוָ֜ה חׇכְמָ֤ה וּתְבוּנָה֙ בָּהֵ֔מָּה לָדַ֣עַת לַעֲשֹׂ֔ת אֶֽת־כׇּל־מְלֶ֖אכֶת עֲבֹדַ֣ת הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁ לְכֹ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֖ה יְהֹוָֽה׃, “Let Bezalel and Aholiav and all the skilled persons whom Hashem has endowed with skill and ability to perform expertly all the tasks connected with the service of the sanctuary, carry out all that Hashem has commanded” (ibid. 36:1). But who are these “חַכְמֵי־לֵ֔ב” and why do they get this special adjective? 

To partially answer this question, we see from the Pasuk וּבְלֵ֥ב כׇּל־חֲכַם־לֵ֖ב נָתַ֣תִּי חׇכְמָ֑ה (ibid. 31:6) that someone who has a חֲכַם־לֵ֖ב, a skill, has to prepare himself and do work in order that Hashem will give him wisdom. But we still don’t know who these חֲכַםי־לֵ֖ב are to whom Hashem gives wisdom?

To answer this question we must look at one of the wisest people in  Tanach, Shlomo HaMelech, about whom the Pasuk says ”וַֽיהֹוָ֗ה נָתַ֤ן חׇכְמָה֙ לִשְׁלֹמֹ֔ה” “Hashem gave wisdom to Shlomo” (Melachim I 5:26). The reason Hashem gave Shlomo wisdom is because he asked for wisdom and did not ask for other things like wealth or longevity. Therefore, Hashem gives Shlomo a לֵ֚ב חָכָ֣ם וְנָב֔וֹן אֲשֶׁ֤ר כָּמ֙וֹךָ֙ לֹא־הָיָ֣ה ,לְפָנֶ֔יךָ וְאַחֲרֶ֖יךָ לֹא־יָק֥וּם כָּמֽוֹךָ “I grant you a wise and discerning mind; there has never been anyone like you before, nor will anyone like you arise again” (Melachim I 3:12). We see that Hashem gave Shlomo the greatest wisdom because he only wanted wisdom and nothing else. 

Even though Arichut Yamim, long life, and wealth are very important things, Shlomo knew that life without [Torah] knowledge is not life at all. As the Rambam says “וְחַיֵּי בַּעֲלֵי חָכְמָה וּמְבַקְּשֶׁיהָ בְּלֹא תַּלְמוּד תּוֹרָה כְּמִיתָה חֲשׁוּבִין” “knowledge without Torah is like death” (Rambam Hilchot Rotzeach 7:1). 

This is why Shlomo asked for Chochmah. From here we see that חֲכַם־לֵ֖ב means anyone who truly wants Chochmah, and that person will get Chochmah as it says וּבְלֵ֥ב כׇּל־חֲכַם־לֵ֖ב נָתַ֣תִּי חׇכְמָ֑ה.