In Vayaquel, we meet for the second time the man who became the symbol of the artist in Judaism, Bitsalel.

Then Moses said to the Israelites, see the Lord has chosen Batsalel, son of Uri, son of Hoor of the tribe of Judah,

and he has filled him with the spirit of God, with wisdom, understanding, knowledge,

and with all kinds of skills,

to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones,

to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic crafts. It would be Bitzalel, together with

O'Leav, who would make the tabernacle in its furnishings

and be celebrated throughout the centuries as the inspired craftsman who used his gills

for the greater glory of God. The aesthetic dimension of Judaism has tended to be downplayed,

at least until the modern era, for obvious

reasons. The Israelites worshipped the invisible God who transcended the universe. Other than the human

person, God has no image, even when he revealed himself to the people at Sinai. As Moses told

them, you heard the sound of words

but saw no form, there was only a voice. Given the intense connection until around the 18th century

between art and religion, image-making was seen by Judaism as potentially idolatrous. Hence, the second of the Ten Commandments,

you shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth

beneath or in the waters below. This concern continued long after the biblical era. The Greeks, who

achieved unrivaled excellence in the visual arts,

were in the religious sphere, still a pagan people of myth and mystery,

while the Romans had a disturbing tendency to turn Caesars into gods and erect statues to them.

However, the visual dimension was never wholly missing from Judaism.

There are visible symbols like Sitsit and Tafilin.

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