At the beginning of this week's parsha, Moshe still stands atop the mountain, receiving instructions from Hashem as to the building of the movable temple and the clothing and instruments, incense and oils that will be used in its ceremonies and services. Hashem points out many people who will be put to the important tasks of building, engraving, crafting, creating such specific and special items. It seems that all of these craftspeople are 'wise-hearted' and are thus given wisdom for the creation.
It is strange to see 'wisdom' and the 'heart' used in the same breath. Usually we think of wisdom as a process that takes place in the head, and the heart continues to lead us often in directions without the mind knowing. When we 'follow our hearts,' we are sometimes not using our heads. However, here we have people with wise hearts, and they, therefore, receive even more wisdom from Hashem so they can carry out their jobs of creation.
As I was thinking about what it could mean to be 'wise-hearted' - because, I, too, would love to receive more wisdom in order to bring creations, art,work, language, a child into the world - I read further. In the very next section, Hashem again reminds Moshe to remind the people to keep Shabbat, to not work on the seventh day, to keep this day as a sign forever between us and our God, to remember that Hashem created the heaven and the earth in six days and rested on the seventh.
I began to think of this transition as a clue, as a direction for answering my question. Resting on Shabbat: not using the phone or thinking about repairing the house, working out summer plans, maybe not using my head so much. Shabbat exists in the heart, but is not without order, thinking, feeling, becoming, growing. Shabbat makes our hearts wise, fills us with answers, truth, all of this while we rest, while we eat, while we surrender our minds. This is where the heart and wisdom are connected: on Shabbat. So to exist in this space, to open myself up to becoming a person with a wise heart, this is what I will need in order to receive even more wisdom from Hashem, the wisdom to build, to create during the other six days. Six days in a week to make plans, build worries, grow a life inside me, and clear space in my world and one day to make my heart wiser.