There are two answers and they complement each other.

The posuk actually gives one answer—Hashem filled Betzalel with a special Ruach Chochmoh. Chazal tell us that Betzalel received the knowledge of Tziruf Osios.

What is this knowledge? The gemara tells us Betzalel knew the wisdom embedded in the Torah through which Hashem created the universe. The creation of the world was accomplished through a mystical process called tziruf osios — not through a physical process governed by the laws of nature. One who understands tziruf osios understands Hashem’s method of creating the world and, by extension, gets a complete understanding of everything about this world. He knows all the forms of wisdom that exist in this world. Betzalel wasn’t trained like a typical artisan through trial and error and experimentation. He understood the world and how it works from the inside—though the knowledge of tziruf osios. He understood via the chochmas HaTorah—which he apparently received by a mesorah from Avrohom Ovinu and the Sefer Yetziroh which Avrohom Ovinu wrote—all the chochmoh that lies within this world.

All forms of knowledge are in the Torah and through a thorough and complete knowledge one has all of the knowledge of the world.

The Ramban adds that this chochmoh entered Betzalel’s heart through incredible devotion and dedication. He had to translate this all-encompassing chochmoh into all the necessary practical skills to produce these delicate works of artisanship needed for the Mishkan. Then he trained other artisans how to technically produce the Mishkan.

We find that a large amount of text in the Torah devoted to the construction of the Mishkan. That itself conveys the importance of the Mishkan. It was one of the main symbols through which Klal Yisroel connect to the Schechinoh. But, as we noted previously, human beings have a tendency to attribute too much inherent value to physical objects that are supposed to be used merely as tools to enhance and focus their avodas Hashem. This is true of many things and certainly of the Beis Hamikdosh itself. So although the Mishkan and the avodas korbonos take up a significant portion of the Torah, it is still only a part of the Torah. It does not and cannot supersede the importance of the Torah itself.

This is why we often find the Torah placing shemiras Shabbos next to the construction of the Mishkan. The Torah is warning us not to be carried away with one aspect of the Torah, and not to lose focus on the rest of the Torah. We need to maintain balance. Even though the Mishkan brings presence of the Schechinoh and we invested so much money and effort in building it, we cannot lose sight of Shabbos and we give up our own desires—even for ruchniyus-- for Hashem’s will.

The reason Shabbos was picked to teach us this lesson is not by accident.

Shabbos is a permanent refrain in the rhythm of a Jew’s life. It comes every seven days with no interruptions for all time. It is observed in every season of the year and in every location on the globe. It is never suspended for any other mitzvah except for pikuach nefesh. This is because the bris between us and Hashem which Shabbos represents is not negotiable. It is part of the reality of life. It is fixed and permanent.

The idea which people sometimes have, that certain physical symbols take on inherent value and importance which supersede all other considerations and values, is quite understandable. Indeed, for 12 months, Moshe Rabbeinu was bringing the entire Egyptian civilization to its knees. He brought Klal Yisroel out of Egypt and split the Yam Suf. He brought them mon and water. It is no wonder that he became larger than life in the eyes of the people.

But even a Moshe Rabbeinu, with all of his incredible abilities and spiritual levels, is also ultimately Hashem’s tool and agent to bring Klal Yisroel to recognize Hashem and bring them closer to Him. But when they thought they lost Moshe Rabbeinu, they lost this symbol and panicked. But Hashem said we can connect to Him through many different means and tools. No one symbol is inherently valuable. And when it becomes inherently valuable, it loses its purpose and leads us astray.

Hashem gave us a Torah and said this is the only authentic way to connect to Hashem in the most direct and pure fashion. The Netziv says on the posuk in Shir Hashirim that “yishokeini mineshkos pihu ki tovim dodechoh miyoyin” I want Hashem to kiss me from his mouth because this love is better than wine. The Torah is the kiss that comes directly from Hashem’s mouth. It is the way we connect most intensely to Hashem. The Netziv comments that in pagan worship rituals, wine was the main vehicle to bring its worshippers to a religious state of ecstacy. This lies in stark contrast to Yiddishkeit where specifically in the Bais HaMikdash or other times one confronts HaShem one is forbidden to be drunk. This is true while doing the avodah and conveying Torah instructions. We connect to Hashem through the Torah and we cannot use artificial means outside of the Torah to make that connection. When we use the Torah to connect, it has special power. Anything else becomes a contradiction.

Nodov and Avihu attempted to connect to Hashem through their own means, and it lead to their destruction. Hashem already gave us the means to connect—613 means to be exact. We have no right to devise any other method to connect.

After Ma’amad Har Sinai, the people thought their connection to Hashem depended on Moshe Rabbeinu. Their fundamental mistake was that when one of the means given to us to connect is no longer accessible, you must regroup and go back to the highest way to connect which is always available-- through limmud HaTorah. This is what HaShem told us when Moshe Rabbeinu dies at the beginning of Sefer Yehoshuah. This is what we learned in the last prophecy of the last prophet Malachi. The connection through nevuoh was being taken away and the message was—“zichru Toras Moshe avdi”. When the Second Beis Hamikdosh was rebuilt, but was missing the extra dimension of ruach HaKodesh of the first Beis Hamikdosh, Klal Yisroel demanded that it be replaced with the ability to connect more deeply through limud HaTorah. Hashem responded with an explosion of development of Torah Sheba’al Peh.

There are many, many ways to connect to Hashem in Yiddishkeit. Through mitzvos, teffiloh, Beis Hamikdosh, etc. Then there is the highest, most direct way when all other ways falter—limud HaTorah. The pesukim tell us that this will be the way to ultimately end the golus and bring Moshiach as well. It is the highest form of deveikus BaShem.

But Klal Yisroel needed something physical, something tangible. So they built an Egel Hazohov to replace Moshe. The Mishkan is not a physical symbol. It is a place of avoda. People make the same mistake about Har Habayis and the Kosel, etc.

It is to be used only as a means of connection. By itself it is nothing. This is one dimension of the Parsha.

The second part is when Hashem tells Moshe Rabbeinu—“lech reid”. Chazal explain that Hashem only bestowed greatness to Moshe Rabbeinu in order to lead Klal Yisroel on the highest spiritual level. If Klal Yisroel failed to achieve that level then Moshe Rabbeinu’s connection to HaShem loses its cogency. One can certainly understand that Moshe Rabbeinu would have assumed that the levels of nevuoh and deveikus were his alone. But Hashem told him otherwise.

We find an incredible lesson about true leadership in the Zohar at the beginning of Parshas Noach. Hashem informed Noach about the coming mabul and that he should build a teivoh. Noach simply accepts the information and starts building the teivoh. When Hashem tells Avrohom about the impending destruction of Sedom, Avrohom doesn’t accept it without protest. He pleads and argues to find some zechus to save the cities. When he fails, Avrohom turns around and goes on with life. But when Hashem tells Moshe that He will wipe out the Jewish people for making the egel, Moshe not only davens on Klal Yisroel’s behalf, he does not accept no for an answer! He tells Hashem that if He will carry out His threat, Moshe’s life will have no purpose, He might as well take Moshe out of existence. This is a true leader of Klal Yisroel. His destiny is completely intertwined with his people and does not have an existence without them.

The psukim in Melochim talk about Eliyahu at Har Sinai. Achov and Izevel are killing all the nevi’im and much of Klal Yisroel is turning to avodo zoro. There remains only a small secret group of Jews who are still faithful to Hashem and the Torah. Hashem tells Eliyhau to go to Har Sinai without eating or drinking for 40 days. When Eliyahu gets there and hears thunderous sounds and noise, and then hears a still, small voice. It asks him “What are you doing here?” Eliyahu responds, “well the king is trying to kill me and most of Klal Yisroel is turning to avodo zoro and I am all by myself to fight for Hashem and His Torah.” The scene repeats itself and the question is asked again. Eliyahu repeats his response. Hashem says if this is the case, go to Damascus to appoint the new king there, appoint a new king over Yisroel, and then appoint your successor Elishoh. The Tanna De’bei Eliyuahu asks what it all this back and forth?

He answers, that there is a large contrast between drawn between Eliyahu Hanovi and Moshe Rabbeinu. He called Eliyahu to Har Sinai to inspire him to daven for Klal Yisroel just as Moshe Rabbeinu had at the sin of the Egel. But Eliyahu was focusing on his own achievements and not on the needs of Klal Yisroel. All Eliyahu could do was denounce Klal Yisroel for worshiping avodo zoro and bemoan the fact that he is all alone. So Hashem says finish your mission on earth and appoint your successor. You no longer have the mindset to lead Klal Yisroel if you have given up on them and cannot plead for mercy on their behalf.

This was what the Zohar identified as the problem with Noach’s response to the news of the coming mabul. He was content to occupy himself with his own survival and the survival of his family. He did not identify enough with his own generation to care about them and daven for them. The power of the tzaddik hador to suffer and identify with the pain of his generation has the capacity to save the generation.

Noach is blamed for the mabul and Avrohom is to a lesser extent faulted for not saving Sedom. Eliyahu is told to end his career because he did not look beyond the sins of Klal Yisroel as Moshe Rabbeinu did. We are taught a very deep lesson about leadership. A person can be a big tzaddik. But the highest form of tzidkus is to identify with the tzibbur, be a part of the tzibbur, and realize that all your personal acheivements were granted to you all for the sake of strengthening and uplifting the tzibbur.

Moshe Rabbeinu was not oblivious to the faults of Klal Yisroel. At the appropriate time, Moshe broke the Luchos Habris before their very eyes and executes very harsh justice against the ones who were guilty. Moshe didn’t go soft on them at all! But it was out of a sense of identification and pain of Klal Yisroel’s loss of spiritual level that bothered him so deeply. Out of that deep connection to Klal Yisroel, Moshe was able to turn down Hashem’s offer to start over with Moshe and his descendants. Moshe says no—he would rather be taken out of the Torah. With that deep connection and identification with Klal Yisroel, he was able to save Klal Yisroel.

Hashem wanted Eliyahu Hanovi to learn from Moshe’s incredible example of how to be a leader of Klal Yisroel. But he was wrapped up in Klal Yisroel’s failures. He couldn’t identify with them to find a zechus to save them. So he had to anoint a successor.

Of course people have to worry about their environment and worry about developing their own personal potential to the maximum. But that shouldn’t come at the expense of feeling a common bond with Klal Yisroel. When other Jews are not acting properly, it has to hurt us. It has to bother us deeply. We are all part of a single, organic whole and there are no boundaries of us and them. Moshe’s dream of bringing down the Luchos was shattered. Klal Yisroel ruined everything. But that didn’t give Moshe Rabbeinu to license to divorce himself from Klal Yisroel and start over on his own. He exists for Klal Yisroel. He is an indivisible part of Klal Yisroel.

This is an important lesson to remember when Klal Yisroel go through troubles and suffering even when they are not operating on the highest level. If it pains us and bothers us, and we daven and do something to help, that itself can become a zechus to bring an end to the troubles and suffering.

When Hashem told Noach to build a teivoh for 120 years in order to inspire people to do teshuvoh, it was an utter kiruv movement failure. Not one ba’al teshuvoh was made after 120 years! There were many reasons for this, but the Zohar identified one of the main ones. Noach didn’t have that sense of identification. Had he not felt that distance and separation, had he not said to himself, “this is who they are and this is who I am,” and made peace with that, he may have succeeded.

If it bothers you, then you can make a difference.