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Can you explain the logic behind the construction of the Babylonian Tower?

by Rabbi Yossi Marcus

  

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According to the Chassidic interpretation of the story—no.

As the biblical commentator Ibn Ezra explains, these people were shepherds. They traveled here and there, one guy in this direction his fellow in the other. They wanted something that would unite them. So they wanted to build a very tall tower that would be visible from very far away, so that they would be able to gather there every once in a while and reunite.

Unity is very powerful. That’s why their punishment was less severe than that of the Flood people. The Flood people were at each other’s throats—it was a dog eat dog world in the worst way. But the generation of the dispersion only had a problem with G-d and His rules. They didn’t have a problem with each other.

In fact, they wanted to use this power of unity, which they knew to be a channel to the most sublime spiritual levels, as a means to bypassing the normal rules—where obedience to the rules of the Torah are the key to physical blessing—and access the keys to heaven through the backstage pass: unity.

...the generation of the dispersion only had a problem with G-d and His rules. They didn’t have a problem with each other
G-d would not allow this to happen, though, so He mixed up their languages and set them apart. Otherwise, they would have indeed accessed this sublime light and dragged it down into their own depravity.

(In Kabbalistic terms: The ten sefirot are said to exist in three stages. In the first stage they are in fact one. They are so sublime and undefined that there is no division between them. Like the powers of the soul as they exist within the soul, prior to their manifestation in the various parts of the body. This level is called Akudim, which means “tied.”

The next level is called Nekudim, dots, and refers to a more concretized form of the sefirot. Here they are more defined and become ten separate sefirot. They are so separate that they do not interact at all and because of their disunity, they explode. This is the world of Tohu.

The third stage is the world of Tikkun, our world. Here the sefirot are ten but they interact and borrow from each others resources. Kindness borrows from strength when it is kind to be tough, etc. The unity of the first stage is expressed in Tikkun.

The generation of the dispersion wanted to bypass the rules of the world of Tikkun, the world of Torah law, and draw directly from the first world of Akudim, which transcends Tikkun and rule of Torah.)


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COMMENTS

The idiots who built the tower

Posted by: I love askmoses.com!, Brooklyn, N.Y. on Jan 18, 2005

Rabbi Marcus,

I loved your explanation about the ppl who built the tower. It explains a lot about the whole issue. Even though I learned about it in school, I never heard a better explanation.

Thanx Rabbi

Any thoughts?

Posted by: Yoni Lerman, Toronto, ON, Canada on Nov 08, 2006

Thank you for the very good explanation on this subject. Why G-d decided to break the unity of our civilization has perplexed me for some time too. I was wondering if someone could comment on Bereishit 11:5 in light of the story of Babel. I know that Rashi believed this verse taught judges not to pass judgment without weighing the evidence before them. I hypothesize that G-d descended to see the tower, to decide whether the intentions of the people were to build a tower in honour of G-d, and for unity, or for some ulterior purpose. If the people were simply building the tower to unify themselves, I am not certain what purpose there would be in preventing that from happening, but, if the people intended to create a tower to worship, or to subjugate people to the rule of a few, G-d might intervene. From the second "descended" in verse 11:7, it seems as if G-d deliberated on this matter, as a judge contemplates the evidence before passing judgment. Did G-d want us to stay unified?
Torah
Torah is G–d’s teaching to man. In general terms, we refer to the Five Books of Moses as “The Torah.” But in truth, all Jewish beliefs and laws are part of the Torah.
Chassidic
(Pl.: Chassidim; Adj.: Chassidic) A follower of the teachings of Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov (1698-1760), the founder of "Chassidut." Chassidut emphasizes serving G-d with sincerity and joy, and the importance of connecting to a Rebbe (saintly mentor).
Kabbalistic
(adj.) Pertaining to Kabbalah—Jewish mysticism.
Ezra
1. A Hebrew priest and scribe, who, together with Nehemiah, revived Judaism in the 4th century BCE. He was instrumental in the building of the 2nd Temple. 2. One of the 24 books of the Bible, which describes the events of Ezra's lifetime.
G-d
It is forbidden to erase or deface the name of G-d. It is therefore customary to insert a dash in middle of G-d's name, allowing us to erase or discard the paper it is written on if necessary.