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The Tower of Babel: What went wrong and how we can fix it
From the outset of human existence, there has been conflict. Cain killed Abel, and war and bloodshed have been part of the human experience every since. Nevertheless, each generation has expressed hopefully that peace and harmony will reign. The prophet Isaiah said, "Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." More recently, John Lennon sang, "All we are saying is give peace a chance."
In light of humanity's yearning for peace and harmony, the Tower of Babel narrative is bewildering. Was it not good that everyone spoke the same language, settled in the same region and mutually agreed on a joint project, saying, "Come now! Let us build ourselves a city and a tower, its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves"? But something was wrong in the eyes of the Lord. What was it?
We often hear that their sin was aspiring, by means of a tower that reached the heavens, to cross the boundary that separates the earthly and divine realms. However, the Bible doesn't say this. In fact, they are successful in building their city and their tower. What concerns God is their yet unfulfilled aims. "The Lord came down to look at the city and tower that man had built, and the Lord said, ‘If, as one people with one language for all, this is how they have begun to act, then nothing that they may propose to do will be out of their reach.'"
The city and tower have been built. What remains unfulfilled from their original plan? To make a name for themselves. Thus, their preferencing of anthropocentrism over theocentrism provokes God's ire. After all, humankind's connection to a higher power was in part the purpose of creation. When Adam and Eve become grandparents, we are told, "It was then that men began to invoke the Lord by name." The generation of Babel sought to invoke their own name; God's intention is that humanity call out in God's name.
We have inherited the dispersion and lack of unity that follow the Tower of Babel. Our challenge as religious communities is to be united by our common religious commitments, so that we might repair the sin and punishment of the generation of Babel.
With the shared understanding that our brothers and sisters, despite different names and languages, are invoking the same higher power, we can take one step towards the ultimate redemption prophesized by the Tzefania, "For then I will make the peoples of pure speech. So that they all invoke the Lord by name and serve him with one accord."
Rabbi Michael Ragozin leads Congregation Sha'are Shalom, 19357 Evergreen Mills Road, Leesburg. He can be reached at 703-737-6517.
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