Parashat Noah: Commentary
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Devash: Commentary

Commentary פַּרְשָׁנוּת

בראשית י״א:ד׳
וַיֹּאמְר֞וּ הָ֣בָה ׀ נִבְנֶה־לָּ֣נוּ עִ֗יר וּמִגְדָּל֙ וְרֹאשׁ֣וֹ בַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וְנַֽעֲשֶׂה־לָּ֖נוּ שֵׁ֑ם פֶּן־נָפ֖וּץ עַל־פְּנֵ֥י כׇל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
Genesis 11:4
And they said, “Come let us build a city, and a tower with its top in the sky, to make a name for ourselves, otherwise we’ll be scattered all over the world.”

What was the problem with building this מִגְדָּל (migdal, tower)?

אבן עזרא על בראשית י״א:ג׳:ג׳
וְהִנֵּה הַכָּתוּב גָּלָה חֶפְצָם וְסוֹף דַּעְתָּם לִבְנוֹת עִיר גְּדוֹלָה לְמוֹשָׁבָם, וְלִבְנוֹת מִגְדָּל גָּבוֹהַּ לִהְיוֹת לָהֶם לְאוֹת וּלְשֵׁם, וְלָדַעַת מְקוֹם הָעִיר לַהוֹלְכִים חוּצָה כְּרוֹעֵי הַמִּקְנֶה.
Ibn Ezra on Genesis 11:3:3
The Torah reveals their intention. They wanted to build a great city to live in, and a tall tower to be noticed, so that everyone around the city (like shepherds) would know their city.
Ibn Ezra thinks the problem was that the people were too arrogant. They wanted others to notice them and think they were important.
  • Which words in the pasuk could be evidence for this understanding?
העמק דבר על בראשית י״א:ד׳:ג׳
אָמְנָם יֵשׁ לְהָבִין מָה חָשְׁשׁוּ אִם יֵצְאוּ כַּמָּה לְאֶרֶץ אַחֶרֶת.
וּמוּבָן שֶׁזֶּה הָיָה שַׁיָּךְ לַ"דְּבָרִים אֲחָדִים" שֶׁהָיָה בֵּינֵיהֶם (בראשית יא:א). וּבַאֲשֶׁר אֵין דֵּעוֹת בְּנֵי אָדָם שָׁווֹת, חָשְׁשׁוּ שֶׁלֹּא יֵצְאוּ בְּנֵי אָדָם מִדֵּעָה זוֹ וְיִהְיוּ בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה אַחֶרֶת, עַל כֵּן הָיוּ מַשְׁגִּיחִים שֶׁלֹּא יֵצֵא אִישׁ מִיִּשּׁוּב שֶׁלָּהֶם...
Haamek Davar on Genesis 11:4:3
We need to understand why the people in Bavel were concerned that some of them might leave for other places.
This is connected to them all having the “same words” (Bereishit 11:1). The people in Bavel wanted to make sure everyone in their group would think the same thoughts. That’s why they didn’t want anyone to leave their community…
  • How does the Netziv understand the introductory pasuk (Bereishit 11:1), where we hear that everyone on earth had שָׂפָה אֶחָת וּדְבָרִים אֲחָדִים (the same language and the same words)? Can you explain how he connects this pasuk to our pasuk?
  • Having to be the same as other people is sometimes called conforming. Why might communities sometimes want people to conform? When is conforming a positive thing, and when is it hurtful?
  • How is God’s reaction–mixing up all the languages and scattering all the people–appropriate for people who are too arrogant (Ibn Ezra’s explanation)? How is it appropriate for people who want too much conformity (Netziv’s explanation)?
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