Tower of Babel

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The Tower of Babel refers to a narrative presented in Genesis 11:1-9. The story describes how people attempted to build a city and tower, the top of which would reach the sky. God confounds their speech and scatters them, ending the project. The story has been the subject of much analysis and discussion throughout thousands of years of the Jewish textual tradition.

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Babel's Divine Disruption

TANAKH

The story of the Tower of Babel illustrates the direct intervention of God to prevent humanity from achieving a unified goal that defied divine will. In the book of Genesis, humanity's attempt to build a tower to the sky is thwarted by God, who confounds their language and scatters them across the earth.

And they said, “Come, let us build us a city, and a tower with its top in the sky, to make a name for ourselves; else we shall be scattered all over the world.” יהוה came down to look at the city and tower that humanity had built, and יהוה 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. Let us, then, go down and confound their speech there, so that they shall not understand one another’s speech.”…

Genesis 11:4-9

The Abandoned Temple of Nimrod

TALMUD

The remnants of the Tower of Babel, known as the temple of Nimrod, are considered abandoned idol worship, which has significant implications for its status in Jewish law. Rabbi Yirmeya bar Abba's interpretation in Tractate Avodah Zara explains that the site is no longer considered a place of idol worship because its worshippers did not return after being scattered.

GEMARA: Rabbi Yirmeya bar Abba says that Rav says: The temple of Nimrod, i.e., the remnants of the tower of Babel (see Genesis 11:1–9), is considered a place of idol worship whose worshippers abandoned it in peacetime, and it is therefore permitted. This is despite the fact that when the Merciful One scattered the builders of the tower, the situation resembled wartime, as they were compelled to leave. Nevertheless, if they had desired to return, they could have returned…

Avodah Zarah 53b:13

Abraham and the Tower of Babel

MIDRASH

According to the midrash, Abraham had a strong reaction to the building of the Tower of Babel which led to the involvement of seventy angels. Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, an eighth-century midrashic work, offers a detailed account of the scattering of humanity and the creation of linguistic diversity.

And Abraham, son of Terah, passed by, and saw them building the city and the tower, and he cursed them in the name of his God, as it is said, "Swallow up, O Lord, divide their language" (Ps. 55:10). But they rejected his words, like a stone cast upon the ground. Is it not a fact that every choice and good stone is only put at the corner of a building? and with reference to this, the text says, "The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner" (Ps. 118:22). Rabbi Simeon said: The Holy One, blessed be He, called to the seventy angels, who surround the throne of His glory…

Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 24:7-8

Ancient Secrets and Rebellion

KABBALAH

The builders used ancient wisdom and secrets from the generation of the Flood in their rebellion against God. The Zohar, a foundational work of Jewish mysticism, delves into the esoteric aspects of the Torah, including this story.

R. Hiya then discoursed as follows: ‘It is written: “And the Lord said: Behold they are one people, and they have all one language’” After this we read: “And it came to pass as they journeyed miqedem.” The term miqedem signifies “away from the Ancient One (qadmon) of the world”. “That they found.” We should have expected “saw”; but the word “found” is used to indicate that they found remnants of the secret wisdom that had been left there by the generation of the Flood, and with that they made their attempt to provoke the Holy One, blessed be He. As they said, so they did.

Zohar, Noach 44:384

Ashur's Choice

COMMENTARY

Ashur's decision to dissociate from the rebellion against God offers a unique perspective on individual choice and its consequences. Rabbeinu Bahya, a medieval Jewish commentator, provides an ethical and mystical interpretation of Ashur's actions during this significant biblical event.

מן הארץ ההיא יצא אשור, “from that land Ashur went forth, etc.” He was one of the sons of Shem as we are told in verse 22 that Shem’s sons were Eylam, Ashur, Arpachshad Lud and Aram. Seeing that most of the people alive during the generation of the Tower were descendants of Shem, the Torah mentioned that Ashur had left that land (the valley including Babel). He had not had part in the uprising against G’d that those people were planning in accordance with the statement by our sages in Bereshit Rabbah 37,4…

Rabbeinu Bahya, Bereshit 10:11:1

The Human Cost of Monumental Ambition

COMMENTARY

The dehumanizing nature of monumental building projects in the ancient world is starkly illustrated by the reaction to a person falling versus a brick falling during the construction. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, in his 'Covenant and Conversation' series, explores the significance of human life and dignity in the context of this narrative.

In the ancient world, and to some extent still today, a census represented the principle that there is power in numbers. Specifically, counting the people was a way of knowing the size of the army a nation could muster. It also determined its capacity to build monumental buildings like the Tower of Babel spoken about in Genesis, or the giant pyramid of Giza, undertaken by Pharaoh Khufu around 2500 BCE, before even the birth of Abraham. In such a world, with the exception of the ruler and the elite, life was cheap…

Covenant and Conversation; Numbers; The Wilderness Years, Nasso, What Counts? 13

Babel's Shift to Morality

COMMENTARY

The biblical story of the Tower of Babel transforms chaotic Mesopotamian narratives into a moral tale that emphasizes human potential and responsibility. Everett Fox’s analysis of Genesis highlights the shift from viewing humans as slaves to the gods to seeing them as capable of meeting God's expectations.

3. It appears that the Mesopotamian origins of Israel are reflected in such narratives as the Creation, the Flood, and the Tower of Babel, and are transformed or repudiated in the biblical versions. What in the older culture appears arbitrary and chaotic has been changed in the Bible into stories that stress morality and order. Further, human beings in Genesis Chapters 1–11, despite their failure to live up to God’s expectations, are nevertheless considered capable of doing so, in contrast to the Mesopotamian view that humankind was created merely to be slaves to the gods.

The Five Books of Moses, by Everett Fox, Genesis, Part I; The Primeval History 5

Nimrod's Rebellion

SECOND TEMPLE

Nimrod's role in the construction reveals a deeper narrative of defiance against divine authority. Josephus, in his first-century historical work, provides a detailed account of Nimrod's transformation of governance into tyranny and his direct challenge to God's power.

2. Now it was Nimrod who excited them to such an affront and contempt of God. He was the grandson of Ham, the son of Noah, a bold man, and of great strength of hand. He persuaded them not to ascribe it to God, as if it was through his means they were happy, but to believe that it was their own courage which procured that happiness. He also gradually changed the government into tyranny, seeing no other way of turning men from the fear of God, but to bring them into a constant dependence on his power…

The Antiquities of the Jews 1:4:2

The Divine Language at Babel

REFERENCE

The Holy Tongue (Hebrew) is uniquely divine, unlike any other language, and was not assigned by angels during the Tower of Babel incident. Rabbi Yechiel Heilprin’s 18th-century chronicle, Seder HaDorot, provides a detailed account of Jewish history, including the divine origin of Hebrew and the role of angels in the dispersion of languages.

They say that with the birth of Peleg [which means division], when there was the story with the tower, the languages were differentiated. And as a sign of this, his father, Eber, gave him this name. And there is a Christian who wrote that the angels came down from the heavens to inform the heads of each nation of their particular language. However, the holy tongue is not the portion of any angel but rather the portion of God. And you can find something about this in the Jerusalem Targum on the verse: And the Lord scattered them (Genesis 11:8).

Seder HaDorot, Almanac 1973:3

The Dual Intentions of the Builders

MUSAR

The generation that built the tower sought to both honor God and isolate His dominion to the heavens, leading to their punishment. Rabbi Isaiah HaLevi Horowitz’s 17th-century work, Shenei Luchot HaBerit, explores the dual intentions and ultimate sin of this generation.

Even when the generation of the Tower set out to build the Tower saying "we want to make a name for ourselves, they still meant to serve and respect G–d. That part of their intention was laudable. Their sin consisted in their wanting to isolate G–d's name, (which represented the attribute of מלכות, dominion), to the heavens. They wanted a clear separation of earthly and heavenly authority. The earth was supposed to be under human sovereignty only. All this is explained in detail by Nachmanides, Rekanati and the Tziyoni…

Shenei Luchot HaBerit, Torah Shebikhtav, Noach, Torah Ohr 49

God's Enduring Commitment

TALMUD

God's response to the angels' criticism during humanity's early transgressions highlights His unwavering commitment to humanity, despite their flaws. The Talmudic tractate Sanhedrin, particularly its last chapter, explores profound theological questions, including the worthiness of humanity and God's enduring support.

When history arrived at the time of the people of the generation of the flood and the people of the generation of the dispersion, i.e., the Tower of Babel, whose actions were ruinous, the angels said before God: Master of the Universe, didn’t the first set of angels speak appropriately before You, that human beings are not worthy of having been created? God said to them concerning humanity: “Even to your old age I am the same; and even to hoar hairs will I suffer you; I have made and I will bear…

Sanhedrin 38b:6

The Language of the Heart

CHASIDUT

The builders spoke the holy tongue but did not speak from the root of life, engaging in superficial lip service. Rabbi Mordechai Leiner’s 19th-century work, Mei HaShiloach, contrasts superficial speech with true, heartfelt communication rooted in understanding and life.

“And it was, that the whole earth was of one language and one speech.” (Bereshit, 11:1)
The verse is formulated “one language” (“one lip,” sfat echad) and not “one tongue” (lashon echad). This is because the principal tongue is the holy tongue, the Hebrew of the Tanach, emerging from that which is imprinted in the depths of the heart, where all the other languages are called stammering. Thus is it written (Yeshahya, 33:19), “of a stammering tongue, of no understanding,” meaning that it has no root of life in its heart, for understanding is in the heart…

Mei HaShiloach, Volume I, Genesis, Noach 6

Divine Intervention and Human Ambition

JEWISH THOUGHT

God's intervention in human affairs, such as the confusion of languages, demonstrates His active role in correcting the universe. Isaac Arama's medieval work, Akeidat Yitzchak, delves into divine providence and human free will, emphasizing that natural laws do not limit divine control.

A) Even though laws of nature have been appointed to govern the fates of the seventy nations of the world, this does not imply that G-d has totally relinquished control. Evidence is G-d’s direct interference at the time of the deluge, the tower of Babel, the destruction of Sodom etc. In each of these events the Torah uses the term "seeing," an attribute of G-d which invariably precedes G-d’s effort to bring about a correction in His universe.

Akeidat Yitzchak 54:1:10

The Boundary Between Heaven and Earth

COMMENTARY

The question of humanity's place in the cosmos has been one of civilization's most profound and challenging dilemmas. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, in his insightful work, explores the theme of maintaining a boundary between heaven and earth as depicted in the Torah.

Judaism is humanity’s protest against both ideas. We are not gods. And we are not chemical scum. We are dust of the earth, but there is within us the breath of God. What is essential is never to blur the boundary between heaven and earth. The Torah speaks only obliquely about this. It tells us that there was a time, prior to the Flood, when “the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were lovely, and they married whomever they chose” (Gen. 6:2). It also tells us that, after the Flood, humans gathered in a plain in Shinar and said, “Come…

Judaism's Life Changing Ideas; A Weekly Reading of the Jewish Bible, VeZot HaBerakha; Unfinished Symphony 12

The Fate of the Rebellious Builders

COMMENTARY

The generation that attempted to build a great tower is said to have no portion in the world to come due to their rebellion against God. The Mishnah, the first codification of Jewish law from the early third-century land of Israel, reflects rabbinic interpretation of biblical events, emphasizing the moral consequences of defying divine authority.

The generation of the dispersion have no portion in the world to come, as it says, “So the Lord scattered them from there upon the face of all the earth” (Genesis 11:8): “So the lord scattered them”, refers to this world, “And from there the Lord scattered them” (Genesis 11:9), refers to the world to come. The generation of the dispersion, which happened when humanity tried to build the Tower of Babel, has no place in the world to come. The Rabbis understood their sin to be one of rebellion against God.

English Explanation of Mishnah Sanhedrin 10:3:3

The Ethics of Dispersion

COMMENTARY

The gathering of the wicked leads to evil schemes, quarrels, and strife, making their dispersion beneficial for both themselves and the world. The early 17th-century Torah commentary, Kli Yakar, contrasts the motivations and outcomes of the wicked with those of the righteous in the narrative of the dispersion.

Everyone on earth had the same language and the same words: [These] things make it seem that the entire story of the dispersion is based upon what the rabbis, may their memory be blessed, say (Sanhedrin 71b), "The gathering together of the wicked is detrimental to them and detrimental to the world, while with the righteous, [it is all the opposite of this]." For when the wicked gather together, they think among themselves of wicked plans against others. On top of this, fights, disagreements, and hatred break out among them…

Kli Yakar on Genesis 11:1:1

The Etymology of Babel

COMMENTARY

The name 'Babel' is not just a name but a condensation of Hebrew words, revealing the linguistic and etymological depth of the original holy tongue. Radak, a medieval Jewish commentator and grammarian, delves into the etymology of 'Babel' in his commentary on Genesis, explaining its significance in the context of the dispersion of people and the origin of different languages.

They called the unfinished city בבל as a reminder of the fact that this was where G’d had mixed up their languages resulting in their dispersal.
ומשם הפיצם, and from there G’d had set in motion their dispersal and the division into 70 languages. The people remaining in Babylon spoke one language. Seeing that the mixing up of the languages had commenced there, this is the city that was named to commemorate this event. The one giving this name spoke Hebrew, i.e. the original holy tongue. Both the words בבל and בלל are Hebrew words…

Radak on Genesis 11:9:1

The Consequences of Indulgence

MIDRASH

According to the midrash, the rebellion against God was driven by their satiety and indulgence in eating and drinking. The Sifrei Devarim, a midrashic commentary from the Tannaitic period, explores the moral and ethical lessons from this narrative in Genesis.

And thus do you find with the men of the tower (of Bavel), that they rebelled against the Holy One Blessed be He only out of satiety, as it is written (Ibid. 11:1-2) "And the whole earth was of one language and of one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they sat there." The "sitting" here refers to eating and drinking, as in (Shemoth 32:6) "And the people sat down to eat and drink, and they arose to 'play.'" This is what caused them to say (Bereshith, Ibid…

Sifrei Devarim 43:9

The Bricks of Genesis

COMMENTARY

The invention of bricks revolutionized construction, enabling the creation of monumental structures with profound religious implications. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks explores the technological advancements in Mesopotamia, particularly the use of bricks, and their significance in the biblical narrative of Genesis 11:3.

As the Torah makes clear with unusual attention to what seems like a peripheral fact, one of the great discoveries of Mesopotamia (along with the wheel, the arch and the calendar) was the ability to manufacture building materials, especially bricks made by pouring clay into moulds, drying it in the sun, and eventually firing it in kilns: “And they said one to another: ‘Come, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly.’ And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar” (11:3). This made possible the construction of buildings on a larger scale and reaching greater heights than…

Covenant and Conversation; Genesis; The Book of the Beginnings, Noach, Babel; A Story of Heaven and Earth 4

The Tower of Babel, Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 1563

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