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Towers of Insecurity
Towers of Insecurity - Printer Friendly Version
The Talmud delves into the psychology of the generation of the dispersion. It offers an in-depth perspective on how man confronts his fears. Some approaches are more adaptive than others.
תלמוד בבלי – סנהדרין קט עמוד א
דור הפלגה אין להם חלק לעולם הבא וכו'. מאי עבוד אמרי דבי רבי שילא נבנה מגדל ונעלה לרקיע ונכה אותו בקרדומות כדי שיזובו מימיו מחכו עלה במערבא א"כ ליבנו אחד בטורא. (אלא) א"ר ירמיה בר אלעזר נחלקו לג' כיתות אחת אומרת נעלה ונשב שם ואחת אומרת נעלה ונעבוד עבודה זרה ואחת אומרת נעלה ונעשה מלחמה זו שאומרת נעלה ונשב שם הפיצם ה' וזו שאומרת נעלה ונעשה מלחמה נעשו קופים ורוחות ושידים ולילין וזו שאומרת נעלה ונעבוד עבודה זרה {בראשית י"א:ט'} כי שם בלל ה' שפת כל הארץ.
Talmud Bavli – Sanhedrin 109a
The mishna teaches that the members of the generation of the dispersion have no share in the World-to-Come. The Gemara asks: What sin did they perform? Their sin is not explicitly delineated in the Torah. The school of Rabbi Sheila say that the builders of the Tower of Babel said: We will build a tower and ascend to heaven, and we will strike it with axes so that its waters will flow. They laughed at this explanation in the West, Eretz Yisrael, and asked: If that was their objective, let them build a tower on a mountain; why did they build it specifically in a valley (see Genesis 11:2)? Rather, Rabbi Yirmeya bar Elazar says: They divided into three factions; one said: Let us ascend to the top of the tower and dwell there. And one said: Let us ascend to the top of the tower and engage in idol worship. And one said: Let us ascend to the top of the tower and wage war. With regard to that faction that said: Let us ascend to the top of the tower and dwell there, God dispersed them. And that faction that said: Let us ascend to the top of the tower and wage war, became apes, and spirits, and demons, and female demons. And with regard to that faction that said: Let us ascend to the top of the tower and engage in idol wor-ship, it is written: “Because there the Lord confounded the language of all the earth” (Genesis 11:9). (Davidson translation)
The generation of the dispersion immediately followed the generation of the flood. One need not be Sigmund Freud to see they were responding to a sense of insecurity following the annihilation of human life on earth. The sages discuss different approaches to interpreting their actions.
The first approach offered by the school of Rebbe Sheila suggests the generation of the dispersion responded to the flood by trying to control nature. They built a tower to give them mastery over the heavens and the rain. Their erroneous attempt at security aimed to deny God’s ultimate control over the world. It may be hard to accept, but if Hashem wishes to destroy the world, there is nothing that man can do about it.
The sages of the west laughed at this approach. If one wants to interpret their actions in such practical terms, they should have built the tower on the top of a mountain, not in a valley. The actions of the generation of the dispersal must be interpreted in psychological terms. Rebbe Yirmiya subdivides the intentions of this generation into three groups.
The first group wanted to live at the top of the tower. They wished to distance themselves from the challenges of reality on earth. Sometimes a different view can lead to a new perspective. The view from a plane could bring about a sense of humility, to see humanity and nature at a different scale. But this skyscraper was not built out of humility, but out of a desire to escape the insecurities of life on earth. Hashem’s response was וּמִשָּׁם הֱפִיצָם י״י עַל פְּנֵי כׇּל הָאָרֶץ – from there He scattered them on the face of the entire earth. They were returned to the “face” of the land, forcing them to encounter and face the natural insecurities of the human condition. This would be healthier for their development.
The second group wanted to worship idols at the top of the tower. Why go through all the trouble of building a tower to worship idols? Why not worship idols on the ground?
Idol worship is always a primitive outlet born out of a desire for control. A sacrifice or offering is made to this or that god in order to bring about rain or sun, to secure something one fears is out of one’s control. It is a form of escape from the hard work, challenges, and insecurity accompanying the avenues for progress available to us. It assumes the rules of reality are patterned after our own making, as opposed to recognizing that within certain limits we can indeed dictate certain aspects of our own reality.
A large tower gives significance to otherwise ephemeral activities. An imposing cathedral gives apparent weightiness to the activities being conducted inside. The edifice signals the importance of the enterprise. Judaism never took this approach to the worship of the heart. As the Rav stated, “Many halakhic scholars insisted upon the utmost simplicity of the synagogue, and disapproved of elaborate ornaments in general” (Soloveitchik, 2005, p.6). Our houses of worship are simple and straightforward. It is the content of our prayers and the reading of the Torah that must be awe-inspiring.
Interpersonal communication can be an avenue toward shared meaning. We can draw each other’s attention to new ideas and perspectives, new heights that we might not reach independently. We can create a community that mutually reinforces shared values. But if our community structures draw us away from reality, they undermine the purpose of a social community. The response from Hashem was that social community of the generation of the dispersion was disrupted so that they could no longer understand one another. They would not complete a community structure designed to corrupt the community and lead it astray.
The third group wanted to use the tower to “make war”. They would use the tower for strategic advantage in order to conquer and dominate. They responded to the sense of insecurity brought about by the flood by pursuing a relative sense of security. They may not be able to control nature, but they could conquer and control others, putting them in a relatively better position than their fellow man. This is a form of denying the natural insecurity of the human condition through distraction, focusing on creating a sense of security and superiority relative to other people.
Man did not evolve to merely dominate his fellow in the manner which one group of animals competes and dominates over another. If this is how the generation would use their uniquely human capabilities, Hashem took them a step back in evolution, returning them to the animal kingdom or turning them into sub-human beings or forces (see Rashi for an explanation of the different spirits and demons). If man pursues power over others as a way to escape his own insecurity, he is to be dethroned and displaced from his position of dominion and strength.
אמר רבי יוחנן מגדל שליש נשרף שליש נבלע שליש קיים
Rabbi Yoḥanan says: The uppermost third of the tower was burned, the lowermost third of the tower was swallowed into the earth, and the middle third remained intact.
The halakhic approach to objects of idol worship is that they are burned. Hashem responded to Korach’s desire for power over others by having the ground swallow him up. Both the primitive and the lust for power must be obliterated. Man’s desire to distance himself from the challenges of reality is understandable. He can be rehabilitated from this response to insecurity. One third of the tower remained intact (this interpretation is based on the Maharsha).
אמר רב אויר מגדל משכח אמר רב יוסף בבל ובורסיף סימן רע לתורה מאי בורסיף אמר ר' אסי בור שאפי.
Rav says: The atmosphere of the tower causes forgetfulness; anyone who goes there forgets what he has learned. As a result of the building of the tower, forgetting was introduced into the world. Rav Yosef says: Babylonia and the adjacent place, Bursif, are each a bad omen for Torah, i.e., they cause one to forget his knowledge. The Gemara asks: What is the meaning of Bursif? Rabbi Asi says: It is an abbreviation of empty pit [bor shafi].
The methods of coping with insecurity employed by the generation of the dispersion were maladaptive. Furthermore, they undermine intellectual development. Even knowledge previously gained will be “emptied” if escapism, primitivism, or dominion over others becomes one’s primary focus. A person’s sense of their insecurity can lead to a greater awareness of man’s precarious position on earth. It can serve as a prompt to more wisely use our limited time. Man must face reality, accept his limitations, and use his interactions with others to embrace our shared humanity and together confront the human condition, as precarious as it may be.
References
Soloveitchik, J., & Helfgoṭ, Netanʼel. (2005). Community, covenant, and commitment : Selected letters and communications of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik. Jersey City: Published for the Toras HoRav Foundation by Ktav Pub. House.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bentorah.substack.com
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By Ben TorahTowers of Insecurity - Printer Friendly Version
The Talmud delves into the psychology of the generation of the dispersion. It offers an in-depth perspective on how man confronts his fears. Some approaches are more adaptive than others.
תלמוד בבלי – סנהדרין קט עמוד א
דור הפלגה אין להם חלק לעולם הבא וכו'. מאי עבוד אמרי דבי רבי שילא נבנה מגדל ונעלה לרקיע ונכה אותו בקרדומות כדי שיזובו מימיו מחכו עלה במערבא א"כ ליבנו אחד בטורא. (אלא) א"ר ירמיה בר אלעזר נחלקו לג' כיתות אחת אומרת נעלה ונשב שם ואחת אומרת נעלה ונעבוד עבודה זרה ואחת אומרת נעלה ונעשה מלחמה זו שאומרת נעלה ונשב שם הפיצם ה' וזו שאומרת נעלה ונעשה מלחמה נעשו קופים ורוחות ושידים ולילין וזו שאומרת נעלה ונעבוד עבודה זרה {בראשית י"א:ט'} כי שם בלל ה' שפת כל הארץ.
Talmud Bavli – Sanhedrin 109a
The mishna teaches that the members of the generation of the dispersion have no share in the World-to-Come. The Gemara asks: What sin did they perform? Their sin is not explicitly delineated in the Torah. The school of Rabbi Sheila say that the builders of the Tower of Babel said: We will build a tower and ascend to heaven, and we will strike it with axes so that its waters will flow. They laughed at this explanation in the West, Eretz Yisrael, and asked: If that was their objective, let them build a tower on a mountain; why did they build it specifically in a valley (see Genesis 11:2)? Rather, Rabbi Yirmeya bar Elazar says: They divided into three factions; one said: Let us ascend to the top of the tower and dwell there. And one said: Let us ascend to the top of the tower and engage in idol worship. And one said: Let us ascend to the top of the tower and wage war. With regard to that faction that said: Let us ascend to the top of the tower and dwell there, God dispersed them. And that faction that said: Let us ascend to the top of the tower and wage war, became apes, and spirits, and demons, and female demons. And with regard to that faction that said: Let us ascend to the top of the tower and engage in idol wor-ship, it is written: “Because there the Lord confounded the language of all the earth” (Genesis 11:9). (Davidson translation)
The generation of the dispersion immediately followed the generation of the flood. One need not be Sigmund Freud to see they were responding to a sense of insecurity following the annihilation of human life on earth. The sages discuss different approaches to interpreting their actions.
The first approach offered by the school of Rebbe Sheila suggests the generation of the dispersion responded to the flood by trying to control nature. They built a tower to give them mastery over the heavens and the rain. Their erroneous attempt at security aimed to deny God’s ultimate control over the world. It may be hard to accept, but if Hashem wishes to destroy the world, there is nothing that man can do about it.
The sages of the west laughed at this approach. If one wants to interpret their actions in such practical terms, they should have built the tower on the top of a mountain, not in a valley. The actions of the generation of the dispersal must be interpreted in psychological terms. Rebbe Yirmiya subdivides the intentions of this generation into three groups.
The first group wanted to live at the top of the tower. They wished to distance themselves from the challenges of reality on earth. Sometimes a different view can lead to a new perspective. The view from a plane could bring about a sense of humility, to see humanity and nature at a different scale. But this skyscraper was not built out of humility, but out of a desire to escape the insecurities of life on earth. Hashem’s response was וּמִשָּׁם הֱפִיצָם י״י עַל פְּנֵי כׇּל הָאָרֶץ – from there He scattered them on the face of the entire earth. They were returned to the “face” of the land, forcing them to encounter and face the natural insecurities of the human condition. This would be healthier for their development.
The second group wanted to worship idols at the top of the tower. Why go through all the trouble of building a tower to worship idols? Why not worship idols on the ground?
Idol worship is always a primitive outlet born out of a desire for control. A sacrifice or offering is made to this or that god in order to bring about rain or sun, to secure something one fears is out of one’s control. It is a form of escape from the hard work, challenges, and insecurity accompanying the avenues for progress available to us. It assumes the rules of reality are patterned after our own making, as opposed to recognizing that within certain limits we can indeed dictate certain aspects of our own reality.
A large tower gives significance to otherwise ephemeral activities. An imposing cathedral gives apparent weightiness to the activities being conducted inside. The edifice signals the importance of the enterprise. Judaism never took this approach to the worship of the heart. As the Rav stated, “Many halakhic scholars insisted upon the utmost simplicity of the synagogue, and disapproved of elaborate ornaments in general” (Soloveitchik, 2005, p.6). Our houses of worship are simple and straightforward. It is the content of our prayers and the reading of the Torah that must be awe-inspiring.
Interpersonal communication can be an avenue toward shared meaning. We can draw each other’s attention to new ideas and perspectives, new heights that we might not reach independently. We can create a community that mutually reinforces shared values. But if our community structures draw us away from reality, they undermine the purpose of a social community. The response from Hashem was that social community of the generation of the dispersion was disrupted so that they could no longer understand one another. They would not complete a community structure designed to corrupt the community and lead it astray.
The third group wanted to use the tower to “make war”. They would use the tower for strategic advantage in order to conquer and dominate. They responded to the sense of insecurity brought about by the flood by pursuing a relative sense of security. They may not be able to control nature, but they could conquer and control others, putting them in a relatively better position than their fellow man. This is a form of denying the natural insecurity of the human condition through distraction, focusing on creating a sense of security and superiority relative to other people.
Man did not evolve to merely dominate his fellow in the manner which one group of animals competes and dominates over another. If this is how the generation would use their uniquely human capabilities, Hashem took them a step back in evolution, returning them to the animal kingdom or turning them into sub-human beings or forces (see Rashi for an explanation of the different spirits and demons). If man pursues power over others as a way to escape his own insecurity, he is to be dethroned and displaced from his position of dominion and strength.
אמר רבי יוחנן מגדל שליש נשרף שליש נבלע שליש קיים
Rabbi Yoḥanan says: The uppermost third of the tower was burned, the lowermost third of the tower was swallowed into the earth, and the middle third remained intact.
The halakhic approach to objects of idol worship is that they are burned. Hashem responded to Korach’s desire for power over others by having the ground swallow him up. Both the primitive and the lust for power must be obliterated. Man’s desire to distance himself from the challenges of reality is understandable. He can be rehabilitated from this response to insecurity. One third of the tower remained intact (this interpretation is based on the Maharsha).
אמר רב אויר מגדל משכח אמר רב יוסף בבל ובורסיף סימן רע לתורה מאי בורסיף אמר ר' אסי בור שאפי.
Rav says: The atmosphere of the tower causes forgetfulness; anyone who goes there forgets what he has learned. As a result of the building of the tower, forgetting was introduced into the world. Rav Yosef says: Babylonia and the adjacent place, Bursif, are each a bad omen for Torah, i.e., they cause one to forget his knowledge. The Gemara asks: What is the meaning of Bursif? Rabbi Asi says: It is an abbreviation of empty pit [bor shafi].
The methods of coping with insecurity employed by the generation of the dispersion were maladaptive. Furthermore, they undermine intellectual development. Even knowledge previously gained will be “emptied” if escapism, primitivism, or dominion over others becomes one’s primary focus. A person’s sense of their insecurity can lead to a greater awareness of man’s precarious position on earth. It can serve as a prompt to more wisely use our limited time. Man must face reality, accept his limitations, and use his interactions with others to embrace our shared humanity and together confront the human condition, as precarious as it may be.
References
Soloveitchik, J., & Helfgoṭ, Netanʼel. (2005). Community, covenant, and commitment : Selected letters and communications of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik. Jersey City: Published for the Toras HoRav Foundation by Ktav Pub. House.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bentorah.substack.com