Noach

Adam Overlander-Kaye is a fundraiser at the United Jewish Israel Appeal (UJIA). He is a Fellow of the Brandeis University Institute for Informal Jewish Education and has an MA in Modern Jewish Studies from the University of Leeds.

What really was the sin of the Tower of Babel? Surely etched into the minds of the people we read about in this week's parasha is that, only a few lines before the building of the tower, the world is destroyed by a flood. Is it so surprising that these people wanted to be as high above the earth as possible? Is the tower a biblical early warning system? I'm not surprised that a place was desired that could keep people safe above ground, safe from a G-d that has already destroyed the world and kicked out the inhabitants of the Garden of Eden.

Genesis 11:1 tells us that "everyone on earth had the same language, the same words." However, three lines later we hear that the tower builders led by the mighty Nimrod are scared that they will be scattered across the world, as opposed to the desire of G-d in Genesis 9:7 for the post-flood generations to multiply across the whole world. The great sin according to Rabbi Matis Weinberg (Frameworks: Genesis, p.40) is that, "Nimrod set out to bury diversity, to inhibit change...and that this stasis would have been the end of creation." Nimrod wanted one way, one voice, one language. There was to be total and absolute faith and belief in his way with no discussion. Indeed Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo bar Yitzchaki 1040-1105), the famous biblical commentator, notes on Genesis 10:9 that Nimrod's sole purpose was to 'capture people's minds and lead them to rebel against G-d.' Weinberg continues by saying, "stasis is the hallmark of death...and this is why life itself ceased to have meani ng for Nimrod and his people," who cared more about the shattered bricks that fell during the building work than for the people who fell and died whilst working.

We understand that G-d desired a world with different languages. Language is the medium though which most of the worlds conversations take place. Some believe that the diverse and tolerant world that we live in today is under threat by religious extremists who believe, like Nimrod, that they are the true heirs of G-d's ability to create. Salman Rushdie, writing in the 'Extra' section of the Independent (October 13th 2006) says that his devout Muslim grandfather remains to him the model of tolerance. "You could sit there as an 11 or 12 year old boy and say, 'Grandfather, I don't believe in G-d.' And he would say, 'Really? That's very interesting. Sit down and tell me about it.' No kind of attempt to ram something down your throat...there would just be conversation."

Conversation. Different ideas being shared, discussed, challenged and pondered through a vast scattering of languages. This can be described as the essence of creation. Not a universal religion, a monolithic idolatry that rules all, as the 15th Century Italian commentator, Rabbi Ovadia Sforno describes as the ultimate aim of Nimrod and the tower builders. Their punishment was dispersion, as per their greatest fear. "For through dispersion would come diverse religions which would result in a more favourable religious climate." (Sforno Commentary, Notes, No.10. pg.60, Artscroll Mesorah Publications.) For a generation that understands where religious and political hatred can lead, for a community that has seen the murder of Yitzchak Rabin and heard the bitter murmur from across our own religious spectrum, the story of Babel is a timely reminder of the fact G-d wants a rainbow nation, a diverse world that creates and enjoys a cacophony of noise from many languages, from a myriad of people.