A Tower to Worship G-d

The Torah portion describing Creation is behind us and now, before we delve into the roots of the Nation of Israel, the Torah's second portion - Noach - describes the beginnings of humanity at large. One point that is obvious in this Torah portion is that since its inception, the human race has been searching for its place in the face of the Creator.

Fukuyama called it "the end of history." The Soviet Union collapsed, the language that rules is internet English, the only thing that matters is "me", borders are blurred, Europe has become one country.

And they found a valley in the land of Shinar and they settled there. (Genesis 11:2)

The historical pendulum that for generations had swung back and forth between various ideas and ideologies finally found itself on solid ground in the Shinar valley. Now humanity could free itself of its wars and focus on personal empowerment.

And they said to one another, 'Come, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly.' And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar. (Genesis 11:3)

Technology advances at a dizzying pace and changes cultures. Every second child has a cell phone. Once, parents taught their children how to send a letter. Today, children teach their parents how to communicate on Facebook.

But, by nature, technological progress distances man from Creation. When brick replaces stones and when the raw materials are also manufactured by man, the Creator seems to disappear. Eggs grow in the supermarket, meat comes from the freezer and man basically re-invents himself as king of all creation.

And they said: 'Come, let us build us a city, and a tower, with its top in heaven, and let us make us a name; lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.' (Genesis 11:4)

In truth, the city and the tower with its top in heaven does not exist in the valley of material stability, but rather, in Jerusalem - on the Temple Mount - the place that uproots the heart of man from his obsession with material and materialism. Isaiah promises that at the end of days, the mountain of G-d's House will be established at the top of the mountains. But the people who decided to replace G-d built their temple of "me" deep in the mud.

And G-d scattered them from there upon the face of the earth; and they ceased to build the city. (Genesis 11:8)

The world is one big train station. We have Chinatown in Manhattan, Spanish spoken in Florida, Arabic in London and Turkish in Germany. After the USSR collapsed, the Twin Towers came down as well, proving that history did not end, but simply turned the page - with G-d looking on, completely in the picture.

The universal desire for unity will ultimately be realized, because the Nation of Israel will build a city with a tower, with its top in heaven. But it will be a tower to worship G-d, not man.

And many peoples shall go and say: 'Come, and let us go up to the mountain of G-d, to the house of the G-d of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths.' For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of G-d from Jerusalem. (Isaiah 2:3)

Human nature is so predictable. Observe that, what, 3 generations after the flood, Nimrod was busy building the tower of Babel in defiance....

Alas Babalon

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. He also said he would be revenged on God, if he should have a mind to drown the world again; for that he would build a tower too high for the waters to be able to reach! and that he would avenge himself on God for destroying their forefathers! --Flavius Josephus - Antiquities of the Jews

Perhaps God prefers "Towers" that are constructed within men's loving and obedient hearts - and reflected in their actions towards their fellow human beings?

I have been thinking that the Tower of Babel is going on right now with the left’s hubristic and obsessive focus on global warming.

It is the new religion, one in which they think they can supplant the Creator and control life forces. That is the tower they have built.

I was in Jerusalem over Succot and made two visits to the Kotel. The second visit was on the Friday when all the trouble was supposed to be happening. Their was an enormous police and army presence and they did a superb job. I walked through the streets and prayed at the Kotel.

“But, by nature, technological progress distances man from Creation. When brick replaces stones and when the raw materials are also manufactured by man, the Creator seems to disappear. Eggs grow in the supermarket, meat comes from the freezer and man basically re-invents himself as king of all creation.”

Jerusalem is an incredible melding of the ancient and the modern both in its history, evoked memory, stones and remnants, and its inhabitants who worship as of old yet carry those cell phones and live modern lives. It is a place where technological progress coexists and even enables a connection to Hashem.

They say one should "live" in the portion of the week.

I think we are.

I must confess to being very depressed and worried lately about the current state of things. The government seems to be rapidly transforming itself into a dictatorship with little to no opposition from the spineless Republican leadership and now with the dust-up over the Oath Keepers the idea of actual civil war (G-d forbid!) seems to be a very real possibility.

While I am grateful that so many well-meaning and patriotic people are committed to preventing our beloved country from being transformed into a gigantic concentration camp I do not have the blase attitude to such a showdown as some FReepers seem to have. Many, many wars began with an attitude of romantic optimism and a belief that the whole thing would be over in three months but turned into years and years of hell. However much we may "outnumber" our enemies they are just as passionate as committed as we and they have all the tanks, napalm, flame throwers, bazookas, hydrogen bombs, aircraft, naval craft, etc.--things which the British regulars of 1775 did not possess. I know, and I agree, that "it is better to die on one's feet than to live on one's knees," but how many people realize what that might mean--really? It's one thing to spout pretty slogans, quite another to put them into action when staring down the greatest, most heavily and technologically armed government in the world.

I must confess that I am quite scared.

I mention this because this weeks parashah details one of the most cataclysmic events in history, the Mabbul that destroyed all life on earth other than the creatures and eight people aboard the Tevah (plus `Og clinging onto the hull). Because the the first two parashiyyot of the Torah have been so under attack by the "higher critics" and the resultant controversies about historicity the utter horror of this event is all too easily forgotten. If the Second Amendment is the "reset" button for the Constitution, then the Mabbul was the "reset" button for creation. Our stereotyped picture of the event, usually based on brightly colored happy illustrations in children's Bible story books, simply do not do it justice.

The Mabbul was a terrible thing but it was necessary. It may be that the USA is about to face its own national mabbul in the not too distant future. And however necessary it might be, it is going to be a terrible thing and no Fourth of July parade. The destruction and devastation of our first (and heretofore only) Civil War was terrible beyond description, but it pales before what a modern civil war fought with modern weapons--and one being fought nationwide rather than by one region against another--would be.

G-d protect us!

I must confess to being very depressed and worried lately about the current state of things.

There are a couple of thoughts I have on the current government that might cheer you up (or not).

The first thing is that it seems to me that the Obama election is God's will. Most of the conservatives here at FR saw his administration for what it was, tried to warn the nation, but it happened anyway. Perhaps what the creator wants is FOR us to be "scared". Scared enough to turn to him and ask him for his mercy, not only our politics.

94% of Israelis don't trust this commie crook. When have we ever seen that many Jews agree on anything.

The first thing is that it seems to me that the Obama election is God's will.

Everything that happens is governed by G-d's Providence, whether great or small. Of course, that hasn't kept terrible things from happening, but those terrible things were themselves under Divine Providence. May it be G-d's will to spare us from such evils!

Thank you for your words of comfort. You're right about the Israelis. Unfortunately, I'm afraid most American Jews (being non-observant and politically liberal) will be entirely fixated on the two bozos in South Carolina for a long time to come.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.