Rabbi Howard Morrison

Dear Congregational Family,

In the aftermath of Noach and before the first mention of Abram, we read the narrative of the Tower of Babel. What was the wrongdoing? What was the nature of God's response?

At face value, the participants were trying to idolize themselves by challenging the sovereignty of God.

 The Midrash comments that the protagonists were concerned more about a brick falling, then a person falling off the tower. Thus, the narrative can be seen as a critique of humanity when it values materialism over people.

Given that God "Babels" the languages from one to many, one can see the story as validating diversity and freedom of expression, as opposed to coercion, symbolized by one language and the imposition of one set of ideas only.

A recent viewpoint suggests that the effort was to reach the sky and control the rains, an impulse of fear prompted by the flood which had devastated the earth. Nevertheless, it is not for humanity to "play God" and control acts of nature.

In all these theories, we can see the many lessons discerned by our predecessors and their implications for us today.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Howard Morrison