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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Bereshit
- Noach
Who in the world is not familiar with the story of Noach? This dramatic tale of spectacular survival has captivated humanity forever – the saga of the curious castaway who boards a ship & escapes to a Brave New World.
But as well-known as we are with Noach, we are far less understanding of the episode that comes near the end of the Sedra, the saga of the Tower of Bavel (or Babble). What is happening here? Why did people want to build a giant tower? Did they really believe they could ascend to the Heavens & battle G-d? What were they trying to accomplish, & how & why were their plans frustrated?
Rav Yochanan Zweig of the Miami Yeshiva offers a terrific - & timely – insight into these events:
Just three centuries after the Great Flood wiped out the world, demonstrating Hashem’s power & His problem with a populace that did not respect one another, along comes another generation that descends into darkness. The "Tower People" have discovered technology, in its earliest form. No longer resigned to live in mud huts or grass shacks, they now can build skyscrapers that are a testament to their advanced & mighty civilization. They challenge Hashem – the universe’s ultimate Creator – by proclaiming that they, too, are creators whose power knows no bounds. Indeed, they decide, they can tower over everything & everyone – even over Hashem.
They speak, as the pasuk says, with "safa echat," one language – the language of Me. They are "devarim achadim," of one purpose only – to make bigger & better products that will enhance their quality of life & allow them to harness, & then rule the world.
Sound familiar, anyone?!
Hi-Tech is indeed amazing, but as we become more & more focused on our own needs & pleasures, we lose sight of the bigger picture: We were created by Hashem in order to refine our souls, rather than merely reward our sensual desires. We live not only to build & amass things, but to perfect our behavior vis-a-vis the invisible, yet morally-attractive attributes of honesty, compassion, empathy & integrity.
Hashem declares that the language, the discourse, must be changed. The Tower People must be dispersed to the far corners of the world, where they will have to learn to get along with others, to understand that they do not have a monopoly on The Word; other cultures are valuable in their own right, even if they speak another language.
The world is preparing to welcome a new voice, a true hero to its midst. Avraham will personify a revolutionary concept: It is only Hashem who is One; the peoples of the earth are many, & each of them stands tall in his own right.
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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D'varim Judaism’s Social Vision
Re’eh
Giving is more than an act of generosity—it is an essential part of human dignity that belongs to everyone, rich and poor alike. The ultimate goal of help is to empower others to stand on their own.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 9 - "Seeing is Believing" (parag. 21-30)
These paragraphs elaborate on the theme that seeing and knowing is better than any attempt to prove logically, and begins explaining the difference between Israel and gentiles.
Ein Aya Various Universal Stages of the Geula Process
Rav Kook examines the various stages of redemption, explaining how (in addition to the obvious oft-mentioned stages of ingathering the exiles, reviving the Hebrew language, army, state etc.) the messianic dream of world prosperity, the State of Israel and world unity can and are realistically and logically gradually coming true.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 8- "Answering Questions on the Kuzari's Proof from Mass Revelation
How do we know that the "claim" of mass revelation to 2,000,000 witnesses at Mt. Sinai is really true? This important class answers all of the questions skeptics ask about this claim of the Kuzari.
Ein Aya Armies Still Necessary for Balance & the War Against Wars
Rav Kook explains why the world was originally divided into the various seemingly contradicting ideologies and cultures, in order to develop each one respectively. Swords or armies symbolize how each respective ideology defends themselves, as well as deters their opposing ideologies and cultures. On the other hand, the messianic era will be one of peace, and Rav Kook explains the transition to that stage, which mankind is already undergoing.
