Noach 5786 - Now we're talking: The Tower of Babel, and why this Rabbi is learning Arabic

ByRabbi Anita Josefa Barzman MD Founder, micro-mishkan.net

"You speak my language." "Now we're talking." "We really speak the same language." "Can we talk?"

the Secretariat building of the United Nations in New York City

"Speaking the same language:
Understand one another very well, agree with each other, as in 'Negotiations went on for days, but finally both sides realized they weren't speaking the same language. This term, alluding to literal understanding of spoken words, dates from the late 1800s.' "
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/speak-the-same-language

The phrase "tikkun olam" does not appear in Tanakh; its first appearance is in the Mishnah, in Gittin 4, where it is found eleven times, in the phrase מִפְּנֵי תִקּוּן הָעוֹלָם - for the sake of the repair / the betterment of the world. In this Mishnah, the context of this phrase is a legal one: fine points of law in order to preserve and contribute to the orderly functioning of communities.

Of course, tikkun / tikkun olam has come to have many shades of meaning in Judaism, ranging from Kabbalistic explorations of the tikkun (repair) of the broken shards or husks (klipot) that resulted from the"broke n vessels" (Shevirat ha-Kelim) are primordial containers of divine light that shattered during creation., to explorations in Chassidut, to prevailing contemporary notions of social justice, individually and collectively.

The concept of tikkun olam comes to mind this year as I approach the end of the parsha hashavua, this week's Torah portion, Parashat Noach, the account of the Tower of Babel:

בראשית י״א:א׳-ט׳

(א) וַיְהִ֥י כׇל־הָאָ֖רֶץ שָׂפָ֣ה אֶחָ֑ת וּדְבָרִ֖ים אֲחָדִֽים׃ (ב) וַיְהִ֖י בְּנׇסְעָ֣ם מִקֶּ֑דֶם וַֽיִּמְצְא֥וּ בִקְעָ֛ה בְּאֶ֥רֶץ שִׁנְעָ֖ר וַיֵּ֥שְׁבוּ שָֽׁם׃ (ג) וַיֹּאמְר֞וּ אִ֣ישׁ אֶל־רֵעֵ֗הוּ הָ֚בָה נִלְבְּנָ֣ה לְבֵנִ֔ים וְנִשְׂרְפָ֖ה לִשְׂרֵפָ֑ה וַתְּהִ֨י לָהֶ֤ם הַלְּבֵנָה֙ לְאָ֔בֶן וְהַ֣חֵמָ֔ר הָיָ֥ה לָהֶ֖ם לַחֹֽמֶר׃ (ד) וַיֹּאמְר֞וּ הָ֣בָה ׀ נִבְנֶה־לָּ֣נוּ עִ֗יר וּמִגְדָּל֙ וְרֹאשׁ֣וֹ בַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וְנַֽעֲשֶׂה־לָּ֖נוּ שֵׁ֑ם פֶּן־נָפ֖וּץ עַל־פְּנֵ֥י כׇל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃ (ה) וַיֵּ֣רֶד יהוה לִרְאֹ֥ת אֶת־הָעִ֖יר וְאֶת־הַמִּגְדָּ֑ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר בָּנ֖וּ בְּנֵ֥י הָאָדָֽם׃ (ו) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יהוה הֵ֣ן עַ֤ם אֶחָד֙ וְשָׂפָ֤ה אַחַת֙ לְכֻלָּ֔ם וְזֶ֖ה הַחִלָּ֣ם לַעֲשׂ֑וֹת וְעַתָּה֙ לֹֽא־יִבָּצֵ֣ר מֵהֶ֔ם כֹּ֛ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָזְמ֖וּ לַֽעֲשֽׂוֹת׃ (ז) הָ֚בָה נֵֽרְדָ֔ה וְנָבְלָ֥ה שָׁ֖ם שְׂפָתָ֑ם אֲשֶׁר֙ לֹ֣א יִשְׁמְע֔וּ אִ֖ישׁ שְׂפַ֥ת רֵעֵֽהוּ׃ (ח) וַיָּ֨פֶץ יהוה אֹתָ֛ם מִשָּׁ֖ם עַל־פְּנֵ֣י כׇל־הָאָ֑רֶץ וַֽיַּחְדְּל֖וּ לִבְנֹ֥ת הָעִֽיר׃ (ט) עַל־כֵּ֞ן קָרָ֤א שְׁמָהּ֙ בָּבֶ֔ל כִּי־שָׁ֛ם בָּלַ֥ל יהוה שְׂפַ֣ת כׇּל־הָאָ֑רֶץ וּמִשָּׁם֙ הֱפִיצָ֣ם יהוה עַל־פְּנֵ֖י כׇּל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃ {פ}

Genesis 11:1-9

(1) Everyone on earth had the same language and the same words. (2) And as they migrated from the east, they came upon a valley in the land of Shinar and settled there. (3) They said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and burn them hard.”—Brick served them as stone, and bitumen served them as mortar.— (4) And they said, “Come, let us build us a city, and a tower with its top in the sky, to make a name for ourselves; else we shall be scattered all over the world.” (5)יהוה came down to look at the city and tower that humanity had built, (6) and יהוה said, “If, as one people with one language for all, this is how they have begun to act, then nothing that they may propose to do will be out of their reach. (7) Let us, then, go down and confound their speech there, so that they shall not understand one another’s speech.” (8) Thus יהוה scattered them from there over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city. (9) That is why it was called Babel, because there יהוה confounded the speech of the whole earth; and from there יהוה scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

In this compact "episode" of just nine verses, we see a narrative arc that takes us from a shared human project, with a shared language and seemingly a shared intention, to a human situation where people are scattered over the face of the entire earth, and no longer speak the same language.

"You speak my language." "Now we're talking." "We really speak the same language." "Can we talk?"

A few months ago, shortly after Tisha b'Av 5785, I was moved to begin learning Arabic. I'd had this in mind for many months, inspired by a teacher of mine / fellow clergy person, a cantor, who'd shared with me that she'd begun studying Arabic on October 8, 2023, as part of her humanitarianism and activism.

Surely at this time in history, whether it be in so many local communities or nations or in the wider scope of international attempts at diplomacy and communication, there is a profound lack of understanding of one another's speech and experiences.

The question of why it is problematic for God that people speak with one voice, that "nothing that they may propose to do will be out of their reach" is beyond the scope of what I am exploring in this commentary, although most certainly it requires interrogation. Many commentators back to Rashi see this "tower" as being representative of collective idolatry. I plan to address this in a future commentary.

For now, let us explore the following verse, in particular:

בראשית י״א:ז׳

(ז) הָ֚בָה נֵֽרְדָ֔ה וְנָבְלָ֥ה שָׁ֖ם שְׂפָתָ֑ם אֲשֶׁר֙ לֹ֣א יִשְׁמְע֔וּ אִ֖ישׁ שְׂפַ֥ת רֵעֵֽהוּ׃

Genesis 11:7

(7) Let us, then, go down and confound their speech there, so that they shall not understand one another’s speech.”

"confound" √בלל

to mix, mingle, confuse, confound (Qal); to mingle, confuse, to mix; to mix oneself (among others)(Hiphil); to fade away; to give provender, feed (animals)(Hithpoel).

This verbal root appears 44 times in Tanakh, the majority of these occurrences being in the Book of Leviticus (nine times) and Numbers (twenty-seven times), referring to the mixing of parts of sacrifices with oil.

Bringing in Onkelos and Targum Jonathan provide an even broader scope for understanding these verses:

תרגום אונקלוס על בראשית י״א:ז׳

הָבוּ נִתְגְּלִי וּנְבַלְבֵּל תַּמָּן לִישָׁנְהוֹן דִּלָא יִשְׁמְעוּן אֱנַשׁ (גְּבַר) לִישַׁן חַבְרֵיהּ:

Onkelos Genesis 11:7

Come, let us descend [let us be revealed] and jumble their language, that they will not understand one another’s language.

תרגום יונתן על בראשית י״א:ה׳-ח׳

(ה) וְאִתְגְלֵי יהוה לְאִיתְפַּרְעָא מִנְהוֹן עַל עוֹבַד קַרְתָּא וּמַגְדְלָא דְבָנוּ בְּנֵי נְשָׁא (ו) וַאֲמַר יהוה הָא עַמָא חָד וְלִישָׁן חָד לְכֻלְהוֹם וְדָא אִתְחַשְׁבוּ לְמֶעֱבַד וּכְדוֹן לָא יִתְמְנַע מִנְהוֹן כָּל דַחֲשִׁיבוּ לְמֶעֱבָד (ז) וַאֲמַר יהוה לְשַׁבְעִין מַלְאָכַיָא דְקַיְימִין קוֹמוֹי אִיתוּן כְּדֵין וְנָחִית וּנְעַרְבְּבָא תַּמָן לִישַׁנְהוֹן דְלָא יִשְׁמְעוּן אֱינַשׁ לִישָׁן חַבְרֵיהּ (ח) וְאִגְלִיאַת מֵימְרָא דַיְיָ עֲלוֹי קַרְתָּא וְעִמֵיהּ שׁוּבְעִין מַלְאָכַיָא כָּל קְבֵל שׁוּבְעִין עַמְמַיָא וְכָל חַד וְחַד לִישָׁן עַמְמֵיהּ (נ"א וְרוֹשָׁם כַּתְבֵיהּ) (וּמִשָׁם כַּפְתֵיהּ) בִּידֵיהּ וּבַדְרִינוּן מִתַּמָן עַל אַנְפֵּי כָּל אַרְעָא לְשַׁבְעִין לִישְׁנִין וְלָא הֲוָה יָדַע חַד מַה דְיֵימַר חַבְרֵיהּ וַהֲווֹ קַטְלִין דֵין לְדֵין וּפְסָקוּ מִלִמִבְנֵי קַרְתָּא

Targum Jonathan on Genesis 11:5-8

(5) And the Lord was revealed to punish them for the work of the city and the tower which the sons of men builded. (6) And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and the language of all of them one: and this they have thought to do: and now they will not be restrained from doing whatever they imagine. (7) And the Lord said to the seventy angels which stand before Him, Come, we will descend and will there commingle their language, that a man shall not understand the speech of his neighbour. (8) And the Word of the Lord was revealed against the city, and with Him seventy angels, having reference to seventy nations, each having its own language, and thence the writing of its own hand: and He dispersed them from thence upon the face of all the earth into seventy languages. And one knew not what his neighbour would say: but one slew the other; and they ceased from building the city.

At this moment in history, when true conversations (ie: a back and forth - con = with; verso = turning... conversation, turning over ideas with one another)... seem so difficult to achieve, it is increasingly clear that striving to "speak the same language", literally and figuratively, is a critical element of tikkun olam .

Growing up in New York City, just north of the Lower East Side, the grand and aspirational silhouette of the UN was a prominent feature in my landscape. I can recall first visiting the UN as a little girl: the Secretariat building was so glorious, and shiny, and inspiring. Is it turning out that this building is nothing more than a modern day Tower of Babel?

To conclude: this Rabbi is learning Arabic with daily study so that in her small way, she can participate in the tikkun of the tragic fracturing of communication and compassion and understanding.

What is your daily practice be, your participation in tikkun olam?

ישעיהו ב׳:ד׳

(ד) וְשָׁפַט֙ בֵּ֣ין הַגּוֹיִ֔ם וְהוֹכִ֖יחַ לְעַמִּ֣ים רַבִּ֑ים וְכִתְּת֨וּ חַרְבוֹתָ֜ם לְאִתִּ֗ים וַחֲנִיתֽוֹתֵיהֶם֙ לְמַזְמֵר֔וֹת לֹא־יִשָּׂ֨א ג֤וֹי אֶל־גּוֹי֙ חֶ֔רֶב וְלֹֽא־יִלְמְד֥וּ ע֖וֹד מִלְחָמָֽה׃ {פ}

Isaiah 2:4

(4)Thus [God] will judge among the nationsAnd arbitrate for the many peoples,And they shall beat their swords into plowsharesAnd their spears into pruning hooks:Nation shall not take upSword against nation;They shall never again know war.