D’var Torah – What we can learn from Dor HaPlagah

Written by Rabbi Josh Levy — 23 October 2020

One of the challenges of how we read Torah in our movement – in a sort of three year cycle – is that, while there are some portions so challenging that once every three years is more than plenty, there are others so rich that you would like to read them far more often.

A great example is the story of the Tower of Babel, which we will read in the morning.  Just 9 verses, but so full that they are the inspiration for hundreds of midrashim, and probably thousands of sermons.

Tomorrow Cantor Tamara will teach our Shabbat morning shiur on one aspect of the story.  And I know that Rabbi Hannah will also be starting with the story, or a midrashic take on it, as jumping off point for her sermon, too.

But as it only comes around once every three years, I also want to get in on the act.

 

In fact, I just want to share one midrash – one rabbinic understanding of the story.

In Midrash Tanchuma, the rabbis ask why it was that Dor HaMabul – the generation of the flood – were utterly destroyed, but Dor HaPlagah – the generation of the separation – as they called those responsible for building a tower up to heaven at Babel, were not destroyed.  They were merely scattered.  Surely their behaviour was worse?  The former only chose to ignore God, but the latter chose to challenge God.  According to the midrash, they stated “Come, let us build a tower at the top of which we will set an idol holding a sword in its hand, as if it wages war against God.”

The answer they give is extraordinary.
“hayu ohavim zeh et zeh”
They loved each other

The generation of the Flood, they explain, were bad towards each other, and therefore not a remnant of them was left.

But the Generation of the Separation – ‘hayu ohavim zeh et zeh’

That is, according to this interpretation, even though what they were doing was so very wrong, they did it together, as a collaboration, with love for one another, communicating with each other.

 

The midrash continues with an extraordinary statement in the name of Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi:

“Great is peace, for even if Israel practise idol worship but maintain peace amongst themselves, the Holy One says, ki’v’yachol – kiv’yachol is a phrase the rabbis use when they can’t quite believe what they are about to say: ‘as if it were possible to say such a thing’ –  ki’v’yachol, “I have no power over them since there is peace between them”.

It’s an amazing idea.  That what is most important to God is not so much what we do, but how we do it – and most importantly, the relationships we have with each other as we do so.

 

It is worth pointing out that it is not the only voice about the story of Babel.  Our texts contain many voices, and Hannah will bring a very different rabbinic version in the morning.

And importantly this is not an invitation to idol worship, which to our tradition was one of the very worst things we can do.

But that’s also the point.  The rabbis are trying to express an important idea in the most unexpected place, and in the most powerful way that they can: that what really matters in our lives is not that we always get it right – but that what we do, we do with love and mutual care for one another.

 

There is much that we get wrong – all of us – in our lives, and especially faced with unprecedented challenges, as we currently are.
But the Generation of the Separation – hayu ohavim zeh et zeh
They loved each other, good to each other even in their mistakes.
And we must seek to be so, too.