At the beginning of Parshat Noach, God punishes the people with a destructive flood. This generation, which we will call “Generation One,” was destroyed for sins clearly expressed in the verses,
“The world was corrupt before God, and the land was filled with violence. God saw the world, and it was corrupted. All flesh had perverted its way on the earth” (Gen. 6:11-12).
Generation One could not work cohesively. They fought, and were a disgrace to God.
In contrast to Generation One, Noach and his family “found favor in the eyes of God” for their moral behavior. Thus, God instructed Noach to build an ark to save himself and his family from the flood.
At the end of the Parsha, after the flood ended, there was a new generation of people reborn. This generation, which we will call “Generation Two,” was punished, as well. However, their sins were less clear from the text, contrary to the clear sins expressed regarding Generation One.
The Biblical commentary, the Netziv, wrote that Generation Two was the first group of social engineers: attempting to create a utopian society where they could use the “same language and the same words.” According to the Netziv, Generation Two feared that if some people settled their own colonies, they would develop different cultures. They wanted everyone to live in one controlled environment where they would be able to ensure a cohesive environment.
The tower they built would serve as a base where all people of their homogeneous colony could settle. The problem with their plan was that it was the first step toward a tyrannical state where no self expression would be tolerated. This interpretation explained the scene that followed the building of the tower.
Because the “entire earth had one language and a common speech,” God split Generation Two into many separate nations with various languages.
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks explained that the words used to describe the building of the tower are a clear indicator of Generation Two’s mission.
The verse stated, “Come, [hava] let us build ourselves a city and a tower . . . lest [pen] we be scattered over the face of the earth” (Gen. 11:4).
This is the same language used in Egypt, when Pharaoh said, “Come, [hava] let us deal wisely with them, lest [pen] they increase so much . . .” (Ex. 1:10).
Rabbi Sacks explained that Bavel, like Egypt, represented an empire that refused to acknowledge individual identities and freedoms.
The juxtaposition between the sins’ of Generation One and Generation Two can teach us a powerful lesson. Rabbi Sacks eloquently stated, “The miracle of monotheism is that unity in Heaven creates diversity on earth, and God asks us (with obvious conditions) to respect that diversity.” In order to become a strong and cohesive community, we mustn’t eliminate individual expression, but rather we must value individuality and self-expression.
Today, with political divisiveness, differing religious opinions, and other prevalent partisan issues, we must remember the lesson of Parshat Noach.
Rabbi Hillel’s statement in the Mishna sums up this message perfectly. He said, “If I am not for myself, who will be for me? But if I am only for myself, what am I?”
This balance between the “me” and the “we” is integral to fostering communities of respect, appreciation, and unity.
