Rabbi Charles Briskin
Noach
When we think of Parashat Noach, we likely gravitate to the primary narrative that describes Noah being called by God to build an Ark, and gather two of every animal to save them from the destructive flood that God will bring down upon the earth.
However, a second narrative, known colloquially as “The Tower of Babel,” is just as compelling. These nine verses describe a people who shared a common language gathering in the land of Shinar and endeavoring to build a tower into the sky so that they can “make a name for themselves.” God wasn’t so pleased about their hubristic designs so God collapsed the tower, gave the people different languages and scattered them across the earth.
At first glance, very little connects the Flood to the Tower of Babel. However, when we look closer, we see the importance of language, speech and communication. Dr. Carol Ochs suggests in The Torah: A Women’s Commentary (p. 55) that the absence of words in the Flood narrative can be juxtaposed with how words are used in the Tower of Babel narrative.
The eponymous protagonist of this portion is Noah. We learn that he does all that God tells him to do and faithfully executes the task, mainly building the ark and gathering the animals after God tells Noah that a flood will destroy the earth. Yet, nowhere in the main drama of the story does Noah speak. He only responds. Dr. Ochs writes, “Nearly the entire portion of Noach is filled with God’s speech and Noah’s actions – but not words.” But when Noah is finally given the language to speak, the first words we hear from him form a curse against one of his sons, which he utters after awakening the morning after he has gotten drunk.
By the time we arrive at the Tower of Babel, language is being used in a manner that God deems destructive. As the people use their common language to reach heaven, God sees their ability to communicate as a threat and confuses their language, multiplying tongues and scattering everyone across the earth. Noah’s silence had power and meaning, while the spoken word at Babel was destructive. It is a powerful reminder that words matter. They can be used to curse and bless, destroy and repair.
Rabbi Shai Held articulates another concern about the commonality of language. He suggests that the problem in Babel was not that everyone spoke the same language but thought the same thoughts. Language was not a unifying force but rather a way to make everyone think the same and respond the same. Held teaches that the story about Babel “isn’t really about unity, but about uniformity.” (The Heart of Torah Volume 1, p.17)
These ideas about the power of language and our words and the tendency to be drawn into a state of uniformity have been on my mind for the last several months.
Many of us live in echo chambers, which reverberate loudly most often our uniformly formed thoughts. Especially now. Those who are firmly ensconced in one camp or the other likely to think and respond the same, leaving no room for dialogue, debate or discussion with someone who thinks differently.
The way we’ve used our words, and others have used words – see the vitriol in attack ads – isn’t helping the situation. Imagine how much more informed we would be if a candidate used their 30 seconds of airtime more often to articulate positively why their ideas and policies are better rather than why the ideas of their opponent will lead us down a path of destruction.
Living in very purple Bucks County allows me to listen to the words of those with whom I disagree. My online life may resemble an echo chamber (it’s hard not to live in one), but my real-life, face-to-face interactions include people with whom I have a very different view of solutions to the problems of our nation. Guess what – we talk and discuss. We listen. We don’t curse, and we certainly don’t remain silent. We share ideas, listen to each other, interrogate, sharpen and share. In the end, we share the blessing of being in relationship with each other.
Words and ideas help us think for ourselves and, at their best, show us how to use them to heal, repair and forgive. May we continue to speak up for what we believe is right and just, as we continue to share words of blessing with one another.
Rabbi Charles Briskin is senior rabbi of Shir Ami Congregation in Newtown (Bucks County). He is chair of the Bucks County (Jewish) Clergy Organization and is on the leadership team of RAC-PA, working on its Get out the Vote campaign and ensuring a safe and fair election. The Board of Rabbis of Greater Philadelphia is proud to provide diverse perspectives on Torah commentary for the Jewish Exponent. The opinions expressed in this column are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Board of Rabbis.