A Lesson from two Failures
(11:4)
Abraham does
not tolerate selfishness or central planning. What then is the basis of a
Jewish society?
A Lesson from two Failures
(11:4)
The two great epochs
of human history described in this week’s portion are not mere historical
accounts but rather they are portraits of a classic human dilemma that persists
till today. It is therefore no accident that these two time periods dissect
this Biblical reading precisely in half. The first seventy seven verses
deal with the life of Noach prior to the promise of, “This is the sign of the covenant.” And immediately following
the appearance of the rainbow and a new world order we are told the story of
the succeeding generations and their attempt at building the Tower of Babel
The flood was brought
upon the world because of robbery and immorality. Where bridges of trust might
have been built, gridlock occurred as competing interests collided. The fabric
of society thus frayed and became irreparably eroded due to rampant individual
selfishness. Ultimately, with no central authority, anarchy flourished. This is the picture of pre-Deluge humanity which
till today remains a model of societal failure.
The next great era was
a response to the prior. The age of corruption and thievery was washed away by
the powerful waves of the Flood. A sense
of tranquility and brotherhood reigned as all put aside their personal
agendas to rally around a symbol of unified strength and common goals.
A tower would be built to correct the problems associated with the chaotic
past. Thus a king arose who herded everyone together. An iron curtain was
created to hem humanity into a single location and the Tower of Babel
Interestingly enough,
not one person is mentioned by name in the recording of that event. Instead we
are informed that, “Come let us build a city and a tower with its
head in the heavens and let us
make a name for ourselves.” The achievement and the accolades
were for the group. Individual identities were to be rendered meaningless and
merged automatically with the purposes dictated by the whole. Our Sages expressed it this way: when a brick
fell down people agonized because of the lost material, but when a person died
in the process of building they carried on without acknowledgment.
These two stages in
human development represent the ongoing human dilemma. When the individual
enjoys unfettered freedom and society places supreme value on personal
happiness, then lawlessness prevails and the goals of humanity as a whole are
frustrated. Conversely, when society is all-powerful the individual suffers.
All his personal ambitions are squelched
his talents are sacrificed, and his liberties are repressed for the sake
of the state made holy above all.
What then is more
important? The individual or the society! Is this not the the debate of every political election? Is
this not the argument that has worried us since 9/11 as we try to balance security with personal liberty? And
is this not the cause of much of the struggle in the world today?
The answer is simple
and difficult. The answer is Abraham, the Jew. After the dispersion of the
Tower builders, the first patriarch appears on the Biblical horizon. How does
Abraham’s life show us the solution? Because even with the Torah’s focus on one
person and his extraordinary accomplishments, it does not mean that the
pendulum has swung back to a time when selfish individuals occupy center stage.
Neither is Abraham who is called and revered by his neighbors as, “The Most High, Maker of heaven and earth”
a megalomaniacal tyrant. But if Abraham’s life is not either extreme, neither
is it the healthy compromise of the two. The answer is a radical departure: An
existence that does not include selfishness or dictatorship, but rather a life
of service. Because a society of
Abraham-like people would produce a qualitatively different world order that
would address everyone’s private needs as well as the general public.
How can such service
oriented individuals be produced and how can they appreciate that they too
would benefit? Listen to the following story. The saintly Chofetz Chaim once
softly rebuked two students who came late to class one day. It was not the
lateness that was the issue. Each had retrieved a chair after realizing that
all seats in the room were occupied. The Chofetz Chaim pointed out to them the
lost opportunity. If each would have gotten a chair for the other, both would
have had a chair and both would have had an act of kindliness. This was the principle of thoughtfulness and
kindness exhibited by Abraham. It was this new order upon which our Jewish
heritage and communities were built!
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