“Two are better than one” (Ecclesiastes 4:9). This insight is a basic concept for society, and various commentators, such as the Ran (Rabbeinu Nissim), expounds upon the benefits of cooperation for society. The Ran sees human cooperation and society as intrinsically beneficial (see Derashot HaRan, Treatise 1) As Kohelet suggests, and as the Ran emphasizes, every connection among a group of people who come together and help each other brings benefit to the world. The Ran would certainly agree with the idea that “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” This description of strength coming from cooperation and centralizing of resources holds true for the globalization that we experience today.
Perhaps because of this, when someone from our generation studies the story of the Tower of Babel, it is difficult for him to understand why God was angered, and why God decided to destroy the extreme unity and disperse the people who had come together for one clear purpose: to “build a city, and a tower with its head in the heavens…” (Genesis 11:4). Why sow discord among people? The response of the Talmudic Sages is that the people were united for the purpose of idolatry or foreign worship (Sanhedrin 109a). This response is textually linked to the Biblical verses: The words “let us make a name for ourselves” hint to the idea that the people wanted to erase the memory of the Creator from the face of earth. They say “a name for ourselves” and not “let us make a name for Him” (Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch). The difficulty with the words of the Sages is that the description of the sin sounds too general, and it is not clear what is so significant about this specific form of idolatry that the Torah bothers to tell this story.
The unity which the Torah identifies as the root of the problem is seemingly good and beneficial, but also has negative aspects. Unity has the power to veto minority opinions, and to establish ideas that have no connection to reality or the truth. When many people think a certain way, there often comes the danger of groupthink, and the mindset of “would millions of people all be wrong?” Cooperation can also lead to communal downfall. The herd mentality helps individuals overcome their concerns that creep up, and ignore warning signs and doubts that come with decision-making. Society is a closed box, a source of a false sense of security.
“And now nothing will prevent them from all that they plan [Heb. yazmu] to do.” Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch interprets the Hebrew root y.z.m. in a way that relates to our words above. He explains that the root y.z.m. in our context is similar semantically to gazam, a type of locust: they gather together like a swarm of locusts. This root is also similar to the Aramic word guzma (hyperbole). Rabbi S. R. Hirsch suggests that the fervor of the collective has, on the one hand, the potential for success and strength, but also has the prospect of silencing and destroying, of falsehood and of the unbearable.
xWhen the whole world acts for one purpose, what results is spiritual “disguised unemployment.” Independent thought is given up, and creativity is lost. The idea that everyone speaks one language and says the same things carries the strength of cooperation, but also involves the silencing of the majority. This principle is correct for many different areas: a uniform promotes a sense of belonging, but undercuts personal expression. An army marching to one beat drums up the energy and motivation to go the extra mile, but also tramples on freedom and blurs the dilemmas of basic morality. Shared missions are often characterized as boldly climbing toward a higher goal. The technical application of these shared missions are often divide up into a list of orders and procedures that lead to the end goal. ““And now nothing will prevent them from all that they plan [Heb. yazmu] to do.” The ability to act and achieve enables success, but leaves behind the ability for depth and discussion. There is no room for pondering, and personal challenges or problems are skipped over. Man becomes a statistic - society does not recognize his needs or even his existence. A person labors over a task, but nobody sees what goes on inside within him, beyond the mission.
The question that comes up regarding God’s actions is how to enable people to find the point of balance between unity and individuality. This question is a bit of a paradox – akin to asking how to organize a mess, or how to initiate spontaneity. The decision to separate nations and cultures seems to be taking an average of the two sides – of the group and of the individual. Language appears in the parasha as a strong characteristic of this clear, yet balanced separation. Language can express this idea very well. But language can convey not only the nature of this idea, but also a worldview. Once the variety of languages increased, there arose the possibility of giving a new meaning as well as a new name for a concept. There are many examples that demonstrate the subjective points of view that are manifest in similar words in different languages that have different layers of meaning – sometimes due to different cultural heritages. In English, “sir” or “mister” have connotations of “ruler” or “leader”, but the equivalent word in Hebrew, “adon” is related to words meaning “base” (of a structure), or foundation, which is not the case in English. In English, “couple” also means being linked or fused together, but in Hebrew, “zug” has the connotation of the marriage of two individuals. In English, “head” has the connotation of “leading” (the leader is ahead) whereas in Hebrew, “rosh” means “first.”
As long as the emphasis is only on manpower and the “battalions” in relation to their output for the workforce, there is no room for the unique human factor. This idea also finds expression in the people of Babel speaking in “one language” – with only one focus. Of course, the power of language inevitably deteriorates and becomes a mere a communication tool.
The multiplication of languages is a tikkun (repair) that demands deep thought about speech as an expression of the zeitgeist. Language gaps also allow for conversation that is not only functional, but which sparks inspiration, understanding, and bridging gaps and differences.
God created the universe through speech. His “word” was the essence, unity, certainty, and possibly the attribute of justice. Language is human creativity. Man’s mission is not to play God and to try to see God’s unified perspective of the world. Rather, man’s task is to separate the world into its smallest constituent parts. He must thus intensify the impact of creation, increase acts of lovingkindness, and to complete the works of God.