Practical Lessons from the Tower of Bavel for Our Times
by R. Eliezer Simcha Weisz
When we read the story of the Tower of Bavel, a natural question arises: why does the Torah take the time to describe how they made bricks and settled in a valley? Why these seemingly technical details?
וַיְהִי בְּנָסְעָם מִקֶּדֶם, וַיִּמְצְאוּ בִקְעָה בְּאֶרֶץ שִׁנְעָר, וַיֵּשְׁבוּ שָׁם
“And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they settled there.” (Bereishis 11:2)וַיֹּאמְרוּ אִישׁ אֶל רֵעֵהוּ, הָבָה נִלְבְּנָה לְבֵנִים וְנִשְׂרְפָה לִשְׂרֵפָה; וַתְּהִי לָהֶם הַלְּבֵנָה לְאָבֶן, וְהַחֵמָר הָיָה לָהֶם לַחֹמֶר
“And they said one to another, ‘Come, let us make bricks and burn them hard.’ And the brick served them as stone, and the bitumen served as mortar.” (Bereishis 11:3)
At first glance, this may seem like a technical detail. But the Torah is teaching us something far deeper.
The generation of the Tower of Bavel was neither simple nor backward. They were sharp, united, and highly advanced for their time. They had discovered a revolutionary method: making bricks from clay. Until then, people built only with natural stones — the materials HaKadosh Baruch Hu placed in the world. But this generation said, havah nilb’na l’v’nim — “Let us make bricks.” They wanted to build not with what G-d had created, but with what they themselves could create.
They were saying: “We will make our own world. We will be the makers. We will shape our own destiny.”
וַיֹּאמְרוּ הָבָה נִבְנֶה־לָנוּ עִיר וּמִגְדָּל וְרֹאשׁוֹ בַשָּׁמַיִם, וְנַעֲשֶׂה לָּנוּ שֵׁם
“Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make for ourselves a name.” (Bereishis 11:4)
They wanted to create a society independent of Heaven, with man at its center. They believed:
כֹּחִי וְעֹצֶם יָדִי עָשָׂה לִי אֶת הַחַיִּל הַזֶּה
“My own strength and the power of my hand have made me this success.” (Devarim 8:17)
And where did they build? In a valley — bik’ah b’eretz Shinar. If their real goal was to reach Heaven, logic would suggest building on a mountain! But they started from the lowest place, as if to say: “Even from the depths, we can rise to Heaven. We do not need HaKadosh Baruch Hu’s help — we can do it ourselves.”
That was their mistake — not their cleverness, but their arrogance. Not their building, but their belief that they could build without the Borei Olam.
When the people built the Tower of Bavel, their goal was not merely to reach the sky physically. They wanted to make a statement: that man alone could control his fate. They said, “Let us make a name for ourselves,” seeking to replace reliance on HaKadosh Baruch Hu with reliance on their own power. It was the first attempt to build a world without G-d, a society founded on pride rather than humility and emunah.
Yet the Torah teaches that man was placed in this world to work with G-d, בָּרָא אֱלֹקים לַעֲשׂוֹת
b’ra Elokim la’asot — not against Him — to build, to create, to improve the world. (Bereishis 2:3) It is our sacred duty la’asot — to act, to bring the world closer to the way HaKadosh Baruch Hu intended. But this must always be done with humility and emunah, never thinking we are all-powerful. We must always remember: everything comes from Him. We are shutafim shel HaKadosh Baruch Hu b’Ma’aseh Bereishit — partners with G-d in the work of Creation.
Throughout the two years of war, the soldiers were brave and devoted. This war was technical as well as physical, and we saw HaKadosh Baruch Hu’s help in everything. Some things didn’t work out, and some things did, and they were miraculous. We must always remember: we have to do our part, but the Almighty — He is the One above all.
The Torah does not condemn the desire to build; on the contrary, man is commanded to build, to improve, and to act. From the very beginning, the Torah teaches:
אֲשֶׁר בָּרָא אֱלֹקים לַעֲשׂוֹת
“That G-d created, for man to develop.” (Bereishis 2:3)
The sin of the Tower of Bavel was not that they wished to build — it was that they wanted to build a world without the Builder. They took the gift of human creativity and turned it into pride, not holiness. They used their unity not for Torah and chesed, but for rebellion.
HaKadosh Baruch Hu scattered them — not to destroy their talent, but to show that human power alone is limited, and when disconnected from emunah and Torah, it can even be destructive. Power without holiness leads only to bilbul — confusion.
This lesson is clear today. We live in an age of great achievement. We have built towers higher than Bavel, sent machines to the moon, and created artificial intelligence that can almost think for itself. But with greater power comes greater responsibility. AI, if left unchecked, could act in ways beyond our control — a modern echo of Bavel, showing that wisdom without humility leads to danger.
Nuclear energy, created to help mankind, could destroy it if misused. AI, created to serve mankind, may one day outthink us if we forget HaKadosh Baruch Hu.
Our tradition foresaw this in the story of the Golem of Prague. When Jews were threatened, the holy Rabbi of Prague made a golem — a living clay figure, a prototype robot — to protect the people. But when it began to act without control, he removed the shem Hashem (the Holy Name) that gave it life, and it fell to dust (Maharal of Prague, Netiv HaGevurah). The message is timeless: power without holiness is dangerous; creation without humility can destroy its maker.
Our task is not to stop building — but to build properly. To use our wisdom, technology, and creativity for good. To repair, to help, to bring more Torah, more chesed, and more light into the world. La’asot tov. To act — but always with humility and emunah, always aware that all comes from Him.
Just as in the days of Bavel, the danger today is arrogance — forgetting that our skills, knowledge, and courage are gifts from Heaven. True greatness is not in declaring independence from HaKadosh Baruch Hu, but in recognizing our dependence on Him. Only when human effort is joined with humility and emunah does it endure.
HaKadosh Baruch Hu gave us the tools to improve His world — but we must never forget it is His world. The goal of human progress is not to replace Heaven, but to reveal Heaven within the world.
The generation of Bavel tried to make a name for themselves. We are to make a home for His Name — a world filled with kedushah, justice, and care for one another.
For today, the lesson is clear: we must keep building — our homes, our communities, our Eretz Yisrael — but always with humility, with emunah, and with full awareness that everything comes from Him. We have been witness to miracles — absolute miracles in Israel over these past two years. These wonders strengthen our emunah in HaKadosh Baruch Hu, and in fulfilling His will, keeping the mitzvos, tefillah with focus, and deeds that bring light and order into the world.
One shining example of this emunah is Agam Berger, the heroic observer who was held captive by Hamas in Gaza and returned home with her faith unbroken. As she was being taken to the hospital after her release, she sanctified HaKadosh Baruch Hu’s Name by writing the moving message:
בַּדֶּרֶךְ אֱמוּנָה בָּחַרְתִּי וּבַדֶּרֶךְ אֱמוּנָה שָׁבִיתִי
“In the path of emunah I chose, and in the path of emunah I have returned.”
Her words remind us that even in the darkest times, the Jewish neshama remains devoted in its trust in HaKadosh Baruch Hu, serving Him and sanctifying His Name.
The true tower that reaches Heaven is not made of bricks, mortar, or stone. It is made of mitzvos, tefillah, and good deeds — done with emunah in HaKadosh Baruch Hu, trust in His guidance, and commitment to what He has set before us. That is the lasting lesson of Bavel for our times:
HaKadosh Baruch Hu is above all, and to do good and be good, to improve the world and our lives, la’asot tov — to do good — ללכת בדרכיו (Lalechet Bidrachav).