Page:A Jewish Interpretation of the Book of Genesis (Morgenstern, 1919, jewishinterpreta00morg).pdf/107

 The Tower of Babel

89

V

Le:sson

THE TOWER OF BABEL (Genesis XI, 1-9)

Let us make a name.

A

good name

verbs XXII,

(Genesis XI, 4.)

rather to be chosen

is

than great riches.

(Pro-

1.)

Read Micah IV, If the entire

as the Bible

1-4.

human

tells,

and

race were descended from one man, as

many

people

still

believe,

how

did

be divided into separate peoples and nations, and how did these come to speak different languages? These are interesting questions, which science is still asking today.

it

come

This

to

little

story of the

Tower

of Babel contains what our

ancestors conceived to be a satisfactory answer to these questions.

The answer

is,

of course, in the form of a charming

our ancestors knew nothing of and could not study these problems scientifically nor give a scientific answer. But we are more thankful for this beautiful folk-tale, with its wealth of inspiring thought and spiritual truth, than we would have been for the most scientific and correct answer to these questions that might ever For,

folk-tale.

naturally,

science,

be given.

we seek not natural science, God and of the life He has live. Of these this story is full.

In studying our Bible,

but thoughts and knowledge of

meant that mankind should

The

rabbis of old taught that for a long time after the

mankind lived happily together, in peace and harmony and love. Then they were only one people and spoke only

flood,

one language.

This language, the

first

language ever spoken,