Noach - Dor Haflagah - The Power of People Gathered Together
The Nesivos Shalom cites the Ran who rejects the myriad explanations of the cheit/mistake of the people who built the tower of Babel. The Nesivos Shalom builds on the explanation of the Ran: They didn't do anything wrong. What they did was they gathered together. G-d decided that it would be better for them to be spread apart. The Rabbis teach us that the ingathering of negative people is bad for them and bad for the world (I only see the reverse of tis, which implies it: פיזור לרשעים הנייה להם והנייה לעולם ולצדיקים רע להם ורעה לעולם - Scattering of Resha'im is good for them, and this is good for the world as they cannot conspire together). It is bad for Tzadikim, and bad for the world Yerushalmi - Sanhedrin 43b: Halacha 7). This is because negative energy gets strengthened when negative people join together.
The Nesivos Shalom says that the power of good is stronger than the opposite, how much more-so then that it's good when good people unite, citing the verse that 2 is better than 1, even if the 2 are just inactively together.
He says that Hashem saw that bad would come from this group of people being together, and therefore prevented it by dispersing them. It was not a punishment. it was actually an act of kindness to spread them out so that bad would not come from their being together.
This explains why the name Hashem, which is the name of mercy, is used repeatedly in the story of the dispersion of these people- because this was an act of kindness. This stands in contrast to the name Elokim, the name of G-d reflecting justice, being used regarding punishing the generation of the flood.
Brothers sitting together is a positive thing, shevet achim gam yachad, just sitting in togetherness - even if they're not actively doing something positive. This is the lesson for today of this story of the tower of Bavel, that for negative or positive there is strength in togetherness. We are each the candle of our soul. When we unite in a positive way our souls form a torch that fights all evil.
For this reason Judaism stresses togetherness. One can argue that uniting with a good community is even more crucial than connecting to one holy, righteous leader. This is the idea of having 10 together - it always helps, and thus is encouraged for prayer and other matters that require 10.
We pray, saying "Barcheinu Avinu kulanu ke'echad." This can be understood to mean (not just that we ask G-d to bless us all, but) that specifically when we are united together is when we receive G-d's blessing and light.
This fits with the Medrash that says that Sunday complained about not having a ben zug - partner, like the other 6 days. Hashem said to Shabbos, "Knesset Yisrael will be your partner." The referring to the Jewish People in this context as Knesset Yisrael has a special meaning. Knesset means a gathering of people. We are the partner of Shabbos when we gather together and unite on Shabbos. An individual can only access all the power of Shabbos by uniting with others. A Jew as an individual is elevated on Shabbos but needs to connect with others to fully connect as a torch made from candles. One must sacrifce greatly to be with other Jews on Friday night. (See the source for this cited in essay on Parshat Breishit.)
"Ve'Ameich kulam Tzadikim." When are we Tzadim? When we are a nation united. On Shabbos and in general.
The Nesivos Shalom says that the power of good is stronger than the opposite, how much more-so then that it's good when good people unite, citing the verse that 2 is better than 1, even if the 2 are just inactively together.
He says that Hashem saw that bad would come from this group of people being together, and therefore prevented it by dispersing them. It was not a punishment. it was actually an act of kindness to spread them out so that bad would not come from their being together.
This explains why the name Hashem, which is the name of mercy, is used repeatedly in the story of the dispersion of these people- because this was an act of kindness. This stands in contrast to the name Elokim, the name of G-d reflecting justice, being used regarding punishing the generation of the flood.
Brothers sitting together is a positive thing, shevet achim gam yachad, just sitting in togetherness - even if they're not actively doing something positive. This is the lesson for today of this story of the tower of Bavel, that for negative or positive there is strength in togetherness. We are each the candle of our soul. When we unite in a positive way our souls form a torch that fights all evil.
For this reason Judaism stresses togetherness. One can argue that uniting with a good community is even more crucial than connecting to one holy, righteous leader. This is the idea of having 10 together - it always helps, and thus is encouraged for prayer and other matters that require 10.
We pray, saying "Barcheinu Avinu kulanu ke'echad." This can be understood to mean (not just that we ask G-d to bless us all, but) that specifically when we are united together is when we receive G-d's blessing and light.
This fits with the Medrash that says that Sunday complained about not having a ben zug - partner, like the other 6 days. Hashem said to Shabbos, "Knesset Yisrael will be your partner." The referring to the Jewish People in this context as Knesset Yisrael has a special meaning. Knesset means a gathering of people. We are the partner of Shabbos when we gather together and unite on Shabbos. An individual can only access all the power of Shabbos by uniting with others. A Jew as an individual is elevated on Shabbos but needs to connect with others to fully connect as a torch made from candles. One must sacrifce greatly to be with other Jews on Friday night. (See the source for this cited in essay on Parshat Breishit.)
"Ve'Ameich kulam Tzadikim." When are we Tzadim? When we are a nation united. On Shabbos and in general.
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