A City and a Tower

335) It is written, “And the whole earth was of one language and of one speech.” All the doubled organs, such as eyes, ears, and lips, come from the incorporation of the two points—Bina and Malchut—in one another, one from Bina and one from Malchut. There was no disclosure to the point of the quality of judgment, iron tools. Rather, everything was done only at the point of the quality of mercy. It follows that a coupling by striking that is done in the lips, speech, was not done in both lips, but only in the upper lip, the one from the quality of mercy.

“And the whole earth was of one language” means that the coupling by striking, speech, still did not include both lips [Safa means both “lip” and “language”], both points. Rather, the coupling by striking was only in one lip. This is why “of one speech” means that there was still no separation in the worlds, and everything was unified and united.

It is written, “And it came to pass that when they journeyed from the east.” They journeyed from the ancient one of the world, meaning extended illumination of the left line from above downward, which the ancient one of the world forbade them. Hence, “And they found a valley in the land of Shinar,” from which the judgments spread to all sides. This is the beginning, the start of Malchut’s separation from the Kedusha, as it is written, “And God has made one opposite the other.” There are four phases HB TM in the shells, as well. The shell of Babylon is Hochma of the shell, the head of all the shells.

336) But it is written, “And a river came out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it parted.” How was it said that the valley in the land of Shinar is the beginning of the separation? The separation begins after Malchut of Atzilut, the garden. Because they went from there, from the garden, they found a valley in the land of Shinar and separation occurred. But when they are gathered there in the garden to suckle, and do not draw illumination of the left from there downward, then there is no separation there. This is why it is written about the garden, “And from there it parted.”

But separation occurs specifically upon journeying from the garden, as it is written, “And it came to pass when they journeyed from the east,” from the garden, “And they found a valley.” Had they not journeyed from there, they would not find a valley in the land of Shinar, and they would not be parted from the Kedusha. This is why the valley in the land of Shinar is regarded as the beginning of the separation.

337) “And the whole earth was of one language and of one speech.” At that time, the world was in Yesod, in the essence, and in one root, in the quality of mercy, and they were of one faith, in the Creator, to not sin before Him. “And it came to pass when they journeyed from the east” means that they journeyed from the east and the essence of the world, the faith of all. “They found a valley” means that they found such a find that caused them to exit the upper faith.

338) “And the beginning of his (Nimrod’s) kingdom was Babel,” since from there he took strength to cling to the domain of the Sitra Achra. “And they found a valley in the land of Shinar” means that from there they took the desire in their hearts to exit the domain of the upper one into the domain of the other. Thus, the land of Shinar is Babylon, the beginning and the root of separation from the Creator.

It is so because the building of the shells began with the sin of the tree of knowledge. And although they exited prior to the sin of the tree of knowledge, too, since the shells are only measures of disclosure of deficiencies in Kedusha, hence, since the first restriction, when the deficiency of reception appeared in Malchut and she avoided receiving direct light into her, Malchut of the shells emerged opposite her. And to the extent that that Malchut of Kedusha was included in ZA, ZA of the shell emerged, as well.

But ZON of the shells have no actual power to separate; they are only presence without any power, since that diminution in Malchut of Kedusha, from which they emerged, was not a diminution whatsoever. On the contrary, through that diminution, Malchut was established in coupling by striking and emanated all the worlds; it is all splendor and glory. Therefore, although ZON of the shells were made due to the first restriction, it was without any force of harm or separation.

The beginning of the force of separation appeared in them in the sin of the tree of knowledge. Once Malchut was built with the vessels of Bina and received direct light in them, and through the sin of the tree of knowledge the quality of judgment in her reappeared—that she is unfit to receive and all the lights fled from her—an actual flaw appeared in Malchut. And since Bina was included with her, that flaw reached Bina, too. And to the extent that that Bina returned to Hochma in order to bestow Hochma upon ZON, some of the flaw reached Hochma, too.

The essence of the sin of the tree of knowledge was extension of illumination of Hochma from above downward. For this reason, four deficiencies in Kedusha appear here, corresponding to HB and ZON, and four phases HB TM of the shells were built out of these flaws.

However, along with the punishment of the flood and the emergence of Noah and his sons from the ark, and the sacrificing of the sacrifice, much of the sin of the tree of knowledge was corrected, and the filth of the serpent was all but annulled, as in the giving of the Torah. For this reason, the shells were temporarily canceled and were left without a root or existence in HB, but only in ZON, as prior to the sin of the tree of knowledge, as it is written, “And the whole earth was of one language and of one speech,” when there was no force of separation in the worlds.

“And it came to pass that when they journeyed from the east,” from the east and the essence of the world. That is, they agreed in their minds to sin by drawing Hochma from above downward following the counsel of the serpent. “And they found a valley,” they found Bina of the shell, who had already been canceled and gone from the worlds. Now she has reappeared and they found it because they traveled from the ancient one of the world, and the filth of the serpent appeared in them.

For this reason, Bina of the shell promptly appeared in them, but only with regard to the Katnut in her, called “valley,” a name that indicates the time of the fissuring of the degree, which was made in Bina by the incorporation of Malchut within her. The flaw of Malchut is mixed with Bina. Bina of the shell was built out of that flaw, and in her they sinned and came out from under the upper faith, Bina, since Malchut is called “faith,” and Bina is called “the upper faith,” as it is written, “And they found a valley,” which is Katnut and a flaw.

“In the land of Shinar” is Bina of the shell. “And dwelt there” means that they corrected her into a settlement, that they extended the completeness of the vessels back to her in a way that she becomes worthy of Mochin of Hochma. The Katnut is regarded as a desert, uninhabitable for people. Gadlut is regarded as settling.

They promptly said, “Let us build us a city and a tower with its head in heaven,” meaning draw the GAR of HB to that Bina of the shell, called “city” and “tower,” in a manner that they will illuminate from above downward through this world. By that, they built the Hochma of the shell. It now follows that the land of Shinar was built by their power to be Hochma of the shell.

339) It is written, “And the wicked are like the troubled sea, for it cannot rest, and its waters cast up mire and dirt.” When the sea exits its place of correction and goes without limits, wishing to go past the sand, which is its limit, and pour into the land, its waters cast up and it exits its place like one who is drunken by wine. It does not sit in its place but rises and falls, “for it cannot rest, and its waters cast up mire and dirt.” Its water emits all the dirt of the world and all the filth from the bottom of the sea to its shore.

340) It is similar with the wicked of the generation of Babylon, who departed from the corrected path, from the ancient one of the world, and went without correction, as though drunken by wine who have clung to Bina of the shell. They departed from the straight path and onto a twisted path, to the valley in the land of Shinar, which is the flaw they had found there. “It cannot rest” because the curviness in their way, which is the flaw they had found in it, caused them to go without correction and without rest until they said, “Let us build us a city and a tower,” meaning that they built the HB of the shells.

341) Moreover, they became filled with anger when they said “Let us build us,” since by that, they intended to satisfy their passion, and all who are greedy are angry. It is written, “And its waters cast up mire and dirt.” The shells are called “mire” and “dirt.” They all elicited grime and disgust from their mouths from the filth of the serpent that they extended by saying, “Let us build us,” until they were defiled with the filth of impurity of the serpent, and the serpent defiled them.

342) “Let us build us.” “Let us” is an invitation, speaking without acting. But the words they said caused the building of a city and a tower above, and they all came by the foul advice to rebel against the Creator, and came with nonsense and foolishness of the heart.

343) Nonsense has taken their heart, but they came with Hochma of the shell in order to come out of the domain of the upper holy one into another domain, to the shells, and replace the glory of the Creator with the glory of a foreign God. There is sublime wisdom in this whole matter.

344) When they came and sat in that valley, a foreign domain, in the flaw of Bina of the shell, it became revealed to them that that place is stuck among the fish of the sea, the degrees of Hochma. The wholeness of the vessels of that Bina was revealed to them, that she was worthy of being inhabited by people, to receive Hochma. They said, “Here is the place,” to sit and toughen the heart, that they—the lower ones—would enjoy in, meaning to draw from above downward, which is the place of the shells. They promptly said, “Let us build us a city,” meaning establish in that place a city and a tower.

345) “And let us make us a name.” That place—the place of the shells—will be to us as God, and not another place. “To that place, we will build a city and a tower,” to draw HB of the shells. “Why do we need to go up,” meaning draw from below upward, “when we cannot enjoy from there? Here is a place established to draw from above downward.” “And let us make us a name” means God, to work there, “lest we be scattered,” to other degrees and disperse to the four directions of the world.

346) The builders of the city and the tower were speaking the holy language, which the ministering angels knew. They did not speak a different language. This is why it is written, “And now nothing which they decide to do will be impossible for them.” Had they been speaking a different language, which the high angels did not know, their thought which they contemplated to do would have been thwarted because an act of demons is only for a moment, only for people to see and not more.

It is written, “And the whole earth was one language.” “One language” means “the holy language.” Because they spoke the holy language, they swore the high angels to assist them in their building. Therefore, “Nothing which they decide to do will be impossible for them.” Had they not been speaking the holy language, they would not have had the assistance of the angels, and their actions would have been as the actions of demons, which exist for only a moment and promptly fade by themselves.

347) They knew the upper degrees, each on its place. Also, their degree did not change, which is why it is written, “And of one speech.” That is, the degrees were as clear to them as one speech, in which there is no toil to know them. This is why they devised an ill counsel, the counsel of Hochma, as it is written, “Let us build us a city and a tower,” regarded as Hochma of the shells.

348) Everything is in Hochma. They wanted to enhance the Sitra Achra in the land and worship the Sitra Achra because they knew that all the evil judgments descend from there to the worlds. By that they wanted to repel the degree of Kedusha.

349) “A city and a tower” is the upper Hochma. They knew that the holy name Malchut is not strengthened in the earth, but in a city and a tower. A city is as it is written, “From the city of David is Zion.” A tower is as it is written, “As the Tower of David is your neck.” Thus, the holy name, the kingdom of David, is also called by these names “city” and “tower” when Malchut draws Hochma. They, too, worked in Hochma of the Sitra Achra to maintain the governance of the Sitra Achra in the land, being the opposite of Malchut, and to repel the Malchut called “Master of the whole earth” from its place, and to make it a habitat and an abode for the Sitra Achra in the land.

350) “And let us make us a name” like the Kedusha there above. We will strengthen it among us, so it becomes a name in the land. As the Kedusha shines from below upward, so we will draw from above downward to the earth. “Lest we be scattered.” They knew that they would be scattered on the face of the earth, hence they wisely united to do the work of a city and a tower.

351) The Sitra Achra is male and female. They are the force of the filth of the harsh judgment. As Adam sinned in the tree of knowledge, and by him the male and female of the Sitra Achra strengthened in the world, so they caused the Sitra Achra to grow stronger, as it is written, “Which the sons of men built,” the sons of Adam HaRishon, who brought and vested the Sitra Achra over the world.

He is the evil side. As the side of Kedusha has no governance in this world, but in a city and a tower, they also contemplated building a city and a tower to vest that evil side in the world.

352) “And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built.” That holy name came down to look at the works, at the building they had built. And they were speaking in the holy language to all the holy degrees. They were making oaths and were successful. Once the Kedusha descended, all those degrees were confused, the upper ones descended, the lower ones ascended, and they did not stand in the straight path as before. Hence, they could no longer make oaths because the names had changed for them. Subsequently, He scrambled their language in seventy languages and they scattered to every direction.

353) There is an appointee in the firmament with whom there are all the keys to the deeds in the world. He stands ready for those who want him only at certain hours and moments of the day. They knew the wisdom and the secrets of that appointee, and with the words of their mouths, they would open and close all the gates of all that is concealed. Through the oaths that they made with their mouths with the words of their mouths to that appointee, they succeeded in building the city and the tower, as he was the minister of the world and its leader. Once the words in their mouths became confused, everything was prevented from them, since they no longer knew how to make oaths to that appointee.

354) They found a ready and fit place in that valley. It is the most concealed. “And they found a valley,” a suitable place for that evil side, which they wanted to enhance, and which was prevented from them. The power of that side remained hanging in that valley, to be avenged, until they journeyed and came there with hosts and camps, such as those that built the city and the tower, the sons of Ephraim. Then they were all given to that side and were killed there.

355) Those who did not want to go out at the end of days, meaning the sons of Ephraim, who departed from Egypt prematurely, were startled and fell to the end of days, to that place whose force had already been weakened in that valley at the time of the generation of Babylon. Now, for their iniquity, it intensified once more and killed them. It is written about that, “And [He] set me down in the midst of the valley, and it was full of bones.”

356) The Sitra Achra strengthened in that image that Nebuchadnezzar established, then her power broke by those bones of the sons of Ephraim that Ezekiel revived. In that image, of the first ones, who were revived and rose to their feet, that image that Nebuchadnezzar made was broken.

357) Then all the people of the world knew that there is no God but the Creator. Also, the name was sanctified through Hanania, Mishael, and Azaria. That, too, caused the breaking of the power of the Sitra Achra.

All those were on the same day. This is why it is written, “They shall sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and admire the God of Israel.” These three—Ezekiel’s revival of the dead, the sanctification of the name by Hanania, Mishael, and Azaria, and Nebuchadnezzar’s breaking of the image were all on the same day. Six miracles took place on that day.

358) “And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower.” This is one of those ten times when the Shechina came down to the earth. What did He need to see that He did not know before? Seeing means overseeing with the quality of judgment, as it is written, “He who fears the Lord will rule over you.”

359) It is not written, “To see the people,” but “To see the city and the tower.” When the Creator oversees to act in judgment, He first oversees in the upper degree, the root, and then in the lower degree, the branch, first in the upper ones, then in the lower ones. Because the city and the tower reach all the way up to the upper worlds, the providence of above was in them first, meaning the city and tower in the upper worlds.

360) “Which the sons of men built.” “The sons of men” implies that they were the sons of Adam HaRishon, who rebelled against his Master and inflicted death in the world. That is, they were taken after his actions. “Which the sons of men built.” Of course, they built a building—although they said, “Let us build us,” which is only an invitation—because they said and caused it to be built above. That is, they said oaths in their mouths by which the city and the tower were built.