A Piece of Peace Is Not Enough

Peace comes in various forms. True peace is when they stem from a single source.

Two Tragedies

Two tragedies link the ten generations that existed from Noach to Abraham. The first is the Flood that destroyed the entire world’s population save Noach and his immediate family as well as the animals that were brought into the Ark. The second tragedy was the destruction of the Tower of Babel and the subsequent dispersion of nations.

By prefacing these two incidents before the story of Abraham at the end of this week’s parsha, the Torah wishes to indicate that Abraham, the physical and spiritual progenitor of the Jewish nation, would reverse the two forms of evil that the world experienced during these two tragic episodes.

Opposite Evils

To appreciate the role of Abraham in countering the energies that precipitated the flood and, particularly, the Tower of Babel debacle, we should analyze their underlying causes.

Upon deeper reflection it is apparent that there opposite causes for these two catastrophes. Whereas the flood was a result of the degenerate state of the world, with no respect for one another’s property, the Tower of Babel generation, ironically, did everything in their power to remedy the divisiveness of their “antediluvian” forebears. By building a city and a tower, they would guarantee that they would never again become divided. Unity was their motto. Yet, G-d was unhappy with that as well.

Flawed Unity

To be sure, as the Rebbe points out (Likkutei Sichos), the virtue inherent in their intent on uniting was not lost on our sages when they stated that “Abraham received their reward”, implying that they were deserving of some reward. Yet, it is also evident that their unity was tainted and they were therefore incapable of reaping it for themselves. Instead it was preserved for and ultimately given to Abraham.

Unity is a beautiful trait and virtue. It is the vessel that contains all other blessings, as our sages declared, “If there is peace there is everything.” Yet, it seems that there was something flawed about the peace of the Tower of Babel builders.

Four Kinds of Peace

The Talmud speaks of how “Torah sages bring peace to the world.” It is interesting that the Talmud makes this observation in four different places. A nineteenth century commentator, Aruch Laner, explains that these four references to peace correspond to four levels or applications of the ideal of peace.

These four levels are: peace between one person and another, peace between husband and wife, peace between one’s body and soul and peace between a person and G-d.

Peace Between us and G-d; the Foundation

By making the statement four times, our sages are perhaps hinting to us that the only way peace can be whole and endure is if it is not just a “piece” of peace, but it is peace in its entirety, on all four levels, which, are based on the peace between a person and G-d.

Once there is a healthy relationship with G-d we then realize our own G-dly nature, our Divine soul, and we endeavor to create a healthy connection between our bodies and our souls.

Without that realization, the body and soul act as if they were adversaries. Some people will work at punishing their bodies to make it less resistant to the will of their souls. And some will focus inordinately on their bodies’ needs. However, when a person is in touch with the G-d by performing of the Mitzvos, it enables one to find the right balance between body and soul. One need not punish the body, the Ba’al Shem Tov taught, but get the body to be in tandem with the soul.

By extension, we realize that there is a G-dly dimension to our marriage as well; that man and woman are instruments of G-dly energy that combine to generate even more powerful G-dly energy than what we generate when we are single.

As the Talmud states, Ish (Man) and isha (woman)contain G-d’s name as well as the word for fire;’ aish. When G-d’s presence is among them the fire turns into powerful and fiery passion. G-d forbid, if there is no presence of G-d the fire can turn into destructive anger and hostility.

And while focusing on our G-dly energies, we begin to realize that the factors that separate us from others, namely our bodily concerns, are trivial compared to the spiritual concerns that unite us. This engenders greater unity, friendship and love. As the Alter Rebbe explains in his work, the Tanya: when the emphasis on the soul is our primary influence, we will find it easy to love one’s fellow.

We can now appreciate why the peace and unity created by the builders of the Tower of Babel could not endure. It was not based on a respect for the spiritual dimensions of humanity that unite us; rather it was motivated by the desire for self-glorification as they said “let us make for ourselves a name.” This limited and superficial peace cannot endure.

Abraham’s Legacy

Abraham’s legacy is that he was able to see the symbiotic relationship that exists between awareness of G-d and all forms of peace. The generation of the flood rejected the very notion of kindness and concern for another, so the Tower of Babel generation attempted to rectify that by accentuating the need for unity. But only Abraham recognized that one cannot separate the two.

While Abraham is credited as the man who performed “righteousness and judgment,” he was simultaneously the person who promoted the one G-d. One cannot separate the love of G-d and the love of one’s fellow human being. Any attempt to do so will eventually fail.

Messianic Era Peace

We can now appreciate the prophecies that describe the Messianic Age as an age when we will all serve G-d as one. Because the Messianic Age is when the awareness of G-d will be complete, the feelings of unity and peace will likewise be complete and natural.

Moshiach, the Jewish leader who will usher in this age is therefore credited by the Prophet Isaiah as being imbued with the awareness of and reverence for G-d as well as the one who will render justice and righteousness. One cannot separate one from the other. Only the combined virtue produces a harmonious blend where each virtue complements and enhances the other.

Rather than seeing all of the positive changes in the world as disparate benefits, the notion of Divine unity is the core and the linchpin of all the changes.

For example: the Bais Hamikdash-Holy Temple to be built by Moshiach is the place in which G-d’s unifying energy will be channeled to the entire world.

Peace between nations will be forthcoming because all the nations of the world will be exposed to the unifying dynamic of G-d in the physical world.

As a result, the destructive force of jealousy will disappear because no one will feel that the one has more than the other because there will be no sense of another, rather a sense of a partner. The key to all of these, and many more changes, is the emergence of a new dynamic relationship the entire world will have with G-d.

All this starts with our efforts today to foster greater unity based on a true and enduring foundation of Divine unity.

From the book Light from the Future: Parshas Noach by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg, published by the Jewish Discovery Center.