The Tower of Babel within Us

[Ms Tercy Lonan]

THE TOWER OF BABEL WITHIN US
The above findings are actually hypotheses about the
physical evidence of the existence of the Tower of Babel.
We, however, are more interested in the roots of what really
happened. We strive to understand the cause, correlate
it with our inner world, and make sure that the division
that took place then doesn’t repeat itself. By attaining the
spiritual worlds we can influence the cause of everything
that transpires, and thereby change our fate, the fate of the
world, and the fate of humanity as a whole.
So the residents of Babylon decide to build a “tower to
the heavens.” In the interest of clarity and further proof,
let us refer to the words of the oral Torah (Midrash), which
is based entirely on interpreting the written Torah. This is
what the Midrash tells us on the subject: The Babylonians
knew the story of the flood. They lived in fear that the
same fate might befall them. Thus, they sought a place


where they could dwell in complete safety. Ultimately, they
found a valley in the land of Babylon that was big enough
to hold them all.
Afterwards the people crowned Nimrod as their king.
And since they all settled in Babylon, Nimrod essentially
became king of the entire population on Earth.
Nimrod proposed to the people, “Let us build a big city
where we can all live. And in that city let us erect a very
high tower.” His subjects were delighted with the idea. He
said, “Let us build a tower so high that its top will reach
the Heavens, and let us make us a name, lest another flood
comes and scatters us throughout the world.”
However, though all were united in the belief that the
tower must be built, their opinions concerning the purpose
of its construction differed. Some people thought, “In the
event of another flood, we shall climb to the top of the
tower, where the water shall not reach us.” Another group
thought, “We shall make us a name,” aiming to build a
place of assembly at the top of the tower and worship their
gods there, thus being saved from any calamity. Others still
protested, “It is unjust that the Creator alone is lord over the
realms above, limiting our domain to the world below.”
Do you see the ego talking?! “We will reach the heavens
on our own, without the Creator’s help. We will rule the
world, and not Him. We will build us a tower so high that its
top will reach the heavens, and we will make us a name.”
Where is this audacity coming from? The answer is
that they had reached a new degree. Precisely because
they were able to complete the previous degree, they were
given additional egoism to work with. At this new degree
the ego is king, and its name is “Nimrod,” from the word,


Meridah—rebellion. “And so, the people crowned Nimrod to
be their king. And since they all settled in Babylon, Nimrod
essentially became king of the entire population of Earth.”
“Nimrod” is a powerful new egoistic force that rules over
the entire ego. And that force is what you must battle now.
FALLING IN ORDER TO RISE
The first thing you experience is descent. “Day” becomes
“night,” and a feeling overtakes you that the egoistic force
of the new degree is winning. Everything you’ve already
attained seems forgotten: it’s as if you’ve never “survived the
flood,” as though “Noah and his sons” have never existed.
Your desire to bestow is powerless before the power of
“Nimrod.”
(Historically, at this time Babylon undergoes a powerful
leap of egoism, which transforms the whole world.)
You may ask, “Is the descent really necessary?” Yes, it is!
Moreover, it should be celebrated because it is now that the
next rung on the spiritual ladder is born. A new degree is
revealed within you.
Actually, it’s exactly what happens in life. Imagine
that you’re the manager of a small company branch. You
know everything about your staff. Everyone is friendly
and close-knit, celebrating the holidays together, gossiping
together about each other, when suddenly you are offered a
promotion you cannot resist: you have been transferred to
corporate headquarters.
Here come the sleepless nights and nagging thoughts:
“Why did I agree to this, sacrificing the peace and happiness
I had before?”


It’s a new degree. And with a new degree you need to get
accustomed to new conditions and new egoistic desires: a
higher salary, the wish to be liked by your new superiors and
subordinates, and the hope that more promotions lie ahead,
provided you succeed. There’s no escaping this, since you’re
dealing with another, higher degree.
That is an example taken from our egoistic world.
In the spiritual world, a new degree is always preceded
by a descent. For those who understand that a descent
essentially marks the beginning of another ascent, it is a
joyous occasion. You already know that after processing a
certain portion of the ego, another portion will be added,
signaling a new ascent and thus a greater revelation of the
Creator. And this inspires you.
The great Kabbalist, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yohai (RASHBI),
author of The Book of Zohar, enjoyed spiritual heights we
cannot even imagine. But prior to each ascent to a new
degree, he experienced a descent. And before he ascended
to the final, 125th degree, his descent was so deep that the
author of the single most celebrated work of Kabbalah
felt like an illiterate market hawker, without any spiritual
attainment whatsoever. He even forgot the alphabet!
The difference between him and other people that
experience descents is that he knew for certain that this
state would soon pass, for it preceded his transition on to an
even higher degree. You need only to hold on, since before
every ascent you are given an additional portion of the ego
that must be corrected.
One can never know what lies ahead in the spiritual world.
Every new degree is a journey into the unknown. The lower
one cannot attain the Upper One until the latter raises him
to His level. As was mentioned earlier, you attain the name
of a degree, which is one of the Creator’s names, only once
you’ve attained the degree itself.
From the aforementioned, it follows that in the spiritual
worlds there are only ascents. And even the sensation of a
descent constitutes yet another ascent on the path to the goal.