BAIS HAVAAD ON THE PARSHA 5774 Parshas Noach: Judicial Review

This week's parsha discusses the dor haflaga. The people of the dor haflaga gathered together to build a tower in order to rebel against Hashem. The meforshim explain that the people of the dor haflaga were very friendly and kind to one another, and were therefore spared being killed for their sin. Instead, Hashem punished them by confusing their languages so that they wouldn't be able to understand each other. This forced them to disperse and abandon their plans. Rashi explains that by confusing their languages, when someone would ask for a brick [or the like] his friend would misunderstand him and give him cement. Receiving the wrong item would get the recipient upset, and he would hit his friend because of it, thereby ruining their relationship. One might ask: If the people of the dor haflaga were originally exceptionally friendly, why would they hit each other simply for receiving a wrong item? The meforshim explain that their friendliness wasn't based on good intentions, but rather, it was in order to achieve their desire to rebel. A friendship that is based on an agenda doesn't last, as once the agenda cannot come to fruition, the friendship is over. CLICK HERE FOR PRINT VERSION.