Lang: he; Title: בראשית פרק יא; Content:

(א) וַיְהִי כׇל הָאָרֶץ שָׂפָה אֶחָת וּדְבָרִים אֲחָדִים. (ב) וַיְהִי בְּנׇסְעָם מִקֶּדֶם וַיִּמְצְאוּ בִקְעָה בְּאֶרֶץ שִׁנְעָר וַיֵּשְׁבוּ שָׁם. (ג) וַיֹּאמְרוּ אִישׁ אֶל רֵעֵהוּ הָבָה נִלְבְּנָה לְבֵנִים וְנִשְׂרְפָה לִשְׂרֵפָה וַתְּהִי לָהֶם הַלְּבֵנָה לְאָבֶן וְהַחֵמָר הָיָה לָהֶם לַחֹמֶר. (ד) וַיֹּאמְרוּ הָבָה נִבְנֶה לָּנוּ עִיר וּמִגְדָּל וְרֹאשׁוֹ בַשָּׁמַיִם וְנַעֲשֶׂה לָּנוּ שֵׁם פֶּן נָפוּץ עַל פְּנֵי כׇל הָאָרֶץ. (ה) וַיֵּרֶד י״י לִרְאֹת אֶת הָעִיר וְאֶת הַמִּגְדָּל אֲשֶׁר בָּנוּ בְּנֵי הָאָדָם. (ו) וַיֹּאמֶר י״י הֵן עַם אֶחָד וְשָׂפָה אַחַת לְכֻלָּם וְזֶה הַחִלָּם לַעֲשׂוֹת וְעַתָּה לֹא יִבָּצֵר מֵהֶם כֹּל אֲשֶׁר יָזְמוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת. (ז) הָבָה נֵרְדָה וְנָבְלָה שָׁם שְׂפָתָם אֲשֶׁר לֹא יִשְׁמְעוּ אִישׁ שְׂפַת רֵעֵהוּ. (ח) וַיָּפֶץ י״י אֹתָם מִשָּׁם עַל פְּנֵי כׇל הָאָרֶץ וַיַּחְדְּלוּ לִבְנֹת הָעִיר. (ט) עַל כֵּן קָרָא שְׁמָהּ בָּבֶל כִּי שָׁם בָּלַל י״י שְׂפַת כׇּל הָאָרֶץ וּמִשָּׁם הֱפִיצָם י״י עַל פְּנֵי כׇּל הָאָרֶץ. (י) אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדֹת שֵׁם שֵׁם בֶּן מְאַת שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד אֶת אַרְפַּכְשָׁד שְׁנָתַיִם אַחַר הַמַּבּוּל. (יא) וַיְחִי שֵׁם אַחֲרֵי הוֹלִידוֹ אֶת אַרְפַּכְשָׁד חֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת. (יב) וְאַרְפַּכְשַׁד חַי חָמֵשׁ וּשְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד אֶת שָׁלַח. (יג) וַיְחִי אַרְפַּכְשַׁד אַחֲרֵי הוֹלִידוֹ אֶת שֶׁלַח שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים וְאַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת. (יד) וְשֶׁלַח חַי שְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד אֶת עֵבֶר. (טו) וַיְחִי שֶׁלַח אַחֲרֵי הוֹלִידוֹ אֶת עֵבֶר שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים וְאַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת. (טז) וַיְחִי עֵבֶר אַרְבַּע וּשְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד אֶת פָּלֶג. (יז) וַיְחִי עֵבֶר אַחֲרֵי הוֹלִידוֹ אֶת פֶּלֶג שְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה וְאַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת. (יח) וַיְחִי פֶלֶג שְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד אֶת רְעוּ. (יט) וַיְחִי פֶלֶג אַחֲרֵי הוֹלִידוֹ אֶת רְעוּ תֵּשַׁע שָׁנִים וּמָאתַיִם שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת. (כ) וַיְחִי רְעוּ שְׁתַּיִם וּשְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד אֶת שְׂרוּג. (כא) וַיְחִי רְעוּ אַחֲרֵי הוֹלִידוֹ אֶת שְׂרוּג שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים וּמָאתַיִם שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת. (כב) וַיְחִי שְׂרוּג שְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד אֶת נָחוֹר. (כג) וַיְחִי שְׂרוּג אַחֲרֵי הוֹלִידוֹ אֶת נָחוֹר מָאתַיִם שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת. (כד) וַיְחִי נָחוֹר תֵּשַׁע וְעֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד אֶת תָּרַח. (כה) וַיְחִי נָחוֹר אַחֲרֵי הוֹלִידוֹ אֶת תֶּרַח תְּשַׁע עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה וּמְאַת שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת. (כו) וַיְחִי תֶרַח שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד אֶת אַבְרָם אֶת נָחוֹר וְאֶת הָרָן. (כז) וְאֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדֹת תֶּרַח תֶּרַח הוֹלִיד אֶת אַבְרָם אֶת נָחוֹר וְאֶת הָרָן וְהָרָן הוֹלִיד אֶת לוֹט. (כח) וַיָּמׇת הָרָן עַל פְּנֵי תֶּרַח אָבִיו בְּאֶרֶץ מוֹלַדְתּוֹ בְּאוּר כַּשְׂדִּים. (כט) וַיִּקַּח אַבְרָם וְנָחוֹר לָהֶם נָשִׁים שֵׁם אֵשֶׁת אַבְרָם שָׂרָי וְשֵׁם אֵשֶׁת נָחוֹר מִלְכָּה בַּת הָרָן אֲבִי מִלְכָּה וַאֲבִי יִסְכָּה. (ל) וַתְּהִי שָׂרַי עֲקָרָה אֵין לָהּ וָלָד. (לא) וַיִּקַּח תֶּרַח אֶת אַבְרָם בְּנוֹ וְאֶת לוֹט בֶּן הָרָן בֶּן בְּנוֹ וְאֵת שָׂרַי כַּלָּתוֹ אֵשֶׁת אַבְרָם בְּנוֹ וַיֵּצְאוּ אִתָּם מֵאוּר כַּשְׂדִּים לָלֶכֶת אַרְצָה כְּנַעַן וַיָּבֹאוּ עַד חָרָן וַיֵּשְׁבוּ שָׁם. (לב) וַיִּהְיוּ יְמֵי תֶרַח חָמֵשׁ שָׁנִים וּמָאתַיִם שָׁנָה וַיָּמׇת תֶּרַח בְּחָרָן.

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Lang: en; Title: Bereshit 11; Content:

(1) The entire world was one language and one speech.and one speech | וּדְבָרִים אֲחָדִים – Compare Yechezkel 37:17, where the plural form "אֲחָדִים" similarly means "one". Shadal suggests that while "שָׂפָה" refers to the actual words that make up a language (its verbal conjugations and noun roots), "דְבָרִים" refers to the connotative meaning of these words, a language's idioms and expressions. Cf. Radak who suggests that the phrase is metaphoric, denoting that all the people were of one mind, similar to the phrase "פֶּה אֶחָד", "of one mouth" (Yehoshua 9:2). Alternatively: "and few words", and see Netziv who suggests that the story speaks of a totalitarian society which did not allow for differences of opinion. Cf. Ibn Ezra who more simply claims that though dialects of the same language often differ with regards to the meaning of individual words, in this era there was no variation. (2) When they traveled from the East, they found a valley in the land of Shinar and they dwelled there. (3) They said one to the other, "Come, let us bake bricks and fire them in a furnace."fire them in a furnace | וְנִשְׂרְפָה לִשְׂרֵפָה – See Hoil Moshe that the verse is emphasizing that they fired the bricks in a furnace and not in the sun. Others translate: "and fire them thoroughly" viewing the doubling in the verse as an intensifier. The brick served them as stone and the tar served them as mortar.tar served them as mortar | וְהַחֵמָר הָיָה לָהֶם לַחֹמֶר – In Hebrew the phrase involves a word play (cheimar served as chomer). In fact, throughout the story the text plays with language, using similar sounding words, alliteration, repetition, and inversion, appropriate for a narrative which revolves around the creation of language. For more examples and discussion of the literary artistry of the chapter, see Literary Devices. (4) They said, "Come, let us build for ourselves a city and a tower, with its top in the heavens. And we will make for ourselves a name, lest we disperse over the face of all the earth." (5) Hashem went down to see the city and the tower that the peoplepeople | בְּנֵי הָאָדָם – Literally: "the children of man". had built. (6) Hashem said, "Behold, they are one people with one language for all, and this is what they have begun to do! Now, nothing will bar them from all they have plannedplanned | יָזְמוּ – Alternatively: "plotted", with a more sinister connotation. See Ibn Ezra and Radak that the word is equivalent in meaning to the root "זמם", though it stems from a distinct root, "יזם", which appears nowhere else. Cf. Shadal that this is a shortened form of "יזֹמו", the third person future construction of the root "זמם", with God saying that the people will not be barred from doing whatever they will devise in the future. For various understandings of what was so problematic about the people's actions that Hashem felt the need to intervene, see Tower of Bavel. to do. (7) Come, let us go down and mix up their languages, so that they won't understand one another's language." (8) Hashem dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth and they stopped building the city. (9) Therefore, it was named Bavel,Bavel | בָּבֶל – Babylonia. In Akkadian, "Bab-ilu" means "gateway of god". Torah mocks this name, connecting it instead to confusion and chaos. because there Hashem mixed up the languages of all the earth and from there Hashem dispersed them over the face of all the earth. (10) These are the descendants of Shem. Shem was one hundred years old and he fathered Arpachshad two years after the Flood. (11) Shem lived five hundred years after he fathered Arpachshad, and he fathered sons and daughters. (12) And Arpachshad had livedhad lived | חַי – In this verse and verse 14 the text employs the past perfect construction. [As opposed to the expected "וַיְחִי", the verse begins with the subject and follows with a normal past tense form of the verb.] This might suggest that the events occurred in the more distant past and are recorded achronologically. It is possible that the story of the Tower of Bavel first took place in the era of Peleg (see Bereshit 10:25 and Seder Olam Rabbah 1), in which case Arpachshad and Shelach actually fathered their children before the events of verses 1-9. For further discussion of this grammatical construction, see Tenses in Tanakh. thirty-five yearsThirty-five years | חָמֵשׁ וּשְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה – Literally: "five and thirty years". Throughout the chapter, whenever listing years, the chapter first records the single digits, then the tens, and only afterwards the hundreds. In the verses which state the age at which the individual fathered his son, the word "years" is mentioned only once (as in our verse). Yet, in the verses which mention the rest of the individual's life span, the word "years" appears after each component of the age (see, for example verse 13: "Arpachshad lived three years and four hundred years"). This translation has not distinguished between the formulations. and he fathered Shelach. (13) Arpachshad lived four hundred and three years after he fathered Shelach, and he fathered sons and daughters. (14) And Shelach had lived thirty years and he fathered Ever. (15) Shelach lived four hundred and three years after he fathered Ever, and he fathered sons and daughters. (16) Ever lived thirty-four years and he fathered Peleg. (17) Ever lived four hundred and thirty years after he fathered Peleg, and he fathered sons and daughters. (18) Peleg lived thirty years and he fathered Re'u. (19) Peleg lived two hundred and nine years after he fathered Re'u, and he fathered sons and daughters. (20) Re'u lived thirty-two years and he fathered Serug. (21) Re'u lived two hundred and seven years after he fathered Serug, and he fathered sons and daughters. (22) Serug lived thirty years and he fathered Nachor. (23) Serug lived two hundred years after he fathered Nachor, and he fathered sons and daughters. (24) Nachor lived twenty-nine years and he fathered Terach. (25) Nachor lived one hundred and nineteen years after he fathered Terach, and he fathered sons and daughters. (26) Terach lived seventy years and he fathered Avraham, Nachor, and Haran. (27) These are the descendants of Terach. Terach fathered Avram, Nachor, and Haran, and Haran fathered Lot. (28) Haran died before his father Terach, in the land of his birth, in Ur Kasdim.in Ur Kasdim | בְּאוּר כַּשְׂדִּים – Literally: "in Ur of the Chaldees". (29) Avram and Nachor took for themselves wives. The name of Avram's wife was Sarai and the name of Nachor's wife was Milkah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milkah and the father of Yiskah. (30) Sarai was barren; she had no child. (31) Terach took his son, Avram, and his grandson, Lot, the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law, Sarai, the wife of Avram. And they set out with themthey set out with them | וַיֵּצְאוּ אִתָּם – One might have expected "they set out with him" (or: "he set out with them"). See Rashi that the verse might be attributing the decision to travel to both Avram and Terach, and stating that Lot and Sarai accompanied them. For other explanations, see Radak, Shadal, and R. D"Z Hoffmann. from Ur Kasdim to go to the land of Canaan, and they came to Charan and dwelled there. (32) The days of Terach were two hundred and five years; and Terach died in Charan.