Daf 75a (דַּף ע״ה ע״א)

In this manner are the wicked who go out from the path of rectification (כְּגַוְונָא דָּא אִנּוּן רְשָׁעִים דְּנַפְקָא מֵאָרְחָא דְּתָקְנָא), and go like one who drunk wine without stability (וְאָזְלֵי כְּרָוֵי חַמְרָא בְּלָא תִּקּוּנָא), who go out from the straight path to a crooked path (דְּנָפְקֵי מֵאוֹרַח מֵישָׁר לְאוֹרַח עָקִים). What is the reason? (מַאי טַעְמָא), Because they cannot be still (בְּגִין כִּי הַשְׁקֵט לֹא יוּכָל). For the crookedness of their path causes them to go without rectification and without stability (דְּהָא עֲקִימוּ דְּאָרְחַיְיהוּ גָּרִים לוֹן לְמֵהַךְ בְּלָא תִּקּוּנָא וּבְלָא שְׁכִיכוּ). And not only that, but all their wrath, in the moment they speak a word with their mouths (וְלָא עוֹד אֶלָּא דְּכָל רוּגְזָא דִידְהוּ בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאָמְרִי מִלָּה מִפֻּמַיְיהוּ), that word brings out filth and mire, all of it brings defilement and contamination from their mouths outward, until they become defiled and defile themselves (הַהוּא מִלָּה רֶפֶשׁ וְטִיט כֻּלְּהוּ מַפְקֵי טִּנּוּפָא וְגִּעוּלָא מִפֻּמַיְיהוּ לְבַר עַד דְּמִסְתָּאֲבֵי וּמְסָאֲבֵי לוֹן).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), “And they said, ‘Come, let us build for ourselves a city and a tower, and its top in the heavens.’” (וַיֹּאמְרוּ הָבָה נִבְנֶה לָנוּ עִיר וּמִגְדָּל וְרֹאשׁוֹ בַּשָּׁמַיִם). The word “Come” means only a summoning in the world (לֵית הָבָה אֶלָּא הַזְמָנָה בְּעָלְמָא). “Let us build for ourselves a city and a tower, and its top in the heavens” (נִבְנֶה לָנוּ עִיר וּמִגְדָּל וְרֹאשׁוֹ בַּשָּׁמַיִם)-all of them in wicked counsel came to oppose Kudsha Berikh Hu (כֻּלְּהוּ בְּעֵיטָא בִּישָׁא אָתוּ לְסַרְבָּא בֵיהּ בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), in foolishness they came (בִּשְׁטוּתָא אָתוּ), he in the foolishness of heart (אִיהוּ בְּטִפְּשׁוּ דְּלִבָּא).

Rabbi Abba said (אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּא): Foolishness they took in their hearts (שְׁטוּתָא נְסִיבוּ בְּלִבַּיְיהוּ), but in Chokhmah of wickedness they came (אֲבָל בְּחָכְמָה דִּרְשִׁיעוּ אָתוּ), in order to depart from the supernal domain to another domain (בְּגִין לְנָפְקָא מֵרְשׁוּ עִלָּאָה לִרְשׁוּ אָחֳרָא), and to exchange His glory for a foreign glory (וּלְאַחְלָפָא יְקָרֵיהּ לְיִקָּרָא נוּכְרָאָה). And in all of it is the secret of supernal chokmah (וּבְכָלָּא אִית רָזָא דְּחָכְמְתָּא עִלָּאָה).

“Come, let us build for ourselves a city and a tower.” (הָבָה נִבְנֶה לָנוּ עִיר וּמִגְדָּל). Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), when they reached that valley which is a foreign domain (כַּד מָטוּ לְהַאי בִּקְעָה דְּאִיהוּ רְשׁוּ נוּכְרָאָה), and the place was revealed to them where dominion was established-that is fixed within the fish of the sea (וְאִתְגְּלִי לְהוּ אֲתַר דְּשָׁלְטְנוּתָא דָּא תְּקִיעַ בְּגוֹ נוּנֵי יַמָּא). They said, this is a place to dwell and to strengthen the heart to take delight in it below (אָמְרוּ הָא אֲתַר לְמֵיתַב וּלְאִתְּתַּקְפָּא לִבָּא לְאִתְהַנָּאָה בֵיהּ תַּתָּאֵי). Immediately: “Come, let us build for ourselves a city.” (מִיָּד: הָבָה נִבְנֶה לָנוּ עִיר). Let us establish in this place a city and a tower (נַתְקִין בַּאֲתַר דָּא עִיר וּמִגְדָּל). And let us make for ourselves a name (וְנַעֲשֶׂה לָנוּ שֵׁם). This place, they said, shall be for us for awe and not for another (אֲתַר דָּא יְהֵא לָן לְדַחֲלָא וְלָא אָחֳרָא), and let us build in this place a city and a tower (וְנִבְנֶה לַאֲתַר דָּא עִיר וּמִגְדָּל). Why should we go up above, where we cannot delight in it? (לָמָּה לָן לְסַלְקָא לְעֵילָא דְּלָא נֵיכוֹל לְאִתְהַנָּאָה מִנָּהּ). Behold, here is a prepared place (הָא הָכָא אֲתַר מְתַקְנָא). And let us make for ourselves a name, of awe, to worship there (וְנַעֲשֶׂה לָנוּ שֵׁם דַּחֲלָא לְמִפְלַח תַּמָּן). Lest we be scattered to other levels (פֶּן נָפוּץ לְדַרְגִּין אָחֳרָנִין), and be dispersed to the directions of the world (וְנִתְבַּדַּר לְסִטְרֵי עָלְמָא). And Hashem descended to see the city and the tower (וַיֵּרֶד יְיָ לִרְאוֹת אֶת הָעִיר וְאֶת הַמִּגְדָּל). This is one of the ten times that the Shekhinta descended to earth (דָּא הוּא חַד מֵאִנּוּן עֶשֶׂר זִמְנִין דְּנָחֲתָא שְׁכִינְתָּא לְאַרְעָא). And what is “to see”-did He not already know beforehand? (וְכִי מַה הוּא לִרְאוֹת וְלָא הֲוָה יָדַע מִקַּדְמַת דְּנָא). Rather, to see in order to observe in judgment (אֶלָּא לִרְאוֹת לְאַשְׁגָּחָא בְּדִינָא), as you say (כְּמָא דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר), “May Hashem look upon you and judge” (Shemot 5) (שמות ה: יֵרֶא יְיָ עֲלֵיכֶם וְיִשְׁפֹּט).

The city and the tower (אֶת הָעִיר וְאֶת הַמִּגְדָּל)-here one must look carefully (הָכָא אִית לְאִסְתַּכָּלָא), for it is not written “to see the sons of man” (דְּהָא לָא כְּתִיב לִרְאוֹת אֶת בְּנֵי הָאָדָם), but rather to see the city and the tower (אֶלָּא לִרְאוֹת אֶת הָעִיר וְאֶת הַמִּגְדָּל). Why? (אַמַּאי). Because when Kudsha Berikh Hu looks in judgment (אֶלָּא בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאַשְׁגַּח קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּדִינָא), first He looks at the upper level (בְּקַדְמִיתָא יַשְׁגַּח בְּדַרְגָּא דִּלְעֵילָא), and afterward at the lower level (וּלְבָתַר בְּדַרְגָּא דִּלְתַּתָּא)-first in the upper ones (בְּקַדְמִיתָא בְּעִלָּאֵי), and afterward in the lower ones (וּלְבָתַר בְּתַתָּאֵי). And because this matter ascended above (וּבְגִין דְּהַאי מִלָּה מָטָא לְעֵילָא), the supernal observation was first applied to it (אַשְׁגָּחוּתָא דִּלְעֵילָא הֲוָה בֵּיהּ בְּקַדְמִיתָא), as it is written: “to see the city and the tower” (דִּכְתִיב לִרְאוֹת אֶת הָעִיר וְאֶת הַמִּגְדָּל). Which the sons of man had built (אֲשֶׁר בָּנוּ בְּנֵי הָאָדָם). What is “the sons of Adam”? (מַאי בְּנֵי הָאָדָם). The sons of Adam Kadma’ah (בְּנוֹי דְאָדָם קַדְמָאָה), who rebelled against his Master (דְּמָרַד בְּמָרֵיהּ), and caused death to the world (וְגָרַם מוֹתָא לְעָלְמָא). Which the sons of man had built-a building, indeed (אֲשֶׁר בָּנוּ בְּנֵי הָאָדָם בִּנְיָינָא וַדַּאי), they said (אָמְרוּ), and sought to build upward (וּבָעוּ לְמִבְנֵי לְעֵילָא).