Hope you’re having a great day!

One more thought about the Tower of Babel.

As we saw, they said, “Let us make a name for ourselves.” (Genesis 11:4)

We suggested that the “us” was the State.  As opposed to the individual.

And here’s another idea.

Different, but related.

They wanted to build this huge tower reaching to the “heavens.” (11:4)

To make a name for the themselves.

As opposed to who?

G-d!

“There is nothing above the State.  No Higher Authority!”

… It makes me think of the first Russian cosmonaut.  Yuri Gagarin.

He orbited the earth in 1961 in the spaceship Vostok.

And when he landed?

He declared to the whole world.

“I was in space.  There is no G-d there!”

He put into words what the Soviet Union stood for.

… History repeats itself.

The builders of the tower declared, “There is no G-d.”

And they were dispersed.  Fragmented. 

Thousands of years later?

The Soviet Union became a great empire.  And declared there is no G-d.

That nothing is above the State.

And that wasn’t enough.

It set out to destroy religion.  Especially Judaism.

Seventy years later?

The mighty Soviet Union collapsed.  And broke into pieces.

…There are quiet a few “Russian Jews” reading the “Torah Minute” every day.

That inspires me.

… There are many Jews today studying Torah in Jerusalem.

Some famous.  Some not.

There is one that is not famous, but should be.

His name?

Lev Bronstein.

A direct descendant of Leon Trotsky, one of the leaders of the Communist revolution.

Trotsky’s original name?

Lev Bronstein!

… We should be inspired by the miracle of Jewish survival!

All the best,