Midrash sobre Proverbios 10:24

Similarly, the men of the generation of the flood proclaimed: “Come, let us build us a city (Gen. 11:4), so that He may descend to earth and we may ascend to heaven. But if He should not descend, then let us wage war against Him.” The Holy One, blessed be He, did not restrain them, but declared instead: Do whatever ye desire, as it is said: And now nothing will be withholden from them, which they propose to do (ibid., v. 6). He that sitteth in heaven laugheth. The Lord hath them in derision (Ps. 2:4). Had He not permitted them to build the tower, they would have claimed: “If we had built the tower, we would have ascended and waged war against Him.” Therefore, He allowed them to erect the tower. After that, He looked down upon them and scattered them, as is said: Thence did the Lord scatter them (Gen. 11:9). He rebuked them, saying: You declared Lest we be scattered over the entire earth; therefore you shall be scattered over the face of the earth. Hence it is written: The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon them (Prov. 10:24).

(Gen. 11:3:) THEN THEY SAID TO ONE ANOTHER: COME, LET US FORM BRICKS. The Holy One caused everything that they made to prosper in their hands in order to laugh at them in the end. Thus it is stated (in Ps. 2:4): THE ONE SITTING IN THE HEAVENS SHALL LAUGH. Now had they not built, they would have said: If we had built the tower, we should¹¹⁰“We should” follows Tanh., Gen. 2:18. The Buber text, which translates, “They would,” lacks the letter (nun). have ascended to the heavens and fought with him.¹¹¹Cf. Sanh. 109a. What did the Holy One do? He made things prosper in their hands to make known that those in the world are nothing. Then after [that] he laughed at them and banished them, as stated (in Gen. 11:8): SO THE LORD DISPERSED THEM OUT OF THERE. [(Gen. 11:4:) THEN THEY SAID: COME, LET US BUILD OURSELVES A CITY AND A TOWER WITH ITS TOP IN THE HEAVENS TO MAKE A NAME FOR OURSELVES.] R. Simeon bar Johay said: They took an idol and put it on top of the tower. [They said:] If the Holy One issues decrees against it, it will be against him and inhibit him. This expression, MAKE A NAME FOR OURSELVES, is nothing but an expression of idolatry. Thus is stated (in Exod. 23:13): YOU SHALL NOT MENTION THE NAME OF OTHER GODS.¹¹²Mekhilta de Rabbi Ishmael, Kaspa 4; see Sanh. 109a; Gen. R. 38:8. The Holy One said to them: You say (in Gen. 11:4, cont.): LEST WE BE DISPERSED. I am dispersing you. Thus it is stated (in vs. 8): SO THE LORD DISPERSED THEM. < This dispersing was > to fulfill what is stated (in Prov. 10:24): WHAT THE WICKED ONE FEARS SHALL COME UPON HIM.