מדרש על בראשית 11:6

THE LORD SAID - The Holy One, Blessed is He, said:

ALL HAVING ONE LANGUAGE - Each understood what his fellow would say to him, whether 'clay' or 'brick,' and this way they would build. During the time that they had one language, they were not restrained from building. Rather, I will confuse their languages and they will put aside the construction. What did G-d do? He called the divine messengers and commanded them to descend below, and each one [of the messengers would teach] each family a different language, so that this family would not understand that family. And so they did, as it says, "Come, let us descend."

R. Jacob of Kefar Hanin says: (Job 25:2:) [DOMINION AND AWE ARE WITH HIM].³⁴Targum on Job 25:2; Numb. R. 12:8; Cant. R. 3:11:1; PRK 1:3; Tanh., Gen. 11:6; cf. Deut. R. 5:12. DOMINION: This is Michael. AND AWE: This is Gabriel. (Ibid., cont.:) HE MAKES PEACE IN HIS HIGH PLACES. Even the heavenly beings need peace. The constellations rise up. Taurus says: I am first, and does not see what is in front of him. Gemini says: I am first, and does not see what is in front of him. And so each and every one says: I am first. Ergo, it says: The heavenly beings need peace.

Thy right hand, O Lord (Exod. 15:6). This verse indicates that the Lord’s right hand is stretched out to receive repentant sinners. Though You set a time for the generation of the flood in which to do penance, as it is said: My spirit shall not abide in man forever (Gen. 6:3), You did not decree their destruction until they committed their most evil acts before You. Similarly, You set a time limit in which the men of the Tower of Babel were to repent, yet You did not decree their extinction until they performed their most wicked acts, as it is said: And now nothing will be withholden from them (ibid. 11:6). The expression and now is employed only to signify that they had an opportunity to repent, as is said: And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee? (Deut. 10:12); And now, O Israel, hearken unto the statutes (ibid. 4:1); And yet now hear, O Jacob (Isa. 44:1).

And the Lord said: Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is what they begin to do, and now nothing will be withholden from them (Gen. 11:6). What is the meaning of the words and now? They mean that though they had rebelled against Him, were contumacious, and had built a tower, the Holy One, blessed be He, stretched out His right hand toward them so that they might repent, as it is said: And now, Israel, what does the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God (Deut. 10:12). But they replied: Nothing will be withholden (yibazer) from them. Even if those men were cut off (nivzarim) from the world, they would not repent, as it is said: As a grape-gatherer (bozer) cutteth off the shoots (Jer. 6:9).

And it was, when men begun (Gen. 6:1) - said Rabbi Simon: In three places this language is used, and it means rebellion. "[And to Seth, in turn, a son was born, and he named him Enosh;] it was then that men began [to invoke Ad-nai by name.]" (Gen. 4:26); "[Cush also begot Nimrod,] he began to be [a man of might on earth.] (Gen. 10:8). They answered back to him: behold, it is written "[and Ad-nai said, 'If, as one people with one language for all] this is how they have begun to act, [then nothing that they may propose to do will be out of their reach.] (Gen. 11:6) - he answered to them: here the Holy One bent the head of Nimrod and said: ""this" [one] will make them rebel against Me." "To increase on Earth" - that they were spilling their seed on the trees and the stones, and because they were associating in depravity He increased the females for them, as it is written "and daughters were born for them" (Gen. 6:1). he wife of Rabbi Shimeon Bar Ami gave birth to a girl. His father-in-law Rabbi Chia Rabbah said to him: The Holy One of Blessing began to bless you! He asked: From where [do you derive this?] He said: "And it was, when men begun to increase, daughters were born for them". [Rabbi Shimeon] went to his father, who said to him: The Babylonian made you happy. He said: Yes, and this he said to me. The father said to him: Even so, there is need for wine and there is need for vinegar, the need for wine is greater than the need for vinegar; there is need for wheat and there is need for barley, the need for wheat is greater than the need for barley. From the moment a man marries his daughter away, and brings out his belongings, he says to her: 'may you never long for here [home]' Rabban Gamliel married his daughter off, she said to him: Dad, bless me. He answered: 'may you never long for here [home].' A son was born to her, she said: Dad, bless me. He said "may the word 'vay' never cease from your lips". She said to him: Dad, two happy moments I had and you gave me curses! He said to her: Both of them are blessings, if you feel content in your home you wll not long for here, and if your son lives 'vay' will not cease from your lips: 'Vay, my son does not drink enough!' 'Vay, my son does not eat enough!' 'Vay, today my son didn't go to the synagogue!'

(Gen. 11:5, cont.:) WHICH THE CHILDREN OF ADAM HAD BUILT. He said to them: Are you not looking to the ancient ones which were before you? {Thus it is stated in} (Gen. 11:6:) AND THE LORD SAID: THEY ARE ONE PEOPLE AND THEY ALL HAVE ONE LANGUAGE … [AND NOW NOTHING < THEY PROPOSE > WILL BE CUT OFF < FROM THEM >]. Although they rebelled, I extended my right hand to them. So I said to them: Repent, and I will receive you, just as it is stated (in Deut. 10:12): AND NOW, ISRAEL, WHAT DOES THE LORD YOUR GOD ASK [OF YOU] < … >?¹¹³According to Mekhilta de Rabbi Ishmael, Shirata 5, and Gen. R. 38:9, Deut. 10:12 shows that the AND NOW in Gen. 11:6 is a plea for repentance. But they said (in Gen. 11:6): NOTHING < THEY PROPOSE > WILL BE CUT OFF FROM THEM. Even if those people were cut off, they would not repent, as stated (in Jer. 6:9): LIKE A VINTAGER OVER < THE VINE > SHOOTS.

"and now nothing [they plan to do] will be prevented..." Rabbi Aba bar Kahana says that this teaches that the Holy One Blessed Be He opened up a gate of teshuvah for them, since it says "and now", and there is no "and now" except teshuvah, as in: "and now, Israel, what does haShem your God ask from you? Just to fear [haShem your God]..."