Комментарий о цитате к Даниэль 3:1

We had explained earlier that the attribute of Justice, even when in a dominant role, is always accompanied by some aspect of the attribute of Mercy as represented by שם the Ineffable Name י-ה-ו-ה. In the case of the deluge, the principle of מדה כנגד מדה operated in such a way that as punishment for that generation’s refusal to recognise anything beyond the emanation שם=כתר, they experienced the full impact of the unrelieved attribute of Justice so that even the earth they had lived on was destroyed. The earth had been the creation of the attribute of Justice, i.e. אלוקים. The attribute of Mercy, i.e. השם, had been “co-opted” only at the time when the Torah reported the creation of Adam (2,4) as a functioning human being.
Basically, man had tried to separate the role of the attribute of אלוקים from the role of the attribute שם, or י-ה-ו-ה. G’d demonstrated to them that such an attempt if successful spells disaster both for them and for the earth they lived on. They had wanted only “nature,” as represented by the attribute אלוקים.
It is quite possible that prior to the deluge such considerations had not had a philosophical basis, had been mostly based on an emotional resentment of authority from an extra-terrestrial force. At this time, it had been developed to a philosophy by highly intelligent people, people who had already learned of the value of co-operation, unity, working towards a common goal. This was why their newly developed approach was so dangerous. [I have taken the liberty to phrase these thoughts in my own way. Ed.]
G’d scattered them (i.e. separated them from their unity) all over the globe as retaliation for their attempt to “scatter,” i.e. separate His attributes from one another. Furthermore, they had calculated the precise number of steps needed to ascend to heaven (70) [according to Pirke de Rabbi Eliezer, the number reflects 70 miles, a mile per step. Ed.] The number may also allude to the 70 representatives of the 70 nations in the celestial spheres. According to tradition, Nebuchadnezzar (who was also from Babel (though it was renamed Babylon) introduced the golden image of בל into the remnants of the Holy Temple to symbolise that this philosophy had triumphed. (In Jeremiah 51,44 the prophet predicts the eventual humiliation of that idol and that of the people who worshiped it) Daniel 3,1 speaks of a huge golden image Nebuchadnezzar had put up in the valley of Dura in the land of Babylon. This valley may be identical with the valley described in our chapter where the Torah described these people as וימצאו בקעה, “they found a valley.” All of this is part of the aforementioned hints the Torah provided concerning the sins of that generation. My the Lord protect us from committing similar errors.

And the grasshopper will be a burden. This refers to Nevuchadnetzar’s graven image; “its height was sixty cubits [and] its width six cubits.”³⁷Daniyeil 3:1. Now, if its thickness is only six, it cannot stand, and you say that, “he set it up in the plain of Dura”?³⁸Ibid.. Rav Bibi said, they kept on setting it up and it kept on falling, until they brought all the gold of Yerusholayim and poured it out as a base on its feet, to fulfill what is stated, “and their gold will be repugnant.”³⁹Yechezkeil 7:19.