“The Lord descended to see the city and the tower that the children of man built” (Genesis 11:5). “The Lord descended to see the city and the tower…” – Rabbi Shimon bar Ḥalafta taught: This is one of ten descents [of God] stated in the Torah.22See Pirkei deRabbi Eliezer 14 and Avot deRabbi Natan 34:5. “That the children of man [ha’adam] built” – Rabbi Berekhya said: What would we have thought - the children of donkeys or the children of camels?23Why does it have to mention that they were children of man?
The explanation is that they were [true] sons of Adam the first man. Just as Adam the first man, after all the good that I performed on his behalf, he said: “The woman whom You gave to be with me…” (Genesis 3:12), so, two years from the generation of the Flood to the generation of the Dispersion, and “the entire earth was of one language” (Genesis 11:1).24They were ungrateful to God, just as Adam was.
“The Lord said: Behold, they are one people, and there is one language for them all and this is what they have begun to do; now nothing of all that they plotted to do will be prevented from them” (Genesis 11:6). “The Lord said: Behold, they are one people, and there is one language for them all” – Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Neḥemya, Rabbi Yehuda says: Since they are one people and one language, if they repent, I will accept them.25Since they share a common language, and peace reigns among them, I will give them a chance to repent.
Rabbi Neḥemya says: Who caused them to rebel against Me? Is it not because they were one people and one language? “Now [ve’ata], nothing…will be prevented [lo yibatzer] from them” – Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: It teaches that the Holy One blessed be He afforded them an opportunity for repentance, as it is stated: “Ve’ata,” and ve’ata means nothing other than repentance, just as it says: “Now [ve’ata], Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you?
Only to fear [the Lord your God]” (Deuteronomy 10:12). But they said: “No [lo].”26This is the interpretation of the word lo in lo yibatzer. The Holy One blessed be He then said: “All that they plotted to do will be prevented [yibatzer] from them.” This vineyard, when it does not produce fruit, what do its owners do to it? They sever its branches.27Severing from a grape vine is called betzira, and this is what the verse means by yibatzer.