What is the meaning of "Babel" (Genesis 10:10)? Rabbi Yochanan said: It is the place mingled [belulah] with Scripture, mingled with Mishnah, mingled with Talmud. "And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh" [interpreted as] Aram and Nezivin and Ketifin. "In the land of Shinar" (Genesis 10:10), this is Babylon, which is shaken free [meno'eret] of the commandments: without heave-offering, without tithe, and without the produce of the sabbatical year. Shinar, for they die there in choking [tishnuk], without lamp and without bathhouse. Shinar, for its princes die young [ne'arim]. Shinar, for its princes gaze into the Torah while they are still youths [ne'arim].
Why That Land Is Called Babel and Shinar
Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 62:2
(בראשית י י) מַאי בָּבֶל, אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן בְּלוּלָה בְּמִקְרָא, בְּלוּלָה בְּמִשְׁנָה, בְּלוּלָה בְּתַלְמוּד. וַתְּהִי רֵאשִׁית מַמְלַכְתּוֹ בָּבֶל וְאֶרֶךְ וְאַכַּד וְכַלְנֵה. אַרָם וּנְצִיבִין וּקְטִיפִין. בְּאֶרֶץ שִׁנְעָר זוֹ בָּבֶל שֶׁהִיא מְנוֹעֶרֶת מִן הַמִּצְווֹת בְּלֹא תְּרוּמָה וּבְלֹא מַעֲשֵׂר וּבְלֹא שְׁבִיעִית, שִׁנְעָר שֶׁהֵן מֵתִים בְּתִשְנוּק בְּלֹא נֵר וּבְלֹא מֶרְחָץ שִׁנְעָר שֶׁשָׂרֶיהָ מֵתִים נְעָרִים שִׁנְעָר שֶׁשָּׂרֶיהָ מַבִּיטִין בַּתּוֹרָה עַד שֶׁהֵן נְעָרִים.