Midrash Tehillim, a collection of interpretations on the Book of Psalms, grapples with just that idea. In Psalm 74, the Midrash explores how the actions of one generation can echo, sometimes tragically, in the lives of their children.
The text opens with a fascinating image: "Know how to bring up in the tangle of a tree, as if they ascend upwards and you will know why they come. Be one who knows how to bring up in the tangle of a tree." What does this even mean? It's a call to understand the roots of behavior, to trace the twisting branches of influence and understand where they lead. It’s about understanding motivations, the "why" behind actions.
The Midrash then connects this idea to the story of the Tower of Babel in Genesis. "And last but not least, their fathers did so, as it is said (Genesis 11:4), 'Come, let us build ourselves a city.'" The builders of Babel weren't just constructing a tower; they were, according to this interpretation, attempting to wage war against God. The Midrash cleverly links the idea of a "city" in Genesis with God Himself, citing Daniel 4:10, "'A city and a sanctuary.'" Their ambition wasn't just architectural; it was a challenge to divine authority.
And what was their motivation? To "make a name for ourselves," as it says in Genesis 11:4. But the Midrash equates this "name" with idolatry, referencing Exodus 23:13: "And the name of other gods you shall not mention." It's a stark contrast to Genesis 4:26, which says, "Then men began to call on the name of the Lord." See the difference? Seeking fame and glory for themselves becomes a form of turning away from God.
The wicked, the Midrash continues, are constantly devising evil schemes, echoing Psalm 21:12: "They devised evil schemes that they cannot execute." But here's the really chilling part: "The fathers opened a door for their children and saw what they were doing. And now their doors are opened together in stumbling and stumbling." The mistakes of the parents create a path, a door, for their children to repeat those same errors, leading to further downfall.
They tried to ascend to the heavens, the Midrash says, echoing the hubris of Babel, but failed. So, what did they do? "They made war with Your people on earth, as it is said, 'They sent fire into Your sanctuary to defile it, to the ground they have defiled the dwelling place of Your name.'" Frustrated in their attempts to reach God, they turned their anger and destruction towards His people and His sanctuary.
And the culmination of this inherited hatred? A desire for complete annihilation: "They say in their hearts, 'Let us suppress them together.' What do they say? (Psalms 83:5), 'Come, let us destroy them as a nation; let the name of Israel be remembered no more.'" Total erasure. The ultimate goal of those who seek to defy God and oppress His people.
So, what are we to make of this powerful, if unsettling, Midrash? It's a warning, isn't it? A call to examine our own actions and motivations, and to consider the legacy we are leaving for future generations. Are we building bridges of understanding and compassion, or are we, unwittingly, opening doors to further "stumbling and stumbling"? Are we focused on making a name for ourselves, or on calling on the name of the Divine? These are questions worth asking, generation after generation.