At the end of Parshat Noach, humanity comes together with one goal: to build a tower that reaches the heavens.

They settle in the valley of Shinar and say, “Let’s build a city and a tower with its top in the heavens.”
On the surface, it sounds noble — unity, creativity, progress.
But then they add a few small words that change everything: “V’na’aseh lanu shem” — “Let’s make a name for ourselves.”

That’s the turning point.

Their goal wasn’t to honor Hashem; it was to replace Him.
Until that point, everything people used came straight from Hashem’s creation — stone, wood, earth.
But now they discovered a way to make their own bricks and build from human innovation alone.
It wasn’t just construction — it was a statement: “We don’t need Hashem anymore.”

And that’s what went wrong.

Hashem actually wants us to build. From the very beginning, in Parshat Bereishit, He commanded:
“Pru u’rvu u’milu et ha’aretz v’chivshuha” — “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and conquer it.”
Hashem wants us to create, to innovate, to develop the world.
But He also wants us to remember Who gave us the power to do so.

The sin of the Tower wasn’t progress — it was forgetting the Source of progress.

Every invention, every success, every dream we build should bring Hashem more deeply into our lives — not push Him out.
When we learn Torah, strengthen our bitachon, daven with heart, or even just pause to thank Hashem during a busy day, we’re doing the opposite of Bavel.

We’re not just building a name for ourselves.
We’re building a world where Hashem’s Name is revealed.