So when we learned about Dor Haphala, i found the approach we discussed very interesting. Hashem wanted the people to spread and he therefore made sure that the people all spoke different languages. Language barriers automatically separate human beings from each other and basically doesnt allow them to interact fully. You would not be able to communicate completely with someone who didnt speak any english. You could use your hands and feet perhaps but you could never have some deep meaningful conversation with them. My question is the following: Why would god want this separation between human beings to last for all these years. Although it seems like a great plan at the time, was it really a good idea to do this even if it affected us until now?
I believe that it was. For one thing, G-d wanted the people to spread out, but they weren't. They were sticking together and moving in one place, and they were supposed to be branching out and inhabiting all parts of the earth.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, the fact that people all have different languages means that they also have different cultures, which gives us more interesting lives.
(And you can learn more than one language, so you can still have a dmc)
I have to agree with Zahava on this one- it was definitely a good thing.
ReplyDeleteIf Hashem wanted them to spread out and nothing else was working, then this was basically the only solution. Otherwise, they could still find each other and come together.
Having new people develop all over the world individually was a really good thing. If we've learned anything from history, it's that every different area and group of people develops their own distinct and unique culture and customs. It's some pretty interesting stuff.
So does this support the "Out of Africa" Theory?
Although having many different languages in the world can sometimes be hard, I think it is actually very interesting. I know from learning English, Hebrew, and Spanish that each language has its own qualities. A language reflects a group of people and their customs. We always say that German just doesn't sound like a loving, flowery language, and I guess Germans aren't really that way. They are more strict and orderly, like an army. Additionally, I think it is part of life to try and 'understand' people whether they are speaking your language or not.
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