Rashi on TanakhGenesis 11

One language. [That language was] the holy language [Hebrew].

And conforming words. [Meaning:] They came with one plan and said, “He [God] has no right to select the heavens for Himself. Let us ascend to the sky and wage war against Him.” Another explanation [of דְּבָרִים אֲחָדִים]: [They spoke blasphemously] against the Sole Being of the universe. Another explanation for וּדְבָרִים אֲחָדִים, They said; “Once every 1656 years the heavens convulse as He did in the days of the Flood. Come, let us make supports for it.

When they journeyed from the east. Which was where they resided. As is written above, “Their dwelling place was … [in] the eastern mountains.” They journeyed from there to seek for themselves a place to accommodate all of them and could find only Shinar.

One to another. One nation to another, Mizraim [Egypt] to Kush Kush to Put, and Put to Canaan.

Come let us. [Means:] “Prepare yourselves.” Wherever הָבָה appears it means “prepare,” meaning that they should prepare themselves and become united for some work, or plan, or some undertaking. I.e., הָבָה “Get ready,” apperieller in Old French.

Bricks. Because there are no stones in Bavel, for it is a plain.

And bake them thoroughly. That is the method for making the bricks which are called tuilles in O.F. They are burned in a furnace.

For mortar. For the purpose of plastering the wall.

So that we will not be scattered. [Meaning:] that He not bring some plague on us to scatter us from here.

Adonoy descended to see. He [actually] did not need to do this. This is intended to teach judges not to convict the accused before they have seen [the case] and understood [it]. [This is found] in Midrash R. Tanchuma.

The sons of man. But, who else’s children could they have been? Perhaps the children of donkeys or camels? But [this refers to] the children of Adam horishon who was ungrateful when he said, “The woman that You gave to be with me.” These people, too, were ungrateful in rebelling against Him Who bestowed goodness upon them by rescuing them from the flood.

Behold they are one people. They have all of the advantages of being one people and having one common language and this is what they are about to do.

First undertaking. As in “They said,” “They did,” i.e., they began to do.

[Will] nothing be unattainable for them, etc., to do. This is an incredulous question. יִבָּצֵר means “preventing” as is its translation [by Onkelos]. Similarly: “He restrains the spirit of princes.”

Come let us descend. He consulted with His Heavenly Court due to His exceeding humility.

Come. [This was] a measure in kind. They had said “Come, we will build,” and He allotted corresponding [punishment] by saying, “Come, let us descend.”

Jumble. [Means:] let us confuse. The letter נ' is [a prefix for first person] plural. The letter ה' at the end is superfluous, as is the ה' of נֵרְדָה.

[They] will not understand. One asks for a brick and the other brings mortar. The [first] one attacks him and splits his brains open.

Adonoy scattered them from there. [He scattered them] in this world. Their statement “That we will not be scattered,” was fulfilled in [spite of] them. This is what Shlomo [referred to when he] said, “The fear of the wicked will come upon him.”

From there [He] scattered them. This teaches that they have no share in the World to Come. Whose [transgressions] were more serious? Those of the Flood generation, or those of the Dispersion generation? The former did not raise their hands against God. Whereas, the latter did raise their hands against God to wage war against Him. [Yet,] the former were deluged [and drowned], whereas the latter did not perish from the world! But, [the answer is that] the Flood generation were robbers and there was strife between them. They were, therefore, destroyed. But, these conducted themselves with love and friendship, as is written “One language with conforming words.” You may learn [from this] that strife is detested and that peace is great.

Sheim was one hundred years old. When he begat Arpachshad two years after the flood.

During the lifetime of his father Terach. [Means] during the lifetime of his father. The Midrash Aggadah [however,] states, [that it means that] his father caused his death. For Terach complained about his son, Avraham, to Nimrod for breaking up his idols, whereupon he [Nimrod] threw him into a fiery furnace. Haran waited and said to himself, “If Avram will be victorious, I am on his side. And if Nimrod will be victorious, I am on his side.” When Avram was saved, Haran was asked, “On whose side are you?” Haran said to them, “I am on Avram’s side,” [whereupon,] they threw him into the fiery furnace and he was burnt [to death]. This is [to what] Ur Kasdim [refers]. Menachem [ben Seruk], however translates אוּר as valley, as in, “Glorify God in the valleys.” And as in, “The den of the serpent.” Every hole and deep ravine is called אוּר.

Yiskah. This was Sarah. [she was so called] because she could see the future through Divine inspiration, and because all would gaze at her beauty. Alternately, יִסְכָּה is from the root meaning princely — נְסִיכוּת, just as שָׂרָה is from the root meaning ruling — שְׂרָרָה.

With them they departed. Terach and Avram went forth bringing along with Lot and Sarai.

Terach died in Charan. [He died] after Avram had already left Charan and had arrived in the Land of Canaan, and had already been there more than sixty years. For it is written, “And Avram was 75 years old when he left Charan.” Terach was 70 years old when Avram was born, making Terach 145 when Avram left Charan, so there were still many years of his life left. Then, why does Scripture mention Terach’s death before the departure of Avram? This was so that this matter not be publicized [whereby people] would say, “Avraham did not show respect for his father for he left him in his old age.” Scripture refers to him as dead for the following reason: because the wicked are called dead even while alive, whereas the righteous, even when dead, are called living, as it is said: Benayahu ben Yehoyada, the son of a living man.”

In Charan. The letter נ' is inverted to tell you that until Avram [appeared] there was anger from God against the world.