Sand storm

Yesterday we were struck with a strange sand storm from the desert. The winds were strong and cold but very dry and dusty. Our eyes were smarting from the dryness and sand. The sky was an aweful yellow and we could not even see the Mt. of Olives. The temperature dropped from 24 degrees to almost 6 degrees by nightfall. And the cold will remain for the next few days - down to 4 degrees as predicted.

However weather forecasts say it will be raining for the next 3 days - pretty heavy too. That's good. We need the rain. Right now the sky is overcast but no rain yet. It did rain last night though.

Today's reading for Mass is on the Tower of Babel. I was reading some rabbinic explanations on this text and found some very interesting interpretations. Like the guys built the tower because they were afraid of another flood that would wipe them out as in the days of Noah (last Wed.'s reading). They didn't want to get caught offguard again, so they decided preventive measures were the better choice. This was a sign of lack of faith since God already promised he would not destroy humanity. Also by building and living in the tower, they had neglected to till the soil, a command that God gave humanity right from the beginning of creation. They had abandoned God's will by creating a different lifestyle contrary to the Divine Will, and the result will be "no food". Also by living together in the tower, they disobeyed God by not "going forth and populating the earth". By scaterring them all over the earth, God was preserving them: firstly by tilling the earth so they would always have enough food for sustenance; and if disaster struck one place, peoples of other places were still unaffected and so the human race can continue.

What can you glean from all these sages' words?