The Talmud (Sanhedrin 109a) teaches that entering into the vicinity of the Tower of Babel will bring about forgetfulness. It then continues to say that mentioning the cities of Bavel and Bursif is difficult for one's Torah study. How are we meant to understand this?
After consulting some of the commentaries I came to the following understanding. One of the keys to memorization and remembering is the ability to organize facts and concepts in one's mind. By defining ideas and categorizing concepts memory is made much easier. The Tower of Babel, the place where the world's inhabitants were mixed up and confused symbolizes the opposite of the traits needed for successful memorization. Similarly, the Talmud mentions elsewhere that at some point in history the cities of Bavel and Bursif switched names. What was once Bavel was now Bursif and vice-versa. Again we see Bavel as the place of a lack of clear delineation and categorization. Hence these cities are difficult for one's Torah study as successful Torah study requires the traits of clear delineation and categorization.
With this understanding I was able to explain an enigmatic comment of Rashi. The Torah at the end of Parshas Kedoshim (Vay. 20:26) says: And I will separate you from the nations to be mine. Rashi comments: If you separate from them, you are mine. And if not, you belong to Nevuchadnezzar and his cohorts.
Why mention Nevuchadnezzar in this context? There were many wicked people in our history, why is he the one invoked by Rashi here? From our earlier comments it is clear that Nevuchadnezzar, as the Emperor of Bavel, represents the confusion and lack of delineation symbolized by Bavel. Hence, the verses at the end of Kedoshim which are focused on separation, the ability to draw lines and distinctions, stand in contradistinction to Nevuchadnezzar the Emperor of Confusion.
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