The Order of the Seasons and the Fear of Man Over the Beasts

Another interpretation: "While the earth remains" (Genesis 8:22). Rav Huna in the name of Rav Acha: What do the children of Noah suppose, that their covenant is sealed and stands forever? Thus did I say to them, "While the earth remains," and so forth - rather, only so long as day and night endure does their covenant endure. When that day comes of which it is written, "And there shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day and not night" (Zechariah 14:7), in that hour, "And it was broken in that day" (see Zechariah 11:11). Rav Yitzchak said: What caused them to rebel against Me? Was it not because they would sow and not reap? For Rav Yitzchak said: once in forty years they would sow, and they would walk from one end of the world to the other in a brief hour, uprooting the cedars of Lebanon as they went, and lions and leopards were reckoned by them as no more than a louse upon their flesh. How so? They had fine weather, as from Passover until Pentecost. As it is written, "the days of the earth, seedtime and harvest." Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar in the name of Rabbi Meir, and so too Rabbi Dosa would say according to his words: half of Tishrei, Marcheshvan, and half of Kislev are seedtime; half of Kislev, Tevet, and half of Shevat are winter; half of Shevat, Adar, and half of Nisan are cold; half of Nisan, Iyar, and half of Sivan are harvest; half of Sivan, Tammuz, and half of Av are summer; half of Av, Elul, and half of Tishrei are heat. Rabbi Yehuda counts from Tishrei; Rabbi Shimon counts from Marcheshvan, for Noah intercalated the year. Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish says: A gentile who keeps the Sabbath is liable to death, as it is said, "and day and night they shall not cease" (Genesis 8:22). And the Master said: their warning is itself their death sentence. It is obvious. Rav Huna said: even on a Monday. But let it be counted among the seven commandments! When they are counted, those of "sit and do not act" are counted; "rise and act" are not counted. But behold, civil law is "rise and act," and it is counted! It is both "rise and act" and "sit and do not act." "And the fear of you and the dread of you" (Genesis 9:2). It is taught: Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar says: a living day-old infant need not be guarded from the weasel or from the mice, as it is said, "And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth" - so long as a person is alive, his dread is cast upon the creatures, but once a person dies, his dread is removed.