It's not just a coincidence, you know. Sometimes, it's like the universe is trying to tell us something!
Take the story of the Flood, the mabul. According to the Midrash of Philo, there's a fascinating detail about timing that we often overlook. The Flood begins in the seventh month, on the twenty-seventh day. And then – get this – the waters begin to recede, the ark rests on the mountains, also in the seventh month, on the twenty-seventh day. What's going on here?
Philo suggests it's more than just a random occurrence. It's an “homonymy of months and days," a deliberate mirroring. But why?
Well, the start of the Flood in the seventh month is connected to the birthday of a righteous man, likely referring to Noah himself, and occurs near the vernal equinox, the spring equinox. The diminution, the receding of the waters, happens in the seventh month starting from the highest point of the flood, near the autumnal equinox. See the pattern? The two equinoxes are separated by those very seven months, with five months in between.
But here's where it gets really interesting. This "seventh month" connected to the spring equinox? It’s also considered the first month, according to Philo. Why? Because the creation of the world, the very beginning, took place during that time of abundance. Think about it: spring is a time of rebirth, of blossoming, of new beginnings. It makes sense.
So, while the seventh month in the autumnal equinox is technically "first in dignity," its significance, its essence, if you will, comes from the number seven and its connection to the air, to the very atmosphere that sustains life.
Therefore, the Flood, this cataclysmic event, took place in the seventh month not chronologically, but "according to nature." Its principle, its starting point, is deeply rooted in the spring season, in that sense of renewal, even amidst destruction.
What are we to make of this? Perhaps Philo is hinting at a cyclical nature to things. Destruction and creation, endings and beginnings, all intertwined and reflected in the rhythms of nature. The Flood, as terrible as it was, wasn't just a random act of divine anger. It was part of a larger cosmic pattern, a reset button pushed by the Almighty, leading to a new chapter. A chapter that, like the spring equinox, held the promise of a new beginning. And maybe, just maybe, that’s a lesson we can still take to heart today.