When Genesis says, "when they were created," it's almost teasing us. It's like saying, "Yeah, things were created, but when exactly? We're not really pinning it down."
Think about that for a second. Why the ambiguity? Why not say, "On Tuesday at 3 pm, BAM! Universe!"?
Philo's Midrash suggests this vagueness throws a wrench into the works of those "authors" – let's call them cosmic accountants – who try to calculate the age of the universe down to the very last year, give or take. It's like the Torah is saying, "Hold your horses! You can't just slap a number on this. It's bigger than that."
But here's the really interesting part. Right after this vague "when they were created," we get the phrase, "This is the book of the generation." And according to the Midrash, this is a signal. This is the Torah telling us, "Okay, pay attention. What follows – this whole creation story – is the real deal. It's consistent with the truth."
So, what do we make of this? Is the Torah being coy about the timeline to teach us a lesson about the limits of human understanding? Is it emphasizing the truth of creation while de-emphasizing the timing of creation? Perhaps.
It's almost as if the Midrash of Philo is inviting us to look beyond the literal, to grapple with the deeper meaning behind the words. It's a reminder that sometimes, the most profound truths aren't about dates and times, but about the fundamental reality of creation itself. Maybe the Torah isn't trying to give us a scientific timeline, but rather a spiritual roadmap. Food for thought, right?