We take them for granted, this endless cycle of planting and harvesting, warmth and cold. But what if it all stopped? What if spring never came, or winter just kept going and going?
Philo, in his unique way, dives deep into the meaning of the seasons. He wasn't just talking about the weather when he explored the verse about seedtime and harvest. He saw something much bigger, a profound connection to the balance of the world and even the workings of the human mind.
On a literal level, Philo explains, this promise – that seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, would never cease (Genesis 8:22) – ensures the continuation of life. The right temperature, the right conditions, are essential for plants and animals to thrive. If the weather went haywire, everything would be destroyed! It’s a comforting thought, this promise of stability.
But Philo, ever the allegorist, pushes us further. He urges us to consider the "inward sense" of the passage. Seedtime becomes the beginning, harvest the end, and both are essential for wholeness. "For either thing alone is by itself imperfect," Philo writes, "because the beginning requires an end, and the end has a natural inclination for the beginning." Think about that – nothing is complete on its own. We need the full cycle, the full story.
And what about cold and heat? Philo links them to winter and autumn, but then he takes another leap. Symbolically, he says, cold represents fear, that icy grip of terror. Heat, on the other hand, becomes anger, a fiery and passionate emotion. These emotions, like the seasons, are always with us, part of the human condition.
Philo sees spring and summer as representing what is "necessary" and what is "superfluous". Spring brings the seeds, the basics, like virtues for the soul. Summer offers the abundance, the extras – the fruits of our labor, the external advantages that, ultimately, serve the body, which in turn serves the mind, which in turn serves God. It’s a beautiful chain of being, each element connected and serving a higher purpose.
Finally, day and night. These are the measures of time and number, the constant rhythm of existence. But again, Philo sees more. Day represents "lucid wisdom," that clear, bright understanding. Night becomes "obscure folly," the darkness of ignorance. We need both, of course, but the goal is always to strive for the light.
So, what does it all mean? Philo is reminding us that everything is connected. The natural world, our emotions, our intellect, our very souls – all are intertwined in a delicate dance of balance. The promise of the seasons isn't just about the weather; it's a promise of continuity, of growth, of the enduring presence of the Divine in every aspect of our lives. And maybe, just maybe, by understanding these connections, we can find a little more balance within ourselves.