Midrasch zu Bereschit 7:11

(4) R. Joshua, however, says: "Whence do we know that the Patriarchs were born in the month of Nissan? It is said (I Kings 6, 1) In the fourth year, in the month Ziv (glory), which is the second month, etc.; i.e., in that month in which the glorious ones of the earth (the patriarchs) were born. But, how is the passage of Ethanim to be explained? This means that they (the Israelites) were strongly protected by meritorious deeds. But how will the one who holds that the patriarchs were born in Tishri explain the reference to the month of Ziv? He will explain it literally: In the month when the trees are blooming, as R. Juda said: "Whoever takes a walk in the month of Nissan and observes the trees sprouting forth, he should say: 'Blessed art thou who hast made thy world lacking in naught, but hast produced therein goodly creatures and goodly trees wherewith to give delight unto the children of men.'" According to the one who holds that the patriarchs were born in Nissan, they also died in Nissan; and, according to the one who holds that they were born in Tishri, they also died in Tishri; for it is said (Deut. 31, 2) Moses said, I am one hundred and twenty years old to-day. He need not say to-day [if it has no special significance]. We, therefore, infer that to-day implies that just that very day have his days and years been completed. This is to teach that the Holy One, praised be He! grants the righteous the fulfillment of the years of their life to the very month and day; as it is said (Ex. 23, 26) The number of thy days will I make full. (5) Isaac was born on Passover. Whence do we infer this? It is written (Gen. 18, 14) At the next festival I will return to thee, and Sarah will have a son. What festival was it when he said this? Shall I assume that it was Passover, that he referred to Pentecost? Is it possible to bear children after fifty days' gestation? If I assume that it was Pentecost, that he referred to Tishri, then again the question is, Who bears children after five months' gestation? Shall I assume that it was Tabernacles, and that he referred to Passover, the same objection may be made: Is it possible to bear children after: six months of gestation? We have been taught in a Baraitha [in answer to the last objection]; that particular year was a leap year [and, therefore, it makes seven months]. But at all events the objection remains, for we must deduct the days of menstruation; hence less than seven months will remain. Mar Zutra [in answer to this] said that although a child born after nine months' gestation is never born before the ninth month is completed, nevertheless a seven months' child can he born before the seventh month is complete; as it is said (I Sam. 1, 20) And it came to pass, Li't'kufoth Hayamim (when the time was come about); the minimum of T'kufoth are two and the minimum of yamim is also two (i.e., after six months and two days' gestation, child-birth is possible). (6) Whence do we know that Sarah, Rachel and Hannah were visited on New Year's Day? R. Elazar said: We infer by comparing the expression, Zechiro, Zechiro (remember) and Pekidah Pekidah (visit) that appear in both places. Concerning the expression Zechira Zechira (remember), it is written of Rachel (Gen. 30, 32) And God remembered (Voyizkor) Rachel; and of Hannah, it is written (I Sam. 1, 19) And God remembered her (Voyizkor); this institutes an analogy between the word remember (Zechira) used in these passages and Zechiro, used in connection with New Year's Day, which is written (Lev. 23, 24) A remembrance (Zichrow) of blowing of cornets. Again, we make an inference from the analogy of Pekido Pekido (visit); it is written concerning Sarah (Gen. 21, 1) And the Lord visited (Pakad) Sarah as He said. Again, it is written concerning Hannah (I Sam. 2, 21) And truly the Lord visited (Pokad) Hannah. By the rule of analogy, all these events took place on the same [New Year's] day. Whence do we know that Joseph was released from prison on New Year's Day? It is written (Ps. 81, 4-5) Blow on the new moon the cornet at the appointed time on the day of our feast; for this is a statute for Israel. And again (Ib.) As a testimony in Joseph did he ordain it, when he went out over the land of Egypt. (Ib. b) On New Year's Day the bondage of our fathers in Egypt ceased. Whence do we know this? We infer it by rule of analogy of the word Sebila mentioned in two places. It is written (Ex. 6, 6) I will bring you out from under the burdens (Sibloth) of the Egyptians; and it is written (Ps. 81, 6) I removed his shoulder from the burden (Seibel); i.e., from the burden of Egypt on the day spoken of in the Psalm. In Nissan they were redeemed, as previously proven. In Tisari we shall again be redeemed. This he deduces by analogy from the word Shofor (cornet), found in the following passages. It is written (Ib.) Blow the cornet on the new moon (i.e., on New Year's Day); and it is written there (Isa. 27, 13) And on that day the great cornet (B'shofor), shall be blown [just as in the former case it means New Year's Day, so does it also in the latter]. R. Joshua says: "In Nissan they [our ancestors] were redeemed, and in Nissan we shall be redeemed in the future." Whence do we infer this? From the following passage (Ex. 12, 42), … this same night is a night of watching unto the Lord; i.e., a night specially designated from the first days of creation for the final redemption of Israel. (Ib.) … For all the children of Israel throughout their generations; i.e., a night looked forward to for the future redemption.

Rabbi Yehudah the son of Simon interpreted this reading as applying to generations: "and the earth was formless and void" (tohu vavohu), this is Adam the first, since he was made made entirely into nothing. "And void" (vavohu), this is Cain, who sought to return the world to "formlessness and void". And "darkness" (choshech), this is the generation of Enosh, on whom further [it says] "and their works were in darkness (bemach'shach)" (Isaiah 29:15) and they said "who is watching us and who will see us?". "On the face of the deep (tehom)", this is the generation of the flood, as it is said "On this day all the springs of the deep (tehom) were broken open" (Genesis 7:11). "And the spirit (ruach) of God fluttered over the face of the waters" on which it is further said "And God caused a wind (ruach) to pass over the earth" (Genesis 9:1). The Holy One, blessed be He, said: "how long shall the universe accustom itself to deep darkness? Let the light come!": "And Hashem said let there be light", this is Abraham. See! It is written "Who has raised (heʿir) up one from the east, righteousness" (Isaiah 41:2); do not read "raised up (heʿir with an ayin), but rather "illuminate" (heʾir with an alef). "And Hashem called the light 'day'", this is Jacob. "And the darkness he called night", this is Esau. "And it was evening", this is Esau. "And it was morning", this is Jacob. "And there was evening", the evening of Esau. "And there was morning", the morning of Jacob. "One day (yom echad)" as it is written "And there shall be one day (yom echad) which shall be known as the Hashem's, not day, and not night" (Zechariah 14:7). There is another issue with one day, that the Holy One, blessed be He, have him "one day", and what is this? Yom Kippur.

And the Lord caused the earth to quake on that day, and the sun was darkened, and the ‎foundations of the world trembled, and all the earth was shaken and the lightnings were ‎flashing and thunders were roaring and all the fountains of the whole earth were broken up, ‎the like of which had never been known to its inhabitants before. And the Lord did all these ‎fearful things in order to frighten the sons of man, that they should return unto him, and not ‎cause him to bring that great evil upon the earth. And for all that the sons of man would not ‎turn from their evil ways, but they only added to the anger of the Lord against them, and they ‎did not take it to their hearts. And it was on the seventh day of the six hundredth year of the ‎life of Noah, that the waters of the flood came upon the earth. And all the fountains of the ‎deep were split, and the windows of the heavens were opened, and the rain was upon the ‎earth forty days and forty nights. And Noah came into the ark, he and his household, and all ‎the animals that were to be with him, on account of the waters of the flood; and the Lord ‎closed the door after him. And all the sons of man that remained upon the earth became ‎terrified by the rain, for the waters grew very powerful upon the earth. And the animals were ‎still standing around the ark. And all the sons of man assembled and they came unto Noah to ‎the ark, about seven hundred thousand men and women. And all of them came around the ‎ark unto Noah and they cried out in agony: Open unto us and let us come unto thee into the ‎ark, for why should all of us die? And Noah called out from the ark in a very loud voice, saying: ‎And have you not all rebelled against the Lord saying that this evil, which the Lord now brought ‎over you, would not come at all to wipe you out and exterminate you from the face of the ‎earth? Have I not been talking to you of these things for one hundred and twenty years, calling ‎upon you to repent, but you would not? And now you would like to be saved to live upon the ‎earth. And they replied unto Noah: Behold we have all assembled here and we are now willing ‎to return unto the Lord, only open and take us unto thee into the ark. And Noah answered ‎unto them: Behold just now when you see the trouble of your souls you return unto the Lord; ‎but why have you not returned these hundred and twenty years that the Lord hath set for you ‎as a time for repentance? And now you have come, being pushed by danger, it is only the ‎agony of death that causeth you to make all these confessions, but there is no sincerity in your ‎words, and therefore the Lord will not hear you, nor will he give ear unto your words; for you ‎would surely not adhere to whatever you are saying this day. And as they heard the words of ‎Noah, all of them, men and women, rushed towards the ark, to enforce an entrance by ‎breaking it open, in order to escape the rain, which grew terrible all around them upon the ‎earth.And the Lord ordered the animals and wild beasts, that still stood near the ark, to attack ‎the sons of man and drive them away from the ark. And the animals and the wild beasts fell ‎over the sons of man, and overpowered them, and drove them away. And the wild beasts ‎killed many of the sons of man, and scattered them all over the earth. And the rain continued ‎streaming down upon the earth, and it kept on raining for forty days and forty nights, and the ‎waters grew very powerful upon the earth.