창세기 2:11의 Halakhah

Since the sun inclines north and south, the year is divided into four seasons, namely “winter and spring and summer and autumn” (Genesis 8:22). For “planting” is the half year when the sun is in the southern signs (autumn and winter), and “reaping” is when the sun is in the northern signs (spring and summer).¹⁷ The verse reads: “Forever, all the days of the earth, planting and reaping, and winter and spring and summer and autumn, and day and night, shall not cease” (Genesis 8:22). Ibn Ezra understands that four of these terms refer to the four seasons, while “planting and reaping” is an alternative division of the year into two halves, when the sun is in the southern signs and when it is in the northern signs. See Ibn Ezra’s commentary to that verse. The verse began with the winter days. This season commences when the sun is at its southern extremity (winter solstice). Then the days begin to lengthen and the nights to shorten. This season has cold and wet days. When the sun reaches the point of intersection (vernal equinox), then day and night are equal throughout the earth. This season (spring) has hot and wet days. From its commencement the days begin to be longer than the nights, for the sun bends towards the north. This season ends when the sun reaches its northern extremity (summer solstice). Then the next season (summer) begins. The sun recedes from the north and the days begin to shorten and the nights to lengthen. These days, which are the days of summer, are hot and dry. When the sun reaches the second point of intersection (autumnal equinox) the day and night are of equal length. From then on the days begin to be shorter than the nights, which grow longer. This season (autumn) has cold and dry days. Since the summer and autumn seasons are dry, Scripture states “this will be in summer and in autumn” (Zachariah 14:8).¹⁸ The verse reads: “It shall be on that day that fresh water will come forth from Jerusalem, half flowing to the eastern sea and half to the western sea, this will be in summer and in autumn.” For at those times the rivers diminish, except for the Nile which originates from springs in the Mountains of the Moon to the south.¹⁹ The Mountains of the Moon are a mountain range in central Africa. They were believed to be the source of the White Nile.

Therefore scholars think⁵⁸ See Hipparchus, Commentary on the Phenomena of Aratus and Eudoxus ii, 1, 4–6 (cited by Evans, p. 98 and note 35). that since six zodiacal signs rise in all places every day,⁵⁹ “In the course of any night, six signs of the zodiac rise. The proof of this assertion is elementary. At the beginning of night (sunset), the point of the ecliptic that is diametrically opposite the sun will be in the eastern horizon. At the end of the night (sunrise), the point opposite the sun will have advanced to the western horizon. The half of the ecliptic following this point is then seen above the horizon and is the very part of the ecliptic that rose in the course of the night” (Evans, p. 95). that each sign rises in two hours.⁶⁰ That is, in two seasonal hours. The fact that six signs rise each night was often used as a method of telling the approximate time at night. “The risings of six zodiacal signs every night divide the night into six roughly equal parts, of two seasonal hours each. A glance toward the eastern horizon, to see which zodiacal constellation is rising, will suffice to determine the time of night, provided that one knows which constellation the sun is in” (Evans’ p. 95). But this is false and empty. For no zodiacal sign ever rises in any place in two hours,⁶¹ Hipparchus (ibid.) voiced a similar critique of the scholars of his day (cited by Evans, p. 98). even on the equator where the day and night are always equal.⁶² See Almagest ii, 8, pp. 100–103, for a Table of Ascensions. All the more so for any place that is a great distance from the equator. Note that in this island the sign Aries rises in 4⁄5 of an equinoctial hour, while the sign Leo rises in a little less than three hours.⁶³ See Almagest, ibid., p. 103, where we find that in Southernmost Brittania, Aries rises in 12÷48ʹ “time-degrees,” or (12÷ 48ʹ) ׳ 1⁄15 = 0.85 equinoctial hour. Leo rises in 42÷ 53’, or (42÷ 53’) ׳ 1⁄15 = 2.86 equinoctial hours. Anyone familiar with the constellations of the zodiacal sphere can see this. Even the moon during new moon when it is in the sign Libra.⁶⁴ Normally the moon is not visible for about 24 hours after conjunction with the sun. However, there are situations, for example at the beginning of autumn (Libra), when the moon is visible within 6 hours of conjunction. Every person can see the image in the circle of the astrolabe, whether it is spherical or not spherical.⁶⁵ A spherical astrolabe, usually called an “armillary sphere,” is described by Ptolemy in Almagest, v, 1. In his book Kli Nehoshet, Ibn Ezra describes the construction and use of a plane astrolabe. (See Evans, pp. 141–161.) Thus any fool who knows the cycle of Shmuel and the names of the signs and the seven planets, thinks that he is an astronomer. But he never heard the sound of wisdom, certainly not smelled its smell nor tasted its taste.