Snow Day or feeling a snow-like cool breeze on a Day of Harvest June-August in the Middle East
Today is a Snow Day in Fredericton, and a good friend from the Board of Education wished me a happy & safe one. This gave me the idea to write about a snow day in the Bible. The very first Postage Stamp that depicts snow was issued in 1931 by Newfoundland, which was not yet part of Canada, so they had their very own stamps.
Our Sages have different explanations for: why it is significant that it was snowing that day? The simplest explanation is that it has nothing to do with the lion, but it was such a storm that it was remembered by many people for many years and maybe even decades. Any senior citizen in Israel over the age of 75 would remember the snow in Tel Aviv of 1950! Since the Meteorologist measurements began there in 1870 – it hasn't happened again. Apparently, they measured 12-19 cm (5-8 inches). A similar exegesis is given to the Locust Plague in Egypt (Exodus 10:14); and the standing still of the Sun & Moon in the time of Joshua (curiously, also 10:14 😊): "and there was no day like it before it or (ever) after it"
The deeper answer is relevant to the lion. Metzudat David (18th Century commentary on II Samuel 23:20) explains that: "the nature of a lion (and maybe all animal of prey?) is to get extremely stronger when it is cold so it may succeed in finding food; while human beings naturally avoid doing hard work when it is cold". I can definitely relate to that, snuggle under the blanket in front of a fire place and stay warm & safe, is much more appealing than going out to chop wood or any other such outside activity... So it was very important for us to know that Benaiah overcame his natural instinct to stay in bed – and was able to kill this lion.
There is one more idea that I think is worth considering. Snow is mentioned many other times in Scripture in connection to two different aspects. The first: "if your sins are like a dark red died wool, they will turn white as snow" (Ezekiel ), which also is the opposite of what we would expect when it comes to skin blemishes (white (leprosy etc.), generally speaking, is a sign of impurity; while red signifies healing of the flesh). Second: snow is one of those (perceived) natural forces (and, disasters) which are Acts of G-d, according to our understanding of Scripture.
So, I was surprised to discover a verse in Proverbs 25:13 which talks about a completely new & unique way of looking at snow. However, thinking about it made me realize that most of us behave in this funny way. The second half of the verse says: "like the coolness of snow on a hot summer (or, harvest) day". As Canadians, we love to complain about the weather, even if, to the rest of the world, it looks perfect, we will find a way to twist it... so, when it is hot outside, we wish it were snowing, and when it is snowing we wish it were hot! Unless Solomon, in his wisdom, invented the first Air Conditioner, I think that he was trying to encourage us to be more positive in our way of thinking. Snow is not something to desire (cleanliness) or to fear (skin blemishes and natural disasters) but to fully understand, as he wrote in another Book of his wisdom, Ecclesiastics, that there is a "Time for every Season" (Chapter 3)!
Happy Winter!
The most interesting entry yet. This was great! I never knew that a) Newfoundland was the first to depict snow on a stamp and b) snow has been mentioned in Scripture. Again, what a timely, interesting and educational entry.
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