The Significance of the Name Marcheshvan
Parshas Noach is read at the beginning of the month of Marcheshvan. The names we use for the months of the Jewish calendar are not mentioned in the Torah and originated in Bavel. In fact, on a Biblical level, most months have no names and are simply referred to by their place in the calendar (e.g., the first month – Vayikra 23:5).
Interestingly, Marcheshvan does have another name. It is referred to in Sefer Melachim (1 6:38) by the name בול. What is the meaning of the two different names for this month, and what is the connection between them and Parshas Noach which is read at this time?
The Medrash (Yalkut Shimoni Melachim 1 184) explains that the name בול signifies that the flood began in this month and lasted for 40 days. The Hebrew word for flood is מבול, which connotes 40 days (the numerical value of מ) of בול. What does the term בול mean, and what is its connection to the flood?
In modern Hebrew, בול means a stamp, but the actual term refers to changing an object to take on a new appearance, such as machines that convert a penny into a souvenir with a new picture on it. In other words, the word בול is used to convey that one image has been erased to make room for the creation of a new one. This is precisely what happened during the מבול, when Hashem flooded the world for 40 days to destroy it to make room for a new, more righteous civilization comprised of Noach’s descendants.
Rav Dovid Orlofsky points out that the Torah begins with the letter ב (בראשית ) and ends with the letter ל (ישראל). The Gemara in Kiddushin (30a) says that the middle letter in the Torah is the ו in the word גחון (Vayikra 11:42). Together, they spell the word בול, alluding to the fact that the Torah, which was given in 40 days just like the flood, can completely elevate and transform us into more virtuous and spiritual people.
Rav Tzvi Meir Zilberberg explains the significance of the Babylonian name for the month - Marcheshvan - based on the Gemara’s ruling (Megillah 27b) that after a person finishes Shemoneh Esrei, he may not go to the bathroom immediately. He must first wait the amount of time needed to walk four amos (6-8 feet) because his tefillah is still fluent in his mouth during this period, and שפוותיה מרחשן רחושי - his lips are still considered to be moving in prayer.
Rav Zilberberg points out that if the vowels are changed, the word for the person’s moving lips can also be read as Marcheshvan. In other words, the message of the Aramaic name of the month is that even though the holy days of Tishrei have passed, we should not make the mistake of thinking that all the prayers and closeness to Hashem that we experienced during that time were left behind. The name Marcheshvan hints that even one month later, we are still connected to the sparks of spiritual growth that we felt during the Yamim Noraim and Succos.
In Parshas Noach, we read about the power of the מבול that began in this month to obliterate the world and replace it. Through the study of Torah, the month of בול similarly has the potential to help us bring about the personal revolution and transformation that we yearned for and resolved to achieve. (R’ Ozer Alport)
