1)

(a)Rebbi ...

1. ... Eliezer, in a Beraisa, learns from the Pesukim in Bereishis "Tadshei ha'Aretz Deshe" (with reference to the vegetation) and "v'Eid Ya'aleh min ha'Aretz, v'Hishkah ... " (with reference to watering the earth) that the world was created in Tishrei - because that is the season when the ground is full of vegetation, and rain is needed.

2. ... Yehoshua there, learns from the Pasuk "va'Totzei ha'Aretz Deshe Eisev Mazri'a Zera v'Etz Oseh Pri" that the world was created in Nisan - because that is the season when the earth produces vegetation, and the trees, fruit.

2)

(a)Rebbi ...

1. ... Eliezer explains "v'Etz Oseh Pri" (despite the fact that, in his opinion, the fruit that Hash-m created was fully grown) - in the form of a Berachah, to mean that the trees would continue to produce fruit.

2. ... Yehoshua explains the term "Etz Pri" (despite his opinion, that the trees had yet to produce it) - to mean that the trees were created ready to produce fruit immediately, in accordance with the Derashah of Rebbi Yehoshua ben Levi.

(b)... who said that all the creations were created ...

1. ... 'be'Komasan' - (they were created fully grown and ready to produce fruit.

2. ... 'le'Da'atan' - (they had expressed a wish to be created).

3. ... 'le'Tzivyonam' - (each one with its own distinct taste and with its own distinct shape.

(c)And he learns this from the Pasuk in Bereishis "Vayechulu ha'Shamayim v'ha'Aretz v'Chol Tzeva'am" - which is similar to 'Tzivyonam', and which also incorporates beauty, strength, knowledge and growth.

3)

(a)Rebbi Eliezer learns from the Pasuk in Melachim "va'Yikahalu el ha'Melech Shlomo ... b'Yerach ha'Eisanim b'Chag" - that the Avos (who are called mountains - which are also known as 'Eisanim', as we shall soon see) were born in Tishrei (the month in which 'Chag' - [Sukos] falls).

(b)The Avos are called 'Eisanim' - from the Pasuk "Eisan Moshavecha" (said by Bilam), referring to the merits of the Avos. This we know from the Pasuk "Shim'u Harim es Riv Hash-m v'ha'Eisanim Mosdei Aretz", which teaches us that 'Eisanim' is synonymous with 'Harim', to which the Avos are compared.

(c)The Pasuk "Kol Dodi Hineh Zeh Ba Medaleg al he'Harim ... " hints at (and even elaborates on) what we have just learned - that Hash-m took Yisrael out of Egypt before the due time, on the merits of the Avos (i.e. "Medaleg al he'Harim" (meaning jumping ahead of time, on the merit of the Avos).

4)

(a)Rebbi Yehoshua cites a Pasuk in Melachim "Vayehi bi'Shemonim v'Arba Me'os Shanah ... ba'Shanah ha'Revi'is b'Yerach Ziv" - with reference to the month of Iyar.

(b)Rebbi Yehoshua learns from there that the Avos were born in Nisan - either because, he explains, by the month of Iyar all the Avos had been born; or because sometimes the season that usually coincides with Nisan is late, extending into Iyar.

(c)He explains "b'Yerach ha'Eisanim" (cited earlier by Rebbi Eliezer) - to mean 'strong in Mitzvos' (because it contains the Mitzvos of Shofar, Yom Kippur, Sukah, Lulav, Aravah and Nisuch ha'Mayim).

5)

(a)Iyar is called 'Chodesh Ziv' according to Rebbi Eliezer - because it is then that the trees blossom and look beautiful ...

(b)... which is why Chazal instituted the recital of a Berachah over the blossoming trees in Nisan, as Rav Yehudah explains.

6)

(a)We learn from ...

1. ... the Pasuk in Vayelech "ben Me'ah v'Esrim Shanah Anochi ha'Yom" - that that day (the day of Moshe's death) was also his birthday.

2. ... the Pasuk "es Mispar Yamecha Amalei" - that Hash-m fills in the years of Tzadikim, so that they live full years, and die on the same day that they are born).

3. ... the Pasuk in Vayeira "la'Mo'ed Ashuv Elecha ka'Es Chayah ule'Sarah Vein" - that Yitzchak was born on Pesach. The Angel must have been speaking on a Chag - in order to allow the longest period of time (until the next Chag) for the pregnancy (as we shall now see).

(b)He could not possibly have been speaking on Pesach and referring to Shavu'os, or on Shavu'os and referring to Sukos - because neither of these would allow sufficient time for the seven month pregnancy (that we currently think a pregnancy requires).

(c)It is however possible, that he was speaking on Sukos with reference to Pesach, in spite of the fact that there are only six months between Sukos and Pesach, and not the required seven - because that is only in a regular year, but not if that particular year was a leap year, giving Sarah seven months.

(d)In spite of the days of Tum'ah, which detracted from the full seven month period, there could still have been a full pregnancy between Sukos and Pesach - because in fact, a pregnancy does not require a full seven months, as we believed until now, but a minimum of six months and two days. We learn this - from the Pasuk in Shmuel "Vayehi li'Tekufos ha'Yamim" (referring to the birth of Shmuel) - "Tekufos" (plural) = six months, and "Yamim" = two days.

7)

(a)We learn from the 'Gezeirah-Shavah' ...

1. ... "Zechirah" (by Rachel) and "Zechirah" (by Chanah), both from "Shabason Zichron Teru'ah" (which refers to blowing the Shofar on Rosh Hashanah) - that Hash-m remembered both Rachel and Chanah on Rosh Hashanah (Note: that 'remembered' here means that He made His decision then, but not that that was when they actually became pregnant).

2. ... "Pekidah" (by Chanah) "Pekidah" (by Sarah) - that He remembered Sarah on Rosh Hashanah, too.

(b)And from the Pasuk "Tik'u ba'Chodesh Shofar ... Eidus bi'Yehosef Samo ... " - we learn that Yosef was released from jail on Rosh Hashanah.

8)

(a)Rebbi Eliezer learns from the 'Gezeirah-Shavah' ...

1. ... Hasirosi mi'*Seivel* Shichmo" and "v'Hotzeisi Eschem mi'Tachas Sivlos Mitzrayim" - that our fathers in Egypt stopped work on Rosh Hashanah (a Derashah with which Rebbi Yehoshua will agree).

2. ... "Shofar" ("Tik'u ba'Chodesh Shofar" - ibid.) "Shofar" (ba'Yom ha'Hu Yitaka b'Shofar Gadol" - in Yeshayah) - that the Redemption from our Galus will occur on Rosh Hashanah.

(b)Rebbi Yehoshua, on the other hand, learns from the Pasuk "Leil Shimurim" - (meaning a night guarded since the creation) that the ultimate Redemption, like that of Egypt, will occur in Nisan.

(c)Rebbi Eliezer interprets "Leil Shimurim" - to mean a night that is safe from demons.

9)

(a)The Pasuk dates Noach's boat resting on Mount Ararat as having occurred on the seventeenth of the seventh month. According to Rebbi Eliezer (who learns that the world was created in Tishrei, and that the Great Flood began in Mar-Cheshvan) meaning the seventh month from the time the rain stopped in Kislev (i.e. the month of Sivan).

(b)And when a little later, the Torah writes "Vayehi b'Achas v'Shesh Me'os Shanah ba'Rishon b'Echad la'Chodesh Charvu ha'Mayim ... " - it is referring to the month of Tishrei.

(c)Rebbi Eliezer learns from the fact that the Torah refers to the six hundred and first year, only by the second of the two dates, but not by the first - that Tishrei and not Nisan, is the Rosh Hashanah for years.

10)

(a)The water began to subside on Rosh Chodesh Sivan, and the tops of the mountains appeared on Rosh Chodesh Av (the tenth month from the time that the flood began). Assuming that the water subsided at a fixed rate - it subsided at the speed of one Amah per four days (a total of fifteen Amos [the height of the water above the tallest mountain] from the first of Sivan, when the water began to subside, until the first of Av - sixty days.

(b)Four Amos of Noach's boat was visible above the tops of the mountain, before the water began to subside.

11)

(a)The Machlokes between Rebbi Yehoshua and Rebbi Eliezer is contained in another Beraisa, which discusses the Great Flood. The flood began - in the six hundredth year of Noach's life.

(b)At any given time, six of the twelve Mazalos are above the earth during the day (and six during the night).

(c)One Mazal ascends and one descend - every two hours.

(d)T'. Sh. Te. Sa. Ar. Be. rises as Moz. Ak. Ke. Ge. D'. Da. sets - means that T'le, Shor, Te'omim, Sartan, Aryeh and Besulah rise - as Moznayim, Akrav, Keshes, Gedi, D'li and Dagim set.

12)

(a)Hash-m used Mazel Kimah (by removing two stars from it, leaving a gap through which the water poured) to create the Flood. The quantity of water and its intensity aside, Hash-m must have initiated some major change in Ma'aseh Bereishis - measure for measure because they changed the norms. (performing sodomy, and taking married women from under the Chupah).

(b)The change took place, according to ...

1. ... Rebbi Yehoshua - on the seventeenth of Iyar.

2. ... Rebbi Eliezer - on the seventeenth of Mar-Cheshvan.

(c)According to Rebbi Yehoshua, the Torah writes "ba'Chodesh ha'Sheni" because Iyar is the second month (bearing in mind that the months begin in Nisan). According to Rebbi Eliezer - it means the second month of Din.

13)

(a)The connection between Mazal Kimah and Mazal T'leh is - that it is its tail.

(b)Hash-m then removed two of the many stars that form Kimah, causing the flood to descent from the Heaven.

(c)This was considered a change, according to Rebbi Yehoshua, but not according to Rebbi Eliezer (see Tosfos DH 'Yom') - because at that time of year, Kimah should have risen only many hours later (with the result that Hash-m brought the Flood out of season.

(d)The other change that occurred according to Rebbi Yehoshua was - that although the summer months had already begun, a time when the heat of the sun causes the underground fountains to subside, at the time of the Flood, these same fountains rose and flooded the world from above.

14)

(a)Rebbi Eliezer will then learn the change like Rav Chisda, who explains - that the water of the flood was hot ...

(b)... a punishment, measure for measure, for their having sinned with hot semen, as we learned earlier. He learns from a 'Gezeirah-Shavah' "va'Yashoku" ha'Mayim" (by Noach), and "va'Chamas ha'Melech Shachachah" (Megilas Esther) - that the water was hot.