What is the significance of the number 40? The Great Flood, which only the righteous Noah and his family survived lasted for forty days. Moses stayed on Mount Sinai receiving the Torah for forty days. And there are forty days between the beginning of the Hebrew month of Elul and Yom Kippur.
The Maharal teaches that these three 40-day periods have something in common: they represent cataclysmic change followed by new creation. The flood caused by 40 days of rain led to creating humanity anew, with every person descended from Noah. The 40 days Moses spent on Mount Sinai marked a new creation for mankind, who would now be guided by a holy book given by their loving Creator. And the 40 day period leading up to Yom Kippur is a time when we examine our deeds and repent in preparation for the Day of Atonement – effectively creating a new and improved self.
Another example of the number 40 signifying new creation is that after leaving Egypt, the former Hebrew slaves spent forty years in the desert before entering the Promised Land. God made them wait until a new generation was created, without the self-defeating victimhood mentality that came from being slaves. Perhaps there’s a deeper truth in the old saying, “Life begins at 40!”
Get the best of Accidental Talmudist in your inbox: sign up for our weekly newsletter.
Read more at the Jewish Journal.