The Snow's Secret Gift to the Earth

Such a solution seems appealing but is impractical on a large scale. However, for the Almighty, it's effortlessly executed. He commanded the airborne moisture to gather in the upper atmospheres. When the air saturates with water vapor, much like a soaked sponge, the vapor freezes at a specific point and clings to dust particles floating in the air.

 

These dust particles are lifted previously by the wind, directed by another 'higher' command. Thus, tiny ice crystals form and coalesce on their descent, creating what we call snowflakes. Billions upon billions of these flakes descend together, forming a stunning, air-filled white blanket. This blanket acts as a shield for plants; while the air temperature above it might be minus eight degrees, the earth beneath remains no colder than zero degrees, preserving its treasure of seeds and sprouts under a soft, cozy layer.

 

The Almighty also placed another remarkable benefit within snow. In times and places where rain quickly vanishes before humans can collect its bounty, or when storages fill and then swiftly empty, snow and ice piles serve as 'frozen reservoirs' until they thaw with the arrival of spring. As the ultimate planner, the Almighty also decreed that ice crystals, which form snowflakes, should always connect in a symmetrically pleasing and delightful form.

 

Moreover, to allow limited human comprehension of the Creator's grand capability, He commanded that among all the billions of snowflakes falling each day, and among countless snowflakes that have fallen and will fall, no two flakes will ever be identical!

 

Human intellect cannot grasp the 'random' creation of such perfect symmetry, and the fact that this creation repeats infinitely, differently each time, with varying forms on each occasion... but the Almighty did not stop there. He commanded that the diverse shapes of snowflakes form with six angles. Why? Perhaps because, according to Kabbalah, the number six symbolizes all things material.

 

Every material existence has four cardinal directions, a top, and a bottom — altogether six sides. Consequently, in the Torah, many spiritual matters revolve around the number seven, as the number seven elevates beyond simple matter. A few examples include: the six days of creation, with the seventh day being Shabbat.

 

Similarly: six years of planting your field, followed by resting on the seventh. The year of Jubilee follows after seven sabbaticals (seven years multiplied by seven). The counting of the Omer extends across seven weeks (seven days per week, multiplied by seven weeks).

 

The holidays of Passover and Sukkot span seven days each. The days of wedding celebration are seven; and conversely, mourning lasts seven days. The Menorah in the Holy Temple had seven branches (six on the sides and the seventh, most significant, in the center). Because the number six signifies the material bounded by six sides, and the number seven signifies the spirituality inherent in matter, what could be more fitting than for more solidified precipitation to form with six angles? "He scatters frost like ashes! He sends forth His command and melts them, He causes His breath to blow—waters flow!"