Question
What is the meaning of the name of the month MarCheshvan?
Answer
According to the Encyclopedia Judaica (vol.11 cols. 971-2), the word “marcheshvan” is believed to be etymologically related to the Assyrian “arahsammu”, “eighth month”. In the Bible (1 Kings 6:38) the month is called Bul; according to Abarbanel (on Jeremiah 3:3), “bul” is short for “mabul”, referring to the fact that the Flood began in that month. (The Torah says it began in the second month, but this must be based on counting from Tishrei.) Note that the rainy season in Eretz Yisroel does in fact begin in Cheshvan.