The Talmud teaches, that an eclipse of the luminaries is a bad sign for the world and it is related to the wrong choices people do. The very obvious question is, an eclipse is predetermined and a natural phenomenon. It is known way in advance, when exactly it will take place. How can the Talmud suggest that it is related to people’s behavior?
On another related note. Maimonides writes, that it is impossible to say, that a person should be born with a predisposition that "forces" him to act morally, in one way or the other. If that were the case, the entire premise for the Bible, free choice, reward and punishment, would not be possible.
Maimonides concludes by saying. We are all not born equally neutral. For some it is easier to do good, but they always can freely choose the opposite. And for some, they may have a tendency to weakness, which only means they must have greater strength in them to over come temptation. In either case, free choice is always there.
We see a similar concept regarding time. The Talmud says, on Mondays and Wednesdays we should not for one thing, move into a new home, because those days are difficult days to succeed with blessings. (more on this later on. However if the person must do an act of G-dliness i.e. perform a commandment in the Bible, he must not worry about this issue.) If someone was born during the sixth hour of the day, he may have certain murderous tendencies and he should therefore channel that energy by being a slaughterer etc.
We see from the above, that in nature, since nothing is perfect, whether it’s related to time or too people, there are all different kinds of people and many characteristics to time. Only G-d is perfect and infinite. Only G-d has all the good and none of the shortcomings and inadequacies of physical existence. In nature however, whether it’s people or in time, everything in the world, has its strong points and its’ weak points.
We can now better understand what the Talmud is saying regarding an eclipse. Everything in this physical world is the result of an underlying spiritual energy and current. We all know, when you look at a person, what you don’t see, is more than what you do see, and what you do see, is the results of what you don’t see.
And this is what the Talmud is saying. Just like there are variations and diversity in people, and differences in objects, so also there are differences in time. And because certain times are more prone to certain negative goings-on and activity, this expresses itself on the surface of the world as we look at things, in the eclipse of the great luminaries. When the light of either the sun or the moon is eclipsed, this is because those moments which are known in advance, are times to be more watchful and cautious of the way we act since they are more susceptible to evils and harms.
However just like with people, the fact that they are more prone to certain tendencies, doesn’t release them from their responsibilities and free choice, the same is also true regarding the time of an eclipse or any other day that is marked with some weaknesses.
Here is a way to triumph and prevail over these influences and built in weaknesses, which is part of nature, and that is, when a person connects to G-dliness. Since G-d is the one who creates nature with all its limiting characteristics, when one attaches in faith and in deed with the Boss, this puts us above the influence and limitations that are very real and very much a part of nature.