Dorian

Dorian is spelled דוריאן in Hebrew. This has the same gematria as הריון (pregnancy), which is 271 - a gematria found in Mesechet Niddah. In fact, it's almost the same letters - just substitute the ד and א for a ה.

Dorian started pounding the Bahamas as a Category 5 hurricane on Rosh Hodesh Elul.

It appears to me that this gematria is also an invitation to count the days based on this number. Now, it is unclear if the 271 days begin with or culminate with Rosh Hodesh Elul, 5779. So, we'll try both.

If we count 271 days backwards, we get to December 4th, 2018, which is Kislev 26, 5779, or the second day of Hanukka.

If we count 271 days forwards, we get to May 29, 2020, which is Sivan 6, 5780, or Shavuot.

The connection between all 3 dates is clear: Torah study.

Hanukka itself is celebrated to commemorate our victory over the Greeks who tried להשכיחם תורתך - to make the Jewish people forget the Torah - and our victory is a celebration of the power of the Torah over Greek culture. In the Torah reading of the second day of Hanukka in particular, we read about the Prince of Yissachar, Netan'el ben Tzu'ar. As we know from many sources, Yissachar is the tribe that represents diligence in Torah study.

Rosh Hodesh Elul is traditionally the day Yeshivot commence studies for the new year. (It also is the day Moshe Rabbeinu went up to Mt. Sinai to receive the 2nd Luhot.)

And of course Shavuot is the day we received the Torah.

Perhaps, it's telling us that if we make a conscious effort to make a Torah-based outlook supreme in our minds (symbolized by Hanukka), we will merit to actually learn Torah without anything bothering us (symbolized by Elul Zman). And if we learn Torah diligently, we will merit to re-accept the Torah on Shavuot.

So we know the Torah connection.

But there is also a Geula connection.

The source of the word הריון that the gemara in Niddah uses is from Rut 4:13:

יג  וַיִּקַּח בֹּעַז אֶת-רוּת וַתְּהִי-לוֹ לְאִשָּׁה, וַיָּבֹא אֵלֶיהָ; וַיִּתֵּן יְהוָה לָהּ הֵרָיוֹן, וַתֵּלֶד בֵּן.

13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife; and he went in unto her, and the LORD gave her conception, and she bore a son.

This is the only place in Tanach that the word הריון is used - in the context of perpetuating the Davidic Lineage, which will eventually bring about the Mashiah.

In addition, Dorian was either the slowest-moving or the second-slowest-moving hurricane on record - when it was over the Bahamas. Then, it took a right turn close to Florida, and started moving a bit faster, but still quite slowly. Then, it moved away from North Carolina and starting moving much faster.

This is similar to הריון - pregnancy. Things start out very slow. Then things move along quicker with kicks, and then quicker still with contractions, and even quicker with labor.

This is also similar to how our Redemption is supposed to occur (and how those with a keen eye see it actually occurring) - as the Midrash Shir Hashirim Rabba 6:10 says - that it's first קימעה קימעה, and then a bit faster and then a bit faster until finally it occurs quickly.

May we merit to get past the birthpangs of Mashiah and merit to experience the birth, speedily in our days, Amen.