Overview continued

Noah and his family, and all the animals and other living things they took into the ark prior to the flood, remained in the ark for one solar year. On the 27th day of Cheshvan, in the year 1657 (-2104 CE), Noah, his family, and all the inhabitants of the ark emerged from the ark onto solid ground.

Noah journeyed back to Mt. Moriah, located in what would later be known as Eretz Yisrael (the Land of Israel), built a mizbeach (altar) and offered a sacrifice of thanksgiving to God. Once again, God not only commanded mankind to keep and observe the Six Laws - He added a seventh commandment - the prohibition against eating the limb of a living creature. Prior to the Flood, human consumption of meat was prohibited. Following the Flood, the slaughter of animals for their meat was permitted for human consumption). As a result of the addition of the seventh law to Noah, these laws became known as The Seven Laws of Noah; God commanded Noah and all his descendants to obey the Seven Laws. It was at this time that God revealed the rainbow and explained the significance of the sign of the rainbow to Noah.

God made the rainbow part of His bris (covenant) with Noah, his descendants, and the earth, and He promised the whole of creation to never again destroy it because of the sins of mankind. God, in the merit of Noah's righteousness, made the Covenant of the Rainbow. This Covenant is a covenant of Everlasting Life. Therefore, the rainbow and its seven colors serves as a visual reminder of our obligation to observe the Seven Laws of Noah.

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