וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים לְנֹחַ וְגו'. זֹאת אוֹת הַבְּרִית אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי נוֹתֵן בֵּינִי וּבֵינֵיכֶם וְגו'. אֶת קַשְׁתִּי נָתַתִּי בֶּעָנָן. נָתַתִּי מִקַּדְמַת דְּנָא. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן פָּתַח (יחזקאל א׳:כ״ו) וּמִמַּעַל לָרָקִיעַ אֲשֶׁר עַל רֹאשָׁם כְּמַרְאֵה אֶבֶן סַפִּיר דְּמוּת כִּסֵּא. מַה כְּתִיב לְעֵילָא וָאֶשְׁמַע אֶת קוֹל כַּנְפֵיהֶם כְּקוֹל מַיִם רַבִּים כְּקוֹל שַׁדַּי בְּלֶכְתָּן. אִלֵּין אַרְבַּע חֵיוָון רַבְרְבָן עִלָּאִין קַדִּישִׁין דְּהַהוּא רָקִיעַ מִתְתַּקְּנָא עֲלַיְיהוּ. וְכֻלְהוּ גַדְפַיְיהוּ (ד"א ל"ג פרישן) מִתְחַבְּרָאן דָּא בְּדָא לְחַפְיָיא גוּפַיְיהוּ. AND GOD SAID TO NOAH… THIS IS THE TOKEN OF THE COVENANT WHICH I MAKE BETWEEN ME AND YOU… I HAVE SET MY RAINBOW IN THE CLOUD. The past tense “I have set” shows that the bow had already been there. In connection with this passage R. Simeon discoursed on the verse: And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone (Ezek. 1, 26). ‘Before this verse,’ he said, ‘we find the words, “And when they went I heard the noise of their wings like the noise of great waters, like the voice of the Almighty” (Ibid. 24). These are the four sacred and mighty beings called Hayyoth (animals), by whom the firmament is upheld, and whose wings are usually joined together to cover their bodies.

וּבְשַׁעֲתָא דְּאִנוּן פָּרְשֵׂי גַדְפַיְיהוּ, אִשְׁתְּמַע קוֹל גַּדְפִין דְּכֻלְהוּ דְּאָמְרֵי שִׁירָתָא, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב כְּקוֹל שַׁדַּי. דְּלָא אִשְׁתְּכִיךְ לְעָלְמִין. כְּמָה דִכְתִיב, (תהילים ל׳:י״ג) לְמַעַן יְזַמֶּרְךָ כָבוֹד וְלא יִדּוֹם. וּמַאי אָמְרֵי, (תהילים צ״ח:ב׳) הוֹדִיעַ יְיָ יְשׁוּעָתוֹ לְעֵינֵי הַגּוֹים גִּלָּה צִדְקָתוֹ. When, however, they spread out their wings, a volume of sound swells forth, and they break out into songs of praise, “as the voice of the Almighty”, which never becomes silent, as it is written, “so that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent” (Ps. 30, 13). The tenour of their praises is, “The Lord hath made known his salvation, his righteousness hath he revealed in the sight of the nations” (Ps. 98, 2).

קוֹל הֲמֻלָּה כְּקוֹל מַחֲנְה, כְּקוֹל מַשִּׁרְיָיתָא קַדִּישָׁא כַּד מִתְחַבְּרָן כָּל חֵילִין עִלָּאִין לְעֵילָא. וּמַאי אָמְרֵי קָדוֹשׁ קָדוֹשׁ קָדוֹשׁ יְיָ צְבָאוֹת מְלא כָל הָאָרֶץ כְּבוֹדוֹ. אֲהַדְּרוּ לְדָרוֹם אָמְרוּ קָדוֹשׁ, אֲהַדְּרוּ לְצָפוֹן אָמְרוּ קָדוֹשׁ. אֲהַדְּרוּ לְמִזְרָח אָמְרוּ קָדוֹשׁ. אֲהַדְּרוּ לְמַעֲרָב אָמְרוּ בָּרוּךְ. It says further: “A noise of tumult like the noise of a host” (Ezek. 1, 24), i.e. like the sound of the holy camps when all the supernal armies assemble on high. What is it they declaim? “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of Hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory” (Is. 6, 3). They turn to the south and say “holy”, they turn to the north and say “holy”, they turn to the east and say “holy”, they turn to the west and say “blessed”.

וְהַאי רָקִיעַ קָאִים עַל רֵישֵׁיהוֹן. וּבְכָל אֲתַר דְּאִיהִי אָזְלָא, אַסְחָרוּ אַפִּין לְהַהִיא סִטְרָא דְּאִתְכְּלִילוּ אַנְפִּין בֵּיהּ. אִסְחָרוּ אַנְפִּין לְאַרְבַּע זָוְיָין, וְכֻלְהוּ מִסְתַּחֲרִין לְתַתָּא. And that firmament rests upon their heads, and in whatever direction it turns, their faces turn also. They turn their faces to the four cardinal points, and all revolve in a circle.

בְּרִבּוּעָא דִילֵיהּ אִתְגְּלִיפַת בְּאַרְבַּע אַנְפִּין, אַנְפֵּי אַרְיֵה. אַנְפֵּי נִשְׁרָא. אַנְפֵּי שׁוֹר. אַנְפֵּי אָדָם. גָּלִיף בְּכֻלְהוּ אָדָם. אַנְפֵּי אַרְיֵ"ה אָדָם. אַנְפֵּי נֶשֶׁ"ר אָדָם. אַנְפֵּי שׁוֹ"ר (ד"א אדם). כֻּלְהוּ כְּלִילָן בֵּיהּ. וּבְגִין כָּךְ כְּתִיב וּדְמוּת פְּנֵיהֶם פְּנֵי אָדָם. The firmament is imprinted, at the four corners of a square, with four figures, of a lion, an eagle, an ox, and a man; and the face of a man is traced in all of them, so that the face of Lion is of Man, the face of Eagle is of Man, and the face of Ox is of Man, all being comprehended in him. Hence it is written: “As for the likeness of their faces, they had the face of a man” (Ezek. 1, 10).

וְהַאי רָקִיעַ דְּאִתְרַבַּע כֻּלְהוּ גְּוָונִין כְּלִילָן בֵּיהּ, אַרְבַּע גְּוָונִין אִתְחַזְּיָין בֵּיהּ גְּלִיפִין בְּאַרְבַּע אַרְבַּע. בְּאַרְבַּע גְּלִיפִין רְשִׁימִין טְהִירִין עִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין. כַּד מִתְפָּרְשָׁאן גְּוָונִין דְּאִנוּן אַרְבַּע סָלְקִין תְּרֵיסַר. גַּוָון יָרֹק. גַּוָון סוּמָק. גַּוָּון חִוַּור. גַּוָון סַפִּיר דְאִתְכְּלִילוּ מִכָּל גְּוָונִין. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (יחזקאל א׳:כ״ח) כְּמַרְאֵה הַקֶּשֶׁת אֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה בֶּעָנָן בְּיוֹם הַגֶּשֶׁם כֵּן מַרְאֵה הַנּוֹגַהּ סָבִיב הוּא מַרְאֶה דְּמוּת כְּבוֹד יְיָ. חֵיזוּ דִּגְוָונִין דְּכֹלָּא. וּבְגִין כָּךְ אֶת קַשְׁתִּי נָתַתִּי בֶּעָנָן. Eurther, the firmament with its enclosed square contains the gamut of all the colours. Outstanding are four colours, each engraved with four translucent signs, both higher and lower. These when decomposed become twelve. They are green, red, white, and sapphire, which is made up of all these colours. Hence it is written, “As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord” (Ibid. 1, 28): containing, that is to say, all shades of all colours. The same is referred to in the text I HAVE SET MY BOW IN THE CLOUD.

מַאי קַשְׁתִּי, כְּמָה דְאִתְּמָר בְּיוֹסֵף דִּכְתִיב, (בראשית מ״ט:כ״ד) וַתֵּשֶׁב בְּאֵיתָן קַשְׁתּוֹ. בְּגִין דְּיוֹסֵף צַדִּיק אִקְרֵי, וּבְגִין כָּךְ קַשְׁתּוֹ דָּא בְּרִית דְּקֶשֶׁת דְּאִתְכְּלִיל בְּצַדִּיק, דִּבְרִית דָּא בְּדָא אִתְאַחִיד. וּבְגִין דְּנֹחַ הֲוָה צַדִיק, קָיְימָא דִילֵיהּ קֶשֶׁת. The bow here has a parallel in the text, “But his bow abode firm” (Gen. 49, 24), i.e. the covenant of Joseph, because he was a righteous man, had for its symbol the bow, since the bow is linked with the covenant, and the covenant and the righteous are integral in one another. And because Noah was righteous, the sign of his covenant was the bow.

וַיָּפוֹזוּ. מַאי וַיָּפוֹזוּ, אַנְהִירוּ בַּחֲמִידוּ דְכֹלָּא. כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (תהילים י״ט:י״א) הַנֶּחֱמָדִים מִזָּהָב וּמִפָּז רָב וּמְתוּקִים. אִתְנְהִירוּ בִּנְהִירוּ עִלָּאָה כַּד נָּטַר בְּרִית. וּבְגִין כָּךְ אִקְרֵי יוֹסֵף הַצַּדִּיק. עַל דָּא אִקְרֵי הַקֶּשֶׁת בְּרִית, כָּלִיל דָּא בְּדָא. (The word vayophozu, mentioned in connection with Joseph, is akin to the term paz (fine gold) in the passage, “More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold” (Ps. 19, 11), and it means that his arms shone with the lustre of the most desirable substance, they shone with the light supernal, since he had observed the covenant; hence he is named “Joseph the righteous”.) And the rainbow is therefore called “covenant” because they embrace one another.

זָהֲרָא יְקָרָא עִלָּאָה חֵיזוּ דְּכָל חֵיזוּ חָזוּ כְּחֵיזוּ טְמִירִין (נ"א טמירא) גְּוָונִין טְמִירִין. גְּוָונִין דְּלָא אִתְגַּלְיָין. וְלֵית רְשׁוּ לְאִסְתַּכָּלָא בְּעֵינָא בַּקֶּשֶׁת כַּד אִתְחֲזֵי בְּעָלְמָא דְּלָא יִתְחֲזֵי קְלָנָא בִּשְׁכִינְתָּא. וְכֵן גְּוָונִין דְּקֶשֶׁת הוּא חֵיזוּ סוֹסְטִיפָא קְטִירָא כְּחֵיזוּ יְקָרָא עִלָּאָה דְּלָא לְאִסְתַּכָּלָא. Like the firmament it is a supernal resplendent glory, a sight of all sights, resembling the hidden one (the Shekinah), containing colours undisclosed and unrevealable. Hence it is not permitted to gaze at the rainbow when it appears in the heavens, as that would be disrespectful to the Shekinah, the hues of the rainbow here below being a replica of the vision of the supernal splendour, which is not for man’s gaze.

וְכֵיוָן דְּאַרְעָא חָמַאת לְהַאי קֶשֶׁת קְיָימָא קַדִּישָׁא, אִתְקָיְימַת בְּקִיּוּמָא. וְעַל דָּא וְהָיְתָה לְאוֹת בְּרִית בֵּין אֱלהִים וְגו'. הַאי דְּאֲמָרָן דְּאִלֵּין תְּלַת גְּוָונִין וְחַד דְּאִתְכְּלִיל בֵּינַיְיהוּ כֻּלְהוּ רָזָא חָדָא. וּבְגוֹ עֲנָנָא סָלְקָא לְאִתְחֲזָאָה. Hence when the earth saw the rainbow as a holy covenant, it was once more firmly established, and therefore God said, AND IT SHALL BE FOR A TOKEN OF A COVENANT BETWEEN GOD, ETC. The three primary colours and the one compounded of them, which we mentioned before, are all one symbol, and they all show themselves in the cloud.

(יחזקאל א׳:כ״ו) וּמִמַּעַל לָרָקִיעַ אֲשֶׁר עַל רֹאשָׁם כְּמַרְאֵה אֶבֶן סַפִּיר. הַאי הִיא אֶבֶן שְׁתִיָּה דְּאִיהִי נְקוּדָה חָדָא דְּכָל עָלְמָא. וְקָיְימָא עֲלָהּ קֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים. וּמַאי הִיא, כֻּרְסְיָיא קַדִּישָׁא עִלָּאָה דְּאִיהִי מְמַנָּא עַל אִלֵּין אַרְבַּע דְּמוּת כִּסֵּא בְּאַרְבַּע סָמְכִין, וְדָא הוּא תּוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה. “And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone” (Ezek. 1, 26). This alludes to the “foundation stone” (eben shethiah), which is the central point of the universe and on which stands the Holy of Holies. “The likeness of a throne”, i.e. the supernal holy throne, possessing four supports, and which is symbolic of the Oral Law.