בראשית, פרק ח׳, פסוק י״ג

The conclusion of the flood story serves as a mirror to its beginning. On the first day of the new year, the anniversary of the world's creation, the earth returns to its original, restored state. Following the destruction of the previous human race, there are no longer any kingdoms or authorities by which to measure eras. Therefore, the passage of time is recorded exclusively by the lifespan of Noah, the father of a renewed humanity [קאסוטו]. As he enters his six hundred and first year [רד״ק, ביאור יש״ר, חזקוני, ברכת אשר], a broader discussion arises regarding the biblical calendar. Commentators debate whether this first month is Tishrei, the month the world was created and the flood was decreed, or if it refers to Nisan [רש״י, גור אריה, מזרחי]. Regardless of the specific month, this exact date establishes a legal principle that a single day in a month or year can count as a complete unit for various calculations [תורה תמימה, חזקוני]. In terms of the flood's timeline, the precise count of days highlights the gap between the solar and lunar calendars, indicating that the deluge lasted exactly one solar year [מחוקקי יהודה].

At this point, thirty days have passed since Noah last sent out the dove [שד״ל]. Recognizing that the excess humidity in the air has finally dried, he takes action [ספורנו]. Noah removes the covering of the Ark, a moment that stands in stark contrast to the beginning of the flood. While God had personally closed the door to protect him from the dangers of his generation, the threat and the torrential rains have now passed, allowing Noah to open the covering himself [ברכת אשר, קאסוטו]. This action is necessary because of the Ark's design. The window was either too small and narrow, or positioned on a flat roof above vertical walls, making it impossible to look out and see the ground below. Only by removing the roof's covering can Noah observe the surrounding landscape from all directions [ביאור יש״ר, קאסוטו, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

As Noah looks out, the narrative shifts from an objective description of the receding waters to his own subjective point of view [קאסוטו]. He sees that the waters have been absorbed into the earth, retreating from areas that were dry land before the flood [מחוקקי יהודה, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. However, the primary approach among commentators emphasizes a sharp distinction in the physical state of the ground. While the surface appears free of water, it is not truly dry. Instead, only the top layer has formed a crust of mud or clay, while the earth underneath remains wet, muddy, and far too soft for a person to walk on safely [רש״י, אבן עזרא, ספורנו, רד״ק, ביאור יש״ר, מחוקקי יהודה, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Some note a subtle difference in how the land dried: while water simply ceased to be visible over the earth at large, Noah received special divine providence, causing the specific ground immediately surrounding the Ark to dry completely before the rest of the world [העמק דבר].

Despite seeing that the waters have cleared from the surface, Noah remains inside. Recognizing that the earth is not yet fit to inhabit, he waits patiently for an explicit command from God to leave the Ark, just as he had waited for the command to enter it [רד״ק].