בראשית, פרק ח׳, פסוק ב׳

After months of chaos where the waters of the deep and the skies merged, a profound turning point occurs. The destructive forces of nature are halted, and the world begins its recovery. The events mirror the onset of the disaster: the very sources that violently burst open are now firmly closed and sealed [קאסוטו]. Chronologically, the heavy rains had already ceased immediately after the initial forty days of the flood. However, the narrative places the description of the waters stopping at this exact moment to create a sharp, dramatic transition from the story of destruction to one of salvation and calm [שד״ל, חזקוני]. The waters are completely locked away and contained within their heavenly storehouses [רש״י, רלב״ג, אבן עזרא].

The calming of the waters followed a specific order. First, the deep waters below quieted, and then the rains from above stopped [ביאור יש״ר]. These two water systems were deeply connected, acting in unison so that as the rain ceased from above, the waters below naturally retreated in response [אור החיים]. From a purely natural perspective, a completely flooded world should have caused massive evaporation, leading to new storm clouds and further rain. Instead, a divine wind forcefully scattered the clouds and stopped the rain [מלבי״ם]. Notably, the account entirely ignores any role of the sun in drying the earth. In direct contrast to ancient myths that credited a sun god for ending the flood, the narrative emphasizes that the waters receded solely through heavenly factors and the spirit of God, firmly rejecting any idolatrous views [קאסוטו].

The cessation of the rain held a much deeper meaning than simply the end of the flood. The skies were completely sealed, meaning not even a light drizzle or morning dew fell until Noah finally emerged from the Ark [רד״ק, הטור הארוך]. This absolute pause in the weather was an act of profound mercy from God. If even normal, natural rain had fallen during that time, Noah would have been paralyzed with fear, thinking the flood was returning. Therefore, God prevented all water from falling until Noah's family left the Ark and received the reassuring sign of the rainbow covenant [מחוקקי יהודה].

While the primary sources of water were closed, not every single fountain was sealed shut. God intentionally left certain hot springs open, such as the hot springs of Tiberias [רש״י]. Even according to the view that the floodwaters did not fall directly on the Land of Israel, the boiling waters of the deep spread underground, heating these specific springs [ריב״א, חזקוני, משכיל לדוד]. These hot springs were preserved for two distinct purposes. First, they were meant to provide healing and physical strength to humanity, whose bodies had been severely weakened by the flood. Second, they remain an eternal memorial for all future generations, serving as a lasting reminder of the monumental flood [שפתי חכמים, משכיל לדוד].