בראשית, פרק ח׳, פסוק ו׳

After enduring long months of isolation inside the Ark, the time finally arrived to examine the state of the outside world. This transition required careful patience, followed by the active step of opening a pathway to a newly reshaped reality. A period of forty days of waiting took place, mirroring the forty days of rain that initiated the flood and creating a sense of numerical harmony in the timeline of events [קאסוטו]. The primary approach among commentators is that this count began the moment the mountaintops became visible [רש״י, מזרחי, גור אריה, הדר זקנים, בכור שור, ביאור יש״ר, שטיינזלץ, דברי דוד]. Only at that point could Noah be absolutely certain the waters were truly receding [שטיינזלץ]. However, others suggest the count started earlier, as soon as the waters began to decrease, which resolves later timeline issues regarding the sending of the birds [הטור הארוך, ריב״א, רא״ש, פענח רזא]. A third perspective argues the waiting period commenced the moment the Ark rested on the mountains of Ararat and Noah felt the impact of solid ground [רד״ק].

Noah delayed opening an outlet immediately after the rain ceased out of deep caution. He feared that stormy, turbulent waves might still rise and flood into the Ark [רד״ק]. Eventually, he found the confidence to act, drawing on a divine promise that the flood would not exceed twelve months. Alternatively, he calculated his remaining, strictly measured food supply and deduced that the designated time to emerge must have arrived [אור החיים].

When Noah finally took action, he opened a window that had been completely sealed up to that exact moment [שד״ל, מזרחי]. Once unsealed, it remained open permanently [מלבי״ם]. This opening was extremely narrow, designed only to be wide enough to release the birds, preventing Noah from actually sticking his head out to survey the earth below [שד״ל].

There are differing views on how this window relates to the skylight mentioned during the Ark's initial construction. Many identify the two as the exact same structure [רש״י, רד״ק, ביאור יש״ר]. According to this view, when the opening was sealed with a transparent stone that let in light, it served as the skylight; once the block was removed, it functioned as a window [ביאור יש״ר]. Others suggest the window was merely a small, operable section built into the larger skylight [העמק דבר]. Conversely, those who understand the original skylight to have been a radiant precious stone maintain that this window was a completely separate opening, created specifically for releasing the birds [גור אריה, פענח רזא].

The specific detail that Noah made this window himself highlights that it was not the Ark's main door, which was designed from the start for entering and exiting [רש״י, גור אריה]. Furthermore, it reveals Noah's personal initiative. Without a direct command from God, Noah decided on his own to fashion this opening so he could look outside or let in sunlight when necessary [העמק דבר, לבוש האורה].