This is an archive of resources prepared for or relevant to יום הקשת (Yom haQeshet, the Day of the Rainbow) — the 42nd day of the Omer (מ״ב בעומר) and the 27th of Iyyar (“the 27th day of the second month” in Genesis 8:14). On that day the animals, along with Noaḥ’s family, left the sanctuary of the ark, and the rainbow (qeshet) appeared as a sign of a covenant between Hashem and humanity that they not descend to the degree of depravity of the generation of the Flood (the דור המבול) and so received the seventh of the sheva mitsvot bnei Noaḥ: not to take from others as predatory animals (lit. עבר מן החי, not to devour animals alive).

In the story of the Great Flood, the deluge lasted for over a year, but the time separating the beginning from the end on the calendar is only 10 days. According to the Torah, the flood began on the 17th of Iyyar (“the 17th day of the second month” in Genesis 7:11). The 17th of Iyyar falls on ל״ב בעומר (Lev ba-Omer — the heart of the Omer) the day before Lag ba-Omer, days already associated with fire.

If you have composed or selected a public reading for Yom Qeshet, please share it here.

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Looking for something else?

For prayers composed for Yom haQesehet, go here.

For prayers composed for the Sefirat ha-Omer, go here.

For teachings traditionally studied over the course of the Sefirat ha-Omer, go here.