We discussed what sign can the rainbow be; the rainbow occurs naturally! how can it be a sign between us and Hashem? The Ramban holds that indeed rainbows always existed, however it was now chosen to represent the bris. This is like someone choosing a deer as his emblem, his coat of arms or logo. The idea of a deer is not new, he is just applying it to himself.
The Ran explains that the air was different before the flood. It was thick and humid and rainbows didn’t show. After the the Flood they were seen, and therefore were an apt symbol of the change the Flood created.
We suggested that while a rainbow can always occur, it doesn’t have to. Indeed, it only did occur after the Flood.
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