Crossing the Yarden - The Theme of Passage

This lesson compares the crossing of the Yarden with its most obvious parallel, the crossing of Yam Suf. In both incidents the crossing is not merely physical but existential - crossing into freedom leaving the slave masters of Egypt behind for good and forty years later crossing out of the nomadic lives of the wilderness into the settled life of Eretz Yisrael. Similarly, Avraham and Yaakov cross waters marking significant changes in their lives. While many similarities exist between the crossing of Yam Suf and the Yarden, the many differences between the two episodes highlight the stage of development the nation is in during each episode.