Appreciation and Awe
Joshua Chapter Three, the Strange and the Spectacular
Vital Stats:
Verses: 17
Is It Read At Synagogue?: Not in many synagogues, but there is a Chabad custom to chant verses 5, 6, and 7 as part of the Haftarah for the first day of Passover. If you attend a Chabad congregation, you might hear these verses read aloud less than a week from now.
Famous Quotes/Phrases: The fact that the Israelites wait three days when encamped at the banks of the Jordan River echoes other three-day spans found in the Hebrew Bible. Other examples include the three days the Israelites spend purifying themselves at the base of Mount Sinai immediately prior to the pronouncement of the 10 commandments, as well as Jonah’s three-day walk across Nineveh when he finally follows God’s command to warn its citizens of their city’s imminent destruction. The Hebrew Bible frequently cites the number three to represent preparation.
Basic Plot: Confident that Jericho is ripe for the taking, Joshua marches with the Israelites to the city of Shittim, next to the Jordan River. Three days later, he announces that the march across the Jordan will happen after one additional day, during which the Israelites must purify themselves. They are to follow the Ark of the Covenant but stay at least 2,000 cubits away from it so they don’t lose their way. Joshua once again reassures the people that God will deliver the Promised Land to them, and then asks each tribe to choose one representative. When the nation finally approaches the river, the waters separate, so that every person crosses into Canaan walking on dry land.
What’s Strange: We find what seems to be a unique reference to God in verse 10: the phrase “אל חי” (“el chai”). It’s typically translated as “a living God”, but in his commentary on the first 12 chapters of Joshua, biblical scholar Thomas B. Dozeman suggests that the entire phrase “El Chai” might be a name of God, not a phrase with the name “El” followed by an adjective. There are dozens of names of God found throughout the Hebrew Bible — some of which we use frequently today (“Adonai”, “Elohim” etc.) and others that seem to be references used only in certain times and places.
What’s Spectacular: There is a clear parallel between the crossing of the Jordan River and the far more famous crossing of the Red Sea found in the Book of Exodus. Perhaps the differences between the two accounts are more notable. At the Red Sea, the Israelites are pursued by the Egyptian army and express doubt that they will get to the other side of the waters alive. Meanwhile, when Joshua leads the Israelites across the Jordan, there is no sense of panic, nor do the Israelites seem particularly awed at this parting of the waters.
We can draw a couple of conclusions from these differences. One is that the generation that enters the Promised Land is far more calm and confident in their mission than their parents are. This is understandable, given that the Israelites that Joshua leads have been told of forty years of miracles leading up to this point, whereas the Israelites that Moses leads are a bit new to God’s wonders, at least while they are still in Egypt.
But a second conclusion may be a bit more concerning. The Israelites that cross the Red Sea exuberantly sing and dance once they know they are safe, as they exalt at what had just happened. There is no such celebration 40 years later. While there’s nothing wrong with being confident, it’s fair to wonder whether this new generation is a bit numb to how remarkable their journey is.
We’ll see in coming weeks whether their apparent nonchalance leads to any problems. But in the meantime, it’s a good reminder that, as we celebrate Passover next week, we should look for ways to once again appreciate and relish in the miracles of our ancestors’ journey. May your Seders and your overall celebration of Passover be filled with appreciation, and with a sense of awe.
Shabbat Shalom, and soon, Chag Kasher v’Sameach!