יהושע, פרק ד׳, פסוק י״ח

The historic crossing of the Jordan River concludes with a dramatic display of God's precise control over the natural world. After standing firmly in the riverbed for the entire duration of the nation's crossing, the priests finally receive the command to emerge [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

As soon as the soles of the priests' feet are lifted and uprooted from their positions [מצודת ציון], they step onto the riverbank. A subtle distinction exists in the condition of the ground they encounter. While the middle of the riverbed had dried completely during the crossing, the bank where the priests exit remains slightly moist and muddy [מלבי״ם].

At this moment, a unique situation arises: the priests and the Ark of the Covenant are left on one side of the river, while the rest of the Israelites are on the opposite side. To resolve this separation, a remarkable, hidden miracle takes place. The Ark miraculously lifts the very priests who are supposed to carry it, transporting them through the air to join the people on the other side [רש״י].

The instant the priests' feet leave the riverbed, the suspended waters of the Jordan return to their natural state. Because a massive volume of water had been piling up high throughout the entire crossing, its sudden release should have logically unleashed a wild, destructive flood over the surrounding area. Instead, another miracle occurs. The waters descend gradually and gently, resuming their normal flow and filling the river right up to its banks. Nature seamlessly resumes its course, leaving absolutely no trace of the monumental event that had just unfolded [רד״ק, מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ].