יהושע, פרק ד׳, פסוק כ״ג

A profound historical and spiritual link connects the two great water miracles that shaped the Israelite nation, bridging the generation that departed Egypt with the new generation entering the land. Addressing the current generation of desert-born Israelites, the message highlights how the waters were completely dried up before them until they safely crossed [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The perspective then deliberately shifts to the past, recalling how the Red Sea dried up for the previous generation. By moving from a direct address of the present generation to a shared recollection that includes the leaders and the fathers who left Egypt, an unbroken continuity between the generations is established.

The primary approach among commentators is that this comparison demonstrates how both events were entirely miraculous, served as grand signs involving water, and shared similar underlying purposes [רד״ק, מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This parallel also resolves a natural question regarding how each miracle took place. At the Red Sea, the waters dried up without the presence of the Ark of the Covenant, whereas at the Jordan River, the miracle was performed specifically through it. Ultimately, there is no essential difference between the two events. In both instances, it is God who actively performs the miracle for the Israelites. The Ark was utilized at the Jordan River simply because it serves as the resting place of His presence [אלשיך].