במדבר, פרק ל״ג, פסוק נ״א

Just before entering the Promised Land, Moses addresses the Israelites at a critical boundary. After forty years of waiting in the wilderness, the announcement that they are finally crossing the Jordan River is like a traveler happily telling his companions that they have finally reached their destination [שפתי כהן]. They are now officially on their way into the land [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This moment serves as a vital introduction to the strict commands that will immediately follow regarding the conquest of the territory and the complete removal of idolatry.

Although the Israelites have been warned in the past about their duty to drive out the local inhabitants, Moses repeats the warning now because they are right on the verge of arrival [בכור שור]. Furthermore, the command to eliminate idolatry is specifically tied to the crossing of the river. The holiness of the eastern side of the Jordan, and the obligation to clear it of idols, depends entirely on the Land of Israel itself becoming holy first—a process that only begins once the river is crossed [העמק דבר].

The primary approach among commentators is that the crossing is not merely a marker of time, but a strict existential condition. The language of the command teaches that at the exact moment the Israelites stand in the water, they must accept the condition to drive out the land's inhabitants [משכיל לדוד]. The Jordan River acts as a powerful natural barrier preventing entry. If the people accept this condition, the barrier will split, allowing them to cross on dry land. However, if they refuse, the waters will wash them away and drown them [רש״י, גור אריה, מלבי״ם]. This severe warning was later repeated by Joshua and the priests who stood with the Ark of the Covenant inside the river, pausing at the critical moment between the danger of drowning and a safe entry into the land [רש ר הירש].

Alongside this serious condition, the miracle of the splitting river is also meant to be an encouraging sign for the people. Just as they will cross the mighty river easily and without harm, God will fight for them, ensuring they conquer the land without difficulty [שפתי כהן].

There is an additional layer to Moses's address, emphasizing that the people are crossing without him. If Moses had earned the right to enter the land, his spiritual presence would have completely eliminated the human urge for idolatry. The Israelites would have walked into the Land of Israel as if stepping into the Garden of Eden, without any need for wars or repeated warnings to destroy idols. Because Moses is staying behind, it becomes an absolute practical necessity to warn the people over and over again to drive out the nations and destroy their false gods [נחל קדומים].