Site & Source - Jordan

Jordan, the Jordan River- what is the origin of the name and what does it mean?

The Jordan River is located at the depth of the Syrian-African rift, which is about 6,000 kilometers long and part of which passes through the Land of Israel. It separates the Eastern Land of Israel from the Western Land of Israel. It is very winding and therefore is about 251 kilometers long.

To remember the names of the three water sources flowing into its channel we will define them in one word:

HaBaD - Hasbani, Banias, Dan.

The name Jordan consists of two words.

A commentary on Deuteronomy (chapter 33 verse 22) explains the name:

The Jordan (river) exits from the Cave of Pemace (Banias) and through the land of Dan, which is why the Jordan River (the "Yarden" in Hebrew) is called "Yored" – (descending) from "Dan" "descending to Dan" .

The brothers Moshe and Aharon, under whose leadership the people of Israel stayed for 40 years in the Sinai desert, were punished by the Creator and told:

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהוָה֮ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֣ה וְאֶֽל־אַהֲרֹן֒ יַ֚עַן לֹא־הֶאֱמַנְתֶּ֣ם בִּ֔י לְהַ֨קְדִּישֵׁ֔נִי לְעֵינֵ֖י בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל לָכֵ֗ן לֹ֤א תָבִ֨יאוּ֙ אֶת־הַקָּהָ֣ל הַזֶּ֔ה אֶל־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־נָתַ֥תִּי לָהֶֽם׃ (במדבר,פרק כ,פסוק יב)

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "Since you did not have faith in Me to sanctify Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly to the Land which I have given them. (Numbers, chapter 20 verse 12)

Moshe Rabbeinu finds it difficult to come to terms with this severe punishment and tries to appeal to the Creator in 515 different styles of prayer and supplication so that he will give in and allow him to cross the Jordan, enter and live in the land to which he leads the nations a whole 40 years.

וָאֶתְחַנַּן אֶל ה' בָּעֵת הַהִוא לֵאמֹר (דברים פרק ג פסוק כג)

אֶעְבְּרָה־נָּ֗א וְאֶרְאֶה֙ אֶת־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַטּוֹבָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּעֵ֣בֶר הַיַּרְדֵּ֑ן הָהָ֥ר הַטּ֛וֹב הַזֶּ֖ה וְהַלְּבָנֹֽן:(דברים פרק ג פסוק כה)

I entreated the Lord at that time, saying...Pray, let me cross over and see the good land that is on the other side of the Jordan, this good mountain and the Lebanon." (Deuteronomy, chapter 3 verse 23-25)

God answers him in the negative and Moshe passes away on the east side of the Jordan River.

God, Himself buries Moshe Rabeinu in a place which to this day is hidden and unknown to all.

We, who are privileged to live in the land in which the eyes of the Lord are said:

אֶ֕רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־ה' אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ דֹּרֵ֣שׁ אֹתָ֑הּ תָּמִ֗יד עֵינֵ֨י ה' אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ בָּ֔הּ מֵֽרֵשִׁית֙ הַשָּׁנָ֔ה וְעַ֖ד אַחֲרִ֥ית שָׁנָֽה (דברים, פרק יא פסוק יב)

A land the Lord, your God, looks after; the eyes of Lord your God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. (Deuteronomy, chapter 11 verse 12)

We are able to live the dream that Moses did not get to fulfill.

Today, the many dams built on the Jordan River prevent large amounts of water estimated at several hundred million cubic meters from reaching the Dead Sea, whose water levels are constantly decreasing.