There is no Earlier and Later in the Torah - Is This True?

It is well established that biblical narrative frequently departs from the chronological order of the events it is describing. This principle was first enunciated by Talmudic sages in the well-known, "there is no earlier and later in the Torah". However, classic commentators such as Rashi, Ibn Ezra, and Ramban sharply debated the proper application of this principle and the textual conditions which warrant its utilization. In this lecture we will survey many of the better-known and some of the lesser-known instances in which this principle has been employed, and in each case we will examine its legitimacy, its necessity, and its ramifications.