Jonah: Running Away from Teshuvah Session II

Jerry: "What is this salty discharge?" Elaine: "Oh my God, you're crying." Jerry: "This is horrible. I care." Seinfeld, Season 9, Episode 3

Sailors Who are Mensches
(יב) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵיהֶ֗ם שָׂא֙וּנִי֙ וַהֲטִילֻ֣נִי אֶל־הַיָּ֔ם וְיִשְׁתֹּ֥ק הַיָּ֖ם מֵֽעֲלֵיכֶ֑ם כִּ֚י יוֹדֵ֣עַ אָ֔נִי כִּ֣י בְשֶׁלִּ֔י הַסַּ֧עַר הַגָּד֛וֹל הַזֶּ֖ה עֲלֵיכֶֽם׃ (יג) וַיַּחְתְּר֣וּ הָאֲנָשִׁ֗ים לְהָשִׁ֛יב אֶל־הַיַּבָּשָׁ֖ה וְלֹ֣א יָכֹ֑לוּ כִּ֣י הַיָּ֔ם הוֹלֵ֥ךְ וְסֹעֵ֖ר עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃ (יד) וַיִּקְרְא֨וּ אֶל־יְהֹוָ֜ה וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ אָנָּ֤ה יְהֹוָה֙ אַל־נָ֣א נֹאבְדָ֗ה בְּנֶ֙פֶשׁ֙ הָאִ֣ישׁ הַזֶּ֔ה וְאַל־תִּתֵּ֥ן עָלֵ֖ינוּ דָּ֣ם נָקִ֑יא כִּֽי־אַתָּ֣ה יְהֹוָ֔ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר חָפַ֖צְתָּ עָשִֽׂיתָ׃ (טו) וַיִּשְׂאוּ֙ אֶת־יוֹנָ֔ה וַיְטִלֻ֖הוּ אֶל־הַיָּ֑ם וַיַּעֲמֹ֥ד הַיָּ֖ם מִזַּעְפּֽוֹ׃ (טז) וַיִּֽירְא֧וּ הָאֲנָשִׁ֛ים יִרְאָ֥ה גְדוֹלָ֖ה אֶת־יְהֹוָ֑ה וַיִּֽזְבְּחוּ־זֶ֙בַח֙ לַֽיהֹוָ֔ה וַֽיִּדְּר֖וּ נְדָרִֽים׃

(12) He answered, “Heave me overboard, and the sea will calm down for you; for I know that this terrible storm came upon you on my account.” (13) Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to regain the shore, but they could not, for the sea was growing more and more stormy about them. (14) Then they cried out to GOD: “Oh, please, ETERNAL One, do not let us perish on account of this man’s life. Do not hold us guilty of killing an innocent person! For You, O ETERNAL One, by Your will, have brought this about.” (15) And they heaved Jonah overboard, and the sea stopped raging. (16) The men feared GOD greatly; they offered a sacrifice to GOD and they made vows.

Confronted By the Captain

ר' חנינא אומר משבעים לשונות היו באניה וכל אחד ואחד שקוצו בידו, שנאמר (יונה א, ה): "וַיִּירְאוּ הַמַּלָּחִים וַיִּזְעֲקוּ אִישׁ אֶל אֱלֹהָיו" וישתחוו ויאמרו: נקרא איש אל אלהיו והיה אלהים אשר יענהו ויציל אותנו מצרה זאת הוא האלהים; וקראו איש אל אלהיו ולא הועילו, ויונה בצרת נפשו נרדם וישן לו. בא אליו רב החובל, אמר לו: הרי אנו עומדים בין מות לחיים ואתה נרדם וישן?! מאיזה עם אתה? אמר לו: עברי אנכי. אמר לו: והלא שמענו שאלהי העברים גדול הוא, קום קרא אל אלהיך, אולי יתעשת האלהים לנו ויעשה עמנו נסים כמו שעשה לכם בים סוף. אמר להם: לא אכחד מכם, כי בשבילי הצרה הזאת עליכם; שאוני והטילוני אל הים וישתוק הים מעליכם, שנאמר (יונה א, יב): "וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם שָׂאוּנִי וַהֲטִילֻנִי" וגו'.

Rabbi Chanina said: (Men) of the seventy languages were there on the ship, and each one had his god in his hand, (each one) saying: And the God who shall reply and deliver us from this trouble, He shall be God. They arose and every one called upon the name of his god, but it availed nought. Now Jonah, because of the anguish of his soul, was slumbering and asleep. The captain of the ship came to him, saying, Behold, we are standing betwixt death and life, and thou art slumbering and sleeping; of what people art thou? He answered them, "I am an Hebrew" (Jonah 1:9). (The captain) said to him, Have we not heard that the God of the Hebrews is great? Arise, call upon thy God, perhaps He will work (salvation) for us according to all His miracles which He did for you at the Reed Sea. He answered them, It is on my account that this misfortune has befallen you; take me up and cast me into the sea and the sea will become calm unto you, as it is said, "And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you" (Jonah 1:12).

The captain expresses the existential plight of those who stand between death and life. Uneasily straddling death and life, the sailors stand and cry. Jonah escapes into a stupefied sleep.

Here, the midrash registers the core of Jonah's flight. To flee from God is to refuse to stand between death and life; it is to refuse to cry out from that standing place. The opposite of flight from God is, in a word, prayer.

(Avivah Gottleib Zornberg, The Murmuring Deep: Reflections on the Biblical Unconscious, (New York: Schocken Books, 2009), pp. 84-85)

Standing isn't merely a matter of choreography. It's an existential truth. When we pray, we are called to stand before God, whatever we understand God to mean: God far above or deep within, our highest aspirations, the One Who set the Big Bang in motion, the source of love and compassion in the universe. We're called to be wholly present.

The opposite of prayer, says Zornberg, is flight. Fleeing from our responsibilities. Fleeing from God. Fleeing from whatever calls us to be better people, to improve ourselves, to be good to others, to choose mercy and kindness over strict justice.

How much of our lives do we spend fleeing from what matters? From the awareness of our mortality? From the acts of lovingkindness we know we should be doing? From the brokenness of the world, the awful stories on the news, murder and rape and injustice? Even from our loved ones, when we choose checking email again on our smartphones rather than putting away the electronics and connecting with our parents, our children, ourselves?

Rabbi Rachel Barenblatt, A Sermon for Yom Kippur Morning: In the Belly of the Whale

https://velveteenrabbi.blogs.com/blog/2012/09/a-sermon-for-yom-kippur-morning-in-the-belly-of-the-whale-.html

God's Presence is Present Even "If I take wing".
(ט) אֶשָּׂ֥א כַנְפֵי־שָׁ֑חַר אֶ֝שְׁכְּנָ֗ה בְּאַחֲרִ֥ית יָֽם׃ (י) גַּם־שָׁ֭ם יָדְךָ֣ תַנְחֵ֑נִי וְֽתֹאחֲזֵ֥נִי יְמִינֶֽךָ׃ (יא) וָ֭אֹמַר אַךְ־חֹ֣שֶׁךְ יְשׁוּפֵ֑נִי וְ֝לַ֗יְלָה א֣וֹר בַּעֲדֵֽנִי׃ (יב) גַּם־חֹשֶׁךְ֮ לֹא־יַחְשִׁ֢יךְ מִ֫מֶּ֥ךָּ וְ֭לַיְלָה כַּיּ֣וֹם יָאִ֑יר כַּ֝חֲשֵׁיכָ֗ה כָּאוֹרָֽה׃ (יג) כִּֽי־אַ֭תָּה קָנִ֣יתָ כִלְיֹתָ֑י תְּ֝סֻכֵּ֗נִי בְּבֶ֣טֶן אִמִּֽי׃

(9) If I take wing with the dawn
to come to rest on the western horizon,
(10) even there Your hand will be guiding me,
Your right hand will be holding me fast.
(11) If I say, “Surely darkness will conceal me,
night will provide me with cover,”
(12) darkness is not dark for You;
night is as light as day;
darkness and light are the same.
(13) It was You who created my conscience;cLit. “kidneys.”
You fashioned me in my mother’s womb.

"Your Holy Temple"-- Even in the Belly of the Fish
(ה) וַאֲנִ֣י אָמַ֔רְתִּי נִגְרַ֖שְׁתִּי מִנֶּ֣גֶד עֵינֶ֑יךָ אַ֚ךְ אוֹסִ֣יף לְהַבִּ֔יט אֶל־הֵיכַ֖ל קׇדְשֶֽׁךָ׃ (ו) אֲפָפ֤וּנִי מַ֙יִם֙ עַד־נֶ֔פֶשׁ תְּה֖וֹם יְסֹבְבֵ֑נִי ס֖וּף חָב֥וּשׁ לְרֹאשִֽׁי׃ (ז) לְקִצְבֵ֤י הָרִים֙ יָרַ֔דְתִּי הָאָ֛רֶץ בְּרִחֶ֥יהָ בַעֲדִ֖י לְעוֹלָ֑ם וַתַּ֧עַל מִשַּׁ֛חַת חַיַּ֖י יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהָֽי׃ (ח) בְּהִתְעַטֵּ֤ף עָלַי֙ נַפְשִׁ֔י אֶת־יְהֹוָ֖ה זָכָ֑רְתִּי וַתָּב֤וֹא אֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ תְּפִלָּתִ֔י אֶל־הֵיכַ֖ל קׇדְשֶֽׁךָ׃

(5) I thought I was driven away
Out of Your sight:
Yet I gaze again
Upon Your holy temple.
(6) The waters closed in over me,
The deep engulfed me.
Weeds twined around my head.
(7) I sank to the base of the mountains;
The bars of the earth closed upon me forever.
Yet You brought my life up from the pit,
My ETERNAL God!
(8) When my life was ebbing away,
I called GOD to mind;
And my prayer came before You,
Into Your holy temple.

"The Two Eyes were Like Windows of Glass"
מיד נטלוהו והטילוהו עד ארכובותיו ועמד הים מזעפו; לקחו אותו אצלם והים סוער עליהם; הטילוהו עד צוארו והעמיד הים מזעפו; ועוד העלו אותו אצלן והים הולך וסוער עליהם; הטילוהו כולו ומיד עמד הים מזעפו. רבי טרפון אומר: ממונה היה אותו הדג לבלוע את יונה מששת ימי בראשית, שנאמר (יונה ב, א): "וַיְמַן ה' דָּג גָּדוֹל לִבְלֹעַ אֶת יוֹנָה ", נכנס בפיו כאדם שהוא נכנס בבית הכנסת הגדולה ועמד, והיו שתי עיניו של דג כחלונות אפומיות מאירות ליונה.
They took him (and cast him into the sea) up to his knee-joints, and the sea-storm abated. They took him up again to themselves and the sea became agitated again against them. They cast him in (again) up to his neck, and the sea-storm abated. Once more they lifted him up in their midst and the sea was again agitated against them, until they cast him in entirely and forthwith the sea-storm abated, as it is said, "So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging" (Jonah 1:15). "And the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah" (Jonah 1:17). Rabbi Ṭarphon said: That fish was specially appointed from the six days of Creation to swallow up Jonah, as it is said, "And the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah" (ibid.). He entered its mouth just as a man enters the great synagogue, and he stood (therein). The two eyes of the fish were like windows of glass giving light to Jonah.
Illumination
ר' מאיר אומר: מרגלית אחת היתה תלויה במעיו של דג מאירה ליונה כשמש הזה שהוא מאיר בצהרים ומראה לו כל מה שבים ובתהומות, ועליו הכתוב אומר (תהלים צז, יא): "אוֹר זָרֻעַ לַצַּדִּיק".
Rabbi Meir said: || One pearl was suspended inside the belly of the fish and it gave illumination to Jonah, like this sun which shines with its might at noon; and it showed to Jonah all that was in the sea and in the depths, as it is said, "Light is sown for the righteous" (Ps. 97:11).
Trying Again

(א) וַיְהִ֧י דְבַר־יְהֹוָ֛ה אֶל־יוֹנָ֖ה שֵׁנִ֥ית לֵאמֹֽר׃ (ב) ק֛וּם לֵ֥ךְ אֶל־נִֽינְוֵ֖ה הָעִ֣יר הַגְּדוֹלָ֑ה וּקְרָ֤א אֵלֶ֙יהָ֙ אֶת־הַקְּרִיאָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר אָנֹכִ֖י דֹּבֵ֥ר אֵלֶֽיךָ׃ (ג) וַיָּ֣קׇם יוֹנָ֗ה וַיֵּ֛לֶךְ אֶל־נִֽינְוֵ֖ה כִּדְבַ֣ר יְהֹוָ֑ה וְנִֽינְוֵ֗ה הָיְתָ֤ה עִיר־גְּדוֹלָה֙ לֵֽאלֹהִ֔ים מַהֲלַ֖ךְ שְׁלֹ֥שֶׁת יָמִֽים׃ (ד) וַיָּ֤חֶל יוֹנָה֙ לָב֣וֹא בָעִ֔יר מַהֲלַ֖ךְ י֣וֹם אֶחָ֑ד וַיִּקְרָא֙ וַיֹּאמַ֔ר ע֚וֹד אַרְבָּעִ֣ים י֔וֹם וְנִֽינְוֵ֖ה נֶהְפָּֽכֶת׃ (ה) וַֽיַּאֲמִ֛ינוּ אַנְשֵׁ֥י נִֽינְוֵ֖ה בֵּֽאלֹהִ֑ים וַיִּקְרְאוּ־צוֹם֙ וַיִּלְבְּשׁ֣וּ שַׂקִּ֔ים מִגְּדוֹלָ֖ם וְעַד־קְטַנָּֽם׃ (ו) וַיִּגַּ֤ע הַדָּבָר֙ אֶל־מֶ֣לֶךְ נִֽינְוֵ֔ה וַיָּ֙קׇם֙ מִכִּסְא֔וֹ וַיַּעֲבֵ֥ר אַדַּרְתּ֖וֹ מֵֽעָלָ֑יו וַיְכַ֣ס שַׂ֔ק וַיֵּ֖שֶׁב עַל־הָאֵֽפֶר׃ (ז) וַיַּזְעֵ֗ק וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ בְּנִֽינְוֵ֔ה מִטַּ֧עַם הַמֶּ֛לֶךְ וּגְדֹלָ֖יו לֵאמֹ֑ר הָאָדָ֨ם וְהַבְּהֵמָ֜ה הַבָּקָ֣ר וְהַצֹּ֗אן אַֽל־יִטְעֲמוּ֙ מְא֔וּמָה אַ֨ל־יִרְע֔וּ וּמַ֖יִם אַל־יִשְׁתּֽוּ׃ (ח) וְיִתְכַּסּ֣וּ שַׂקִּ֗ים הָֽאָדָם֙ וְהַבְּהֵמָ֔ה וְיִקְרְא֥וּ אֶל־אֱלֹהִ֖ים בְּחׇזְקָ֑ה וְיָשֻׁ֗בוּ אִ֚ישׁ מִדַּרְכּ֣וֹ הָֽרָעָ֔ה וּמִן־הֶחָמָ֖ס אֲשֶׁ֥ר בְּכַפֵּיהֶֽם׃ (ט) מִֽי־יוֹדֵ֣עַ יָשׁ֔וּב וְנִחַ֖ם הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים וְשָׁ֛ב מֵחֲר֥וֹן אַפּ֖וֹ וְלֹ֥א נֹאבֵֽד׃ (י) וַיַּ֤רְא הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ אֶֽת־מַ֣עֲשֵׂיהֶ֔ם כִּי־שָׁ֖בוּ מִדַּרְכָּ֣ם הָרָעָ֑ה וַיִּנָּ֣חֶם הָאֱלֹהִ֗ים עַל־הָרָעָ֛ה אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֥ר לַעֲשׂוֹת־לָהֶ֖ם וְלֹ֥א עָשָֽׂה׃

(1) The word of GOD came to Jonah a second time: (2) “Go at once to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it what I tell you.” (3) Jonah went at once to Nineveh in accordance with GOD’s command.
Nineveh was an enormously large cityaan enormously large city Lit. “a large city of God.” a three days’ walk across.
(4) Jonah started out and made his way into the city the distance of one day’s walk, and proclaimed: “Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” (5) The people of Nineveh believed God. They proclaimed a fast, and great and small alike put on sackcloth. (6) When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his robe, put on sackcloth, and sat in ashes. (7) And he had the word cried through Nineveh: “By decree of the king and his nobles: No human or animal—of flock or herd—shall taste anything! They shall not graze, and they shall not drink water! (8) They shall be covered with sackcloth—human and animal—and shall cry mightily to God. Let everyone turn back from their own evil ways and from the injustice of which they are guilty. (9) Who knows but that God may turn and relent? [God] may turn back from wrathfulness, so that we do not perish.” (10) God saw what they did, how they were turning back from their evil ways. And God renounced the punishment that had been planned for them, and did not carry it out.

Comparing
(ב) ק֠וּם לֵ֧ךְ אֶל־נִֽינְוֵ֛ה הָעִ֥יר הַגְּדוֹלָ֖ה וּקְרָ֣א עָלֶ֑יהָ כִּֽי־עָלְתָ֥ה רָעָתָ֖ם לְפָנָֽי׃
(2) Go at once to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim judgment upon it; for their wickedness has come before Me.
Like Sodom and Gomorrah
ויחל. כשהתחיל לבוא בעיר מהלך יום קרא ואמר הנה יש עוד זמן ארבעים יום ואח״ז תהיה נינוה נהפכת ר״ל כמהפכת סדום ועמורה מיש לאין:

started out: when he started his way into the city one day's walk, he proclaimed, "There is still forty days' time", and after that Nineveh will be overturned. That is, like the overturning of Sodom and Gemorrah from existence into nothingness.

Metzudat David

Commentary on the Prophets and Writings (Nach) written by Rabbi David Altschuler in the 18th century.

ויחל יונה. כי העיר היתה מהלך שלשה ימים מן הקצה אל הקצה והחל יונה להכנס בעיר עד מהלך יום ובלכתו בעיר היה קורא ואומר עוד ארבעים יום ונינוה נהפכת רוצה לומר כמהפכת סדום ועמורה כי מעשיה היו כמעשיהם:

(Rabbi David Kimhe, France, 1160-1235)

Jonah started out: The city was three days' journey from one end to the other. Jonah started by entering the city one day's journey. As he walked, he would call out, "Forty days more and Nineveh is overturned!" That is, like the overturning of Sodom and Gemorrah, because their acts were like theirs.

David Kimhi (Hebrew: ר׳ דָּוִד קִמְחִי, also Kimchi or Qimḥi) (1160–1235), also known by the Hebrew acronym as the RaDaK (רַדָּ״ק) (Rabbi David Kimhi), was a medieval rabbi, biblical commentator, philosopher, and grammarian.

נהפכת. נחרבת (ולא אמר נחרבת כי נהפכת משמש שתי לשונות רע וטוב אם לא יעשו תשובה נחרבת, ואם יעשו תשובה אז נהפכת על אנשי נינוה קאי שיהפכו מרעה לטובה ויעשו תשובה הג"ה דר"ע):

Rabbi Shlomo Yitzhaki, France, 1040-1105)

overturned: Destroyed. (He did not say, “Destroyed,” because “overturned” has two meanings, bad and good. If they do not repent, it will be destroyed; if they repent, then “overturned” refers to the people of Nineveh, that they will be changed from bad to good, and they will repent...

Mercy on the Animals

(יונה ג, ח) "ויתכסו שקים האדם והבהמה" מאי הוו עבדי? אסרא הבהמות לחוד, ואת הוולדות לחוד. אמרו לפניו "רבונו של עולם אם אין אתה מרחם עלינו אין אנו מרחמים על אלו."

§ Apropos the repentance of the inhabitants of Nineveh, the Gemara discusses their behavior further. The verse states: “But let them be covered with sackcloth, both man and beast” (Jonah 3:8). What did they do? They confined the female animals alone, and their young alone, in a different place. They then said before God: Master of the Universe, if You do not have mercy on us, we will not have mercy on these animals. Even if we are not worthy of Your mercy, these animals have not sinned.
Teshuvah Measured in Actions

וירא האלהים את מעשיהם, ר"ל שתחלה ששבו אנשי נינוה היה רק חרטה אבל לא שבו במעשה שיתקנו החטא העבר ע"י מעשה, אבל אחר פקודת המלך ראה אלהים את כל מעשיהם כי שבו, ששבו במעשה שהשיבו את הגזל ואת העשק בפועל...

God saw what they did: that is, at first, they only regretted what they had done, but did not repent with acts that would rectify their past sins. But after the king's order, God saw through all of their acts that they had repented. They repented by actually returning stolen items and those obtained unfairly...

Meir Leibush ben Yehiel Michel Wisser (March 7, 1809 – September 18, 1879), better known as the Malbim (Hebrew: מלבי"ם), was a rabbi, master of Hebrew grammar, and Bible commentator.

ולכך נאמר "ויהי ביום השמיני" בלשון צער, משום שיסוד התשובה הוא הכרת החטא, להרגיש את גודל הפגם, וכי חייו אינם חיים אחר שחטא, זהו היסוד עליו נבנית עולמה של תשובה. וזה מרומז בויהי לשון צער, שהדרך לתשובה היא הצער והכאב על שחטא. וכל הקמת המשכן היתה ע"י הבושה, כמו שכתב הגה"ק רח"ו זי"ע מה שאמר משה לאהרן למה אתה בוש לכך נבחרת, היינו משום שאתה בוש לכך נבחרת. כי היסוד וההתחלה להקמת המשכן ולהשראת השכינה הוא דוקא ע"י הבושה שיש ליהודי, בבחי' מזבח אבנה בשברון לבבי, בעת שבושה וכלימה תכסה פניו אז לב נשבר ונדכה א' לא תבזה, ויכול מכח זה לבנות את עצמו מחדש.

Caring: "Feeling the Depth of that Blemish"

Netivot Shalom (R. Shalom Noach Berezovsky, 1911-2000)

Shemini

That is why this chapter begins with a term for sadness: the foundation of teshuvah is recognition of where we’ve gone wrong, feeling the depth of that blemish. The sense that our lives no longer deserve the term “true life” after our error is the foundation on which the world of teshuvah is built. This is indicated in the term vayehi, which signifies sadness: the way to teshuvah is through the sadness and pain of failure. The Tabernacle itself was erected from the energy of regret (for the Golden Calf). In our portion, Moses has to instruct Aaron directly to present his offering (of a bullock, reminiscent of that earlier sin). The midrash imagines Aaron hesitating, abashed, to which Moses responds: “Why are you abashed? It was for this very reason that you were chosen (to be high priest)” (cf. Rashi on Lev. 9:7). On this, R. Chaim Vital glosses: you were chosen because you are able to recognize your mistake and feel regret. In this sense the very impulse for the construction of the Mishkan for the indwelling of the Shekhinah is specifically our inner regret. This is reflected in the verse (from Shir Hayichud for Sunday): “I will build an altar from my broken heart”: when regret befalls us, we can rely on the fact that “God will not despise a contrite and crushed heart” (Ps. 51:19), and on that basis can we rebuild ourselves anew.

Sholom Noach Berezovsky (Hebrew: שלום נח ברזובסקי; August 18, 1911 – August 8, 2000) was the rebbe (hereditary rabbinic leader) of the Slonim dynasty of hasidim from 1981 until his death. His teachings were published as a series of books entitled Nesivos Sholom.