Yom Kippur 2008

Written by Rabbi Dr Michael Shire Friday, 10 October 2008

Why do we read the book of Jonah on Yom Kippur? It is the only book of the Tanach that we read in its entirety during a service. It has been said that it is not so much a book but rather a sermon to be delivered. It’s quite an achievement to have your sermon immortalised for thousands of years to be read every Yom Kippur in every synagogue!

So what is the sermon about? How does it relate to Yom Kippur? Is it about the People of Ninevah repenting for their sins? Ninevah is dealt with in nine mere words for when Jonah arrives he says– “Yet 40 days and the city will be overthrown”. Immediately the King takes off his fine clothes and sits in sackcloth and ashes and repents as does the whole population. And it was not just that they put on sackcloth and ashes but the fact that they turned from their evil ways and resolved to do better in their families, their communities and for their society. There is no problem with Ninevah repenting but there is a problem with Jonah.

Is it about the god-fearing but gentile seafarers who seem to pay more attention to what God wants than Jonah? When the seafarers tried to row back to the shore during the storm, the Hebrew word ‘Shuv’ is used. The root of teshuvah. They try everything to respond to a divine threat. They are attentive both to the gods they worship and to the solitary Hebrew on their boat. But they are unsuccessful in their attempt to row back to shore, they can’t do the teshuvah for Jonah. Only he could do it for himself.

So it is about Jonah himself? Jonah longs to be free of God’s call. There is a conscious conflict between his own desires to stay where he is and the compulsion to go to a new place of which is unsure and frightened. So he flees. Much like us.

Jonah goes down to Tarshish, down to Jaffa, down to the boat, down again to the bottom of the boat. As the storm arises, the seafarers are praying to their gods but Jonah does nothing. He then goes down further into the waters and down into the belly of the great fish. It is at this lowest point, the bottom of his emotional state that he begins to pray. Tired, hungry, emotionally drained. Perhaps like us.

“In my trouble I called to God and God answered me. You cast me into the depths. Into the heart of the sea. The waters closed in over me. The deep was round about me. Weeds were wrapped about my head. I sank to the base of the mountains. The earth was about to close its bars over me for ever, yet you brought up my life from the grave.”

Jonah rises from the fish to dry land, up to the city and his job is done. But he continues to rise, up to the hill overlooking the city and he waits for something, confused by the experience, angered by the ease with which others get off scott free. Perhaps like us.

The story ends strangely as if there is no end. As if Jonah is still waiting and avoiding what everyone else can see. Disconnected from the voice that sent him on the journey, alone and unprotected. Seeing change on the outside but not on the inside. Perhaps like us.

Let us not end this Yom Kippur day on an awkward note like Jonah. Let us complete our story with some clarity and purpose for the year to come. Let us not be wholly swallowed by the great fish. Let us not be overwhelmed by the storms that engulf us, let us not be bitter about others or about the things that happen to us but rather let us act with a vision of what our lives can be, of how to make changes and go forward on our journey like Jonah.

“In my trouble I called to God and God answered me. You cast me into the depths. Into the heart of the sea. The waters are closed in over me. The deep was round about me. Weeds were wrapped about my head. I sank to the base of the mountains. The earth was about to close its bars over me for ever, yet you brought up my life from the grave.”