Jonah 1 (Brief Recap of 2-4) [G11S1T1]

GENRE OF TANAKH

¹ = How do we know Esther is history? ➡➡ It gives us the name of the king.

² = Dry bones story (משל) in Yechezkel ➡➡ Just like Hashem can resurrect these dry bones and return them to life, so too can he return Bnei Yisrael to the Land of Israel.

³ = What is the משל of Iyov? ➡➡Many people think the whole story is a parable. It is basically about this super righteous man named Iyov/איוב. The Satan/Adversary/השטן keeps convincing Hashem to bring more and more misery upon this man's life to see if he will still be righteous then. He is.

PSUKIM OF YONAH: BREAKDOWN & QUESTIONS

יונה IN MELACHIM

BACKGROUND

The world of מלכים is split into two kingdoms: the kingdom of ישראל, currently under the rule of the bad king ירעבם בן יואש, and the kingdom of יהודה. The kingdom of ישראל has 10/12 tribes, but they have had many bad kings and have turned away from Hashem, practicing idol worship. They will one day be attacked by the Assyrian Empire whereupon all the Jews will be exiled.

The kingdom of יהודה, which has remained steadfast to Jerusalem and the Beit HaMikdash, will exist for many more years after this. The kingdom of יהודה only has the tribes of יהודה and בינימין, along with some

Leviim, who were spread across both kingdoms.

The following takes place in the kingdom of ישראל, before its fall, under the rule of ירעבם בן יואש.

In מלכים we see יונה working for Hashem in another place/setting. He helped ירעבם reconquer land for Israel. This shows that Hashem pitied The Kingdom of Israel and helped them, even though they didn't really deserve it.

It also tells something about יונה: In addition to being a נביא, he was also a war general, which meant he was a patriot to his county.

THE STORY OF MELACHIM:

• ירבעם is a bad king and the borders of the Kingdom of ישראל had been taken over.
• Hashem sent his Navi, יונה בן אמיתי to restore the borders to redeem the integrity of the Kingdom of Israel even though ירבעם was a bad king.
• This shows us that יונה was a general of war in restoring the border, and that יונה was a PATRIOT.

יונה IN ELIYAHU

Abarbanel: That the אלמנה/widow (the woman in the story) is actually יונה's mother.

Mechiltah: There are three Neviim who can be compared to each other (seen as one), and they differ in their Kavod Av and Ben.

WHY יונה RUN?

OPINION 1: Rashi - חילול ה׳

If יונה goes to Ninveh and they do Teshuva when only 1 Navi goes to them, it will look bad on the Jews who have hundreds of Neviim and still don't do Teshuva. This is therefore חילול ה׳ since it looks bad on Jews.

This is a PATRIOTIC reason since he is defending the honor of his people.

OPINION 2: Abarbanel - Anti-Assyria

יונה knows that Assyria (אשור) will come to destroy the Kingdom of Israel. Ninveh is the capital of Assyria and thus he does't want to save them.

This is a PATRIOTIC reason since he is defending the future of his kingdom.

Nafka Mina (נפקה מינה)/Practical difference between Opinion 1 and Opinion 2 -

They both have in common יונה's PATRIOTISM, which was also expressed when he was a general who defended the borders of the Kingdom of Israel.

A Nafka Mina, or a practical case where the two opinions disagree, would be if ה׳ asks יונה to save a different non-Jewish nation.

• Opinion 1 (Rashi) would say - No, יונה would still run because any non-Jewish nation doing Teshuva (תשובה) looks bad on the Jews.
• Opinion 2 (Abarbanel) would say - Yes, יונה would've listened to Hashem, because he only has qualms against Ashur/Assyria, nowhere else.

OPINION 3: Rashi - נביא שקר

יונה is worried that the people of Ninveh will consider him a false prophet (נביא שקר) and he will be attacked.

• Thought process:
  1. יונה goes to tell people of Ninveh that they will be destroyed in 40 days since they are bad in the eyes of Hashem.
  2. The people of Ninveh are afraid and do Teshuva (תשובה)
  3. Since they repent, Hashem has mercy and does not destroy them
  4. Then they accuse יונה of lying since they weren't actually destroyed.

This is a SELFISH motivation to run away, since he is afraid of his own self-image or and/or life.

OPINION 4: Dr. Uriel - Anti-Teshuva

Yerushalmi Makhot 2:6

Dr. Uriel Simon:

The debate between Hashem and נבואה in the above Gemara is the debate between יונה and Hashem in our story. יונה is called בן אמיתי because he loves the truth and he loves justice. He loves truth so much that he is willing to criticise Hashem for not being truthful in His Judgement. This is seen when he lists Hashem's attributes of mercy in Perek 4 when he excludes אמת from this list. According to this opinion, יונה ran because he was anti-Teshuva in general, and felt that Hashem was not delivering true Justice by sparing them, and he thought they should have all been killed instead.

WHERE IS TARSHISH? WHY DOES יונה GO THERE?

Rashi on Tarshish: (See #22) Tarshish is not a city or a place, but rather any waters outside of Israel. יונה believed that since Hashem's שכינה (presence) was in Israel, Hashem couldn't chase him out of Israel. He still wants to be devoted to Hashem and he still believes in it, but he doesn't want to fulfill this order of Hashem, so he is running away so he doesn't here. Specifically, Tarshish is likely a part of the Mediterranean Sea. He's trying to get out of Hashem's שכינה range.

Motivation for running: He still believes in Hashem, but he doesn't want to have to do this thing that will help Ashur, which supports the PATRIOTIC perspective.

Ibn Ezra on Tarshish - Tarshish is the port city of Tunis, Tunisia (originally called Carthage). At the time, Tunis was the wealthiest and main port city of the Mediterranean (in Africa).

How do we know? - There is a Pasuk in Melachim that references Tarshish as a super wealthy port city. (this proof is not given by the Ibn Ezra, but rather found in the Concordance.)

Motivation for running: This fits well with the SELFISH motivation (fits with the second Rashi in Opinion 3) that he doesn't want to be seen as a נביא שקר.

Dr. Uriel Simone - There is a place called Tarsis in Spain. This is Tarshish. Hashem told יונה to go to Ninveh, which is all the way in the East, so he runs to Tarsis, which is the farthest West you can go. Hashem tells him to get up and go to Ninveh, so he goes to the very bottom of the boat. יונה wants Hashem to do Justice and not Teshuva, so he runs away in Protest and sins intentionally, to make Hashem kill him and do דין and true justice, instead of Teshuva.

Motivation for running: He knows he can't run away from Hashem himself, so he is doing this as a PROTEST. יונה is saying that he so disagrees with the idea of Teshuva and repentance that he is going to the opposite place to make a point.

יונה PSHAT, PERAKIM 2-4

Nota Bene: Perek 1 is divided into sections above. It can be found in Source # 3, 5, 7, 9, 11

SUMMARY OF יונה PERAKIM 1-4

By Jake Gindi

Chapter 1:

• God's Command: God instructs Jonah to go to Nineveh, a major city known for its wickedness, and call them to repentance.

• Jonah's Rebellion: Instead of obeying, Jonah attempts to escape to Tarshish, heading in the opposite direction. This shows his unwillingness to fulfill God’s command.

• The Ship's Departure: Jonah pays for his fare and boards a ship, hoping to flee from God’s presence (a reflection of his desire to avoid his prophetic mission).

• The Storm: God sends a powerful storm that threatens to break the ship apart, illustrating His control over nature.

• Sailors’ Fear: The sailors, terrified, each cry out to their gods and throw cargo overboard to lighten the ship. This highlights their desperation.

• Casting Lots: The sailors cast lots to determine who is responsible for the calamity, and the lot falls on Jonah, emphasizing his guilt.

• Jonah's Confession: Jonah admits he is the cause of the storm and tells them to throw him into the sea, demonstrating his acceptance of responsibility.

• Reluctant Action: The sailors initially try to row back to land to save Jonah but ultimately throw him overboard as the storm worsens.

• Calm After the Storm: Once Jonah is thrown into the sea, the storm ceases, leading the sailors to fear and worship the God of Israel, recognizing His power.

• The Great Fish: God appoints a large fish to swallow Jonah, and he remains in its belly for three days and three nights, marking the beginning of Jonah’s transformative journey.

Chapter 2:

• Jonah's Prayer from the Fish: In the belly of the fish, Jonah prays to God, recalling his desperate situation as he sank into the depths.

• Themes of Distress: Jonah describes being engulfed by the waters and feeling abandoned, highlighting his despair.

• Recognition of God’s Sovereignty: He acknowledges God’s sovereignty and His ability to save, reflecting Jonah’s realization of God’s power even in his dire situation.

• Vow of Thanksgiving: Jonah vows to offer sacrifices and fulfill his promises to God, indicating a change in his attitude toward obedience.

• Divine Response: God hears Jonah’s prayer and commands the fish to vomit Jonah onto dry land, demonstrating God's willingness to listen and restore.

Chapter 3:

• God’s Second Command: God again instructs Jonah to go to Nineveh, showing His persistence in giving Jonah another chance.

• Jonah's Obedience: This time, Jonah obeys and travels to Nineveh, a city described as “very large” (three days' journey in extent).

• Jonah’s Message: He proclaims that Nineveh will be overthrown in 40 days, a message of impending judgment.

• The Response of Nineveh: The people of Nineveh believe Jonah’s warning and demonstrate genuine repentance by fasting and wearing sackcloth.

• King's Decree: The king of Nineveh issues a proclamation calling for a city-wide fast, urging everyone to turn from their evil ways and violence, emphasizing the collective response to Jonah’s message.

• God’s Mercy: Seeing their repentance, God relents from bringing destruction upon the city, highlighting His compassion and willingness to forgive.

Chapter 4:

• Jonah's Displeasure: Jonah is exceedingly angry and frustrated that God spared Nineveh, reflecting his narrow view of justice and expectations.

• Jonah's Exclamation: He expresses his discontent, stating that this is why he fled to Tarshish, as he knew God was merciful and would forgive the Ninevites.

• Seeking an Outcome: Jonah goes outside the city, builds a shelter, and waits to see what will happen, illustrating his hope that God might still destroy Nineveh.

• The Plant: God provides a plant to give Jonah shade and comfort, signifying divine care for Jonah even in his anger.

• God's Lesson: When God appoints a worm to destroy the plant, Jonah becomes angry about its loss. God questions Jonah about his anger for the plant, which he did not grow.

• God's Compassion Explained: God contrasts Jonah’s concern for the plant with His compassion for the people of Nineveh, emphasizing that if Jonah cares for a mere plant, how much more should God care for the lives of thousands in Nineveh.