Shabbat Yom Kippur

By Shlomo Riskin

Efrat, Israel - One of the highlights of the Yom Kippur liturgy is the reading of the Book of Jonah, a small book of four chapters which contains a world of philosophy. Undoubtedly the major message of Jonah is likewise the major message of Yom Kippur, so that the proper understanding of the former will most certainly illuminate the latter.

G-d comes to Jonah, son of Amitai, sending him to call the people of Ninveh to repentance. Jonah refuses to do so, and believes he can escape the G-d of the heavens of the earth by sailing to the sea. The central issue of the Book of Jonah is why the prophet should have found a mission to Ninveh so objectionable. We must remember that Ninveh is the capital city of Assyria and Assyria was then the arch enemy of Israel. Indeed, Assyria defeated the ten tribes and banished them into exile in the 8th century B.C.E. Jonah cannot understand why G-d is interested in Assyria’s repentance. After all, as long as the Jews have more merits than the Assyrians, the chances of an Israeli victory in battle are far greater. Hence Jonah seeks to escape G-d by boarding a ship bound for Tarshish.

A raging storm develops at sea, and a drawing of lots makes it clear that Jonah is responsible for the storm. It is fascinating to note that water is both the major symbol of the Book of Jonah as well as the major symbol of the Tishrei period of festivals. Water is both the symbol of life as well as of destruction. The Bible opens “and the spirit of G-d hovered over the face of the waters” and no life can grow without the presence of water. At the same time the Bible tells us right before its description of the life giving waters that “there was darkness on the face of the tehom” , usually translated as the depth of the tavernous waters of the netherworld. It was after all the waters of the flood which threatened to destroy the world.

At the same time, the Mishna tells us that the Festival of Sukkot is when G-d judges our merit for the life giving rain which enables fruit and vegetation to provide sustenance for the coming year. Rain is therefore a symbol of G-d’s gracious bounty, His purification of His children on the Day of Forgiveness . As the prophet Yezekiel says in words which we repeat again and again during the Yom Kippur penitential prayers, “And I shall sprinkle upon you the waters of purification and you shall become pure.” Hence the festival of Shemini Atzeret in which we thank G-d for rain has a double meaning: G-d’s waters bring physical sustenance as well as spiritual purity, the combination of the two bringing to redemption. It goes even one step deeper. We begin giving G-d praise as the One whom “causes the winds to blow and the rains to flow” on Shemini Atzeret - and these words of praise are incorporated in the Amidah blessing of the G-d “Who causes the dead to live again.” G-d’s purifying waters can even revive us from death and bring us eternal life.

Jonah is cast overboard into the raging waters. Has challenged G-d, endeavored to escape the Divine mission, and is therefore worthy of death. G-d, however, in His infinite compassion provides a whale - a creature of the water - to follow Jonah and bring him back to life. In Jonah’s own words “I called, in my distress, to G-d and He answered me From the belly of the grave I cried out. You heard my voice. You cast me into the depth of the heart of the sea… your waves passed over me… yet You lifted my life from the pit O Lord my G-d.” (Jonah 2:3-7).

The waters almost destroyed Jonah and the waters in the form of a water-creature sent by G-d saved his life. G-d is trying to teach the crucial lesson that Assyria, who has been so evil and destructive, can and must make a complete turnaround if the world is to be redeemed. And G-d is also teaching that He, G-d, is willing to overlook the evil Assyria has committed if she will indeed repent. Jonah refuses to accept this. He is after all the son of Amitai, a name which is derived from emet, truth. Truth demands that evil never be overlooked; evil must be punished. This is precisely how Jonah explains why he refused G-d’s mission “…. This is why I hastened to flee to Tarshish; I knew that you are a gracious and merciful G-d slow to anger abundant in loving kindness and forgiving of evil.” ( Jonah 4: 2) This is not the G-d in whom I want to believe, the G-d who described Himself earlier to Moses as the G-d who is “abundant in loving kindness and truth” (Exodus 34:6). But Jonah has forgotten that his first name means dove, and that just as the dove was saved from the flood so was he, Jonah, undeservedly saved from the raging waters. G-d is trying to teach him that the G-d of compassion will bestow His life giving purity even upon those who have sinned.

On Yom Kippur each of us descend into the “waters of death”. We wear the white reminiscent of shrouds, we remove ourselves from all physical necessities and pleasures such as food, drink, and sex, and we wear non leather shoes of the mourner. For whom are we mourning? We are mourning for ourselves who have died because of our sins.

However G-d in his compassion returns us to life on Yom Kippur, reborn and purified. G-d sprinkles upon us His life giving waters “because on this day you shall be forgiven of all your sins; before G-d shall you stand pure” All of us experience the death and the rebirth of Jonah. As the final mishnah in Yoma says, “how fortunate are you O Israel! Before whom are you purified, and who purifies you? Our Father in Heaven”.

Shabbat Shalom.