Rabbi Mordechai Kraft - Inspired Teshuvah

good evening everybody welcome to the Hamad lecture Thursday night tonight's lecture is a lecture on how to understand Chuba we want to thank to our anytime for its wonderful work and for taping tonight's lecture and allowing it to be spread throughout the world that good huh okay so let's take a look I want to do with you tonight does anybody have a sheet I have more than same I have give a lot more sheets over here if I only get one please pass them down that way yeah translation in front of us is that this is this is a piece of Tanakh explain what is this put these back there okay so what I have what you have in front of you is a translation of the story of Jonah book of Job we're gonna read it at the minute time and Yom Kippur right in the afternoon and Yom Kippur this is the whole story it's four paragraphs four chapters it's very short and it's gonna deal now with a story of one of the prophets named Jonah who lived during the time of the first temple it's going back about two thousand seven hundred years ago and as I mentioned we had many prophets in Jewish history over a million the prophets that are recorded in what we call Tanaka the turret and the VM the prophets and the writings many of these prophets had to do with specific things neither try to encourage us to repent or they're talking about destruction of the temple but we had many other prophets but the ones recorded specifically are the prophets that try to encourage the Jewish people to do chuhwa to repent now this prophet was a prophet named Jonah and you probably familiar with the story a little bit how Jonah we're gonna read it was commanded by God and to go to Nineveh he didn't want to go and he goes out on a boat and runs away and there's a big storm and they throw him overboard he ends up in a big fish big well and then finally goes on his way and they he ends up convincing the people in virtue or they do a tremendous repentance as we know and God chooses to save them let's read the story now and all I ask of you as we read it I'm gonna ask of you something very my bottom my heart please read this critically critically I want you to be I want you to be critical just pass it back over here - does anybody not have so my quest my request from everybody is just do not hold back from being critical if something bothers you it bothers you for a reason and in fact oftentimes the deepest way to learn Torah is to be bothered by something and usually bothered by something it was written that way for a reason was written to bother it was written in a way that should bother us and it's the places that there seem to be the greatest problems that will discover the greatest depth okay that's how it works an alter learning so I'm gonna encourage you this is not a class where you're gonna sit back and be passive and just listen to me I want you to read it with me and I want to ask you to ask me the questions that you have and hopefully we got to put these questions together and see something very deep about what Jim kipper is okay the story says like this and the word of a chef came to Jonah the son of a meat I saying arise go to Nineveh that great city and cry out to her for the wickedness has descended before me Jonah rose and fled to Tarshish from before Hashem presence he's running away from Hashem he went down to Yafo and found the tar she's bound ship he paid its fare and boarded it to travel with him to Tarshish from before shams presence then shem cast a mighty wind toward the sea and it became such a mighty tempest storm in the sea that the ship threatened to be broken up the sailors became frightened and cried out each to his own god they cast the ship's wares overboard to lighten it for them but just Jonah had send it to one of the ships holes laid down and fell fast asleep captain approached and said to him how can you sleep so soundly arise call to your God perhaps God will pass mind what we will not perish you won't die then he said to one another called let us cast lots that we may determine on whose account mr. Clement is upon us so they cast lots mainly chose straws and it fell on Fiona they said to him tell us now in regard to who has this calamity fullness what is your trade and from where do you come what is your land and what people are you he said to them I am an Avery and Shem the god of the heavens do I fear who made the sea in the dry land the men received with great fear and they asked them what is it that you have done for the men knew that I was from before shams presence that he was fleeing for yet so told them they said to him what must we do to you that the sea of subside from upon us for the sea Grove was growing stormy he said to them pick me up and heave me into the sea and the sea will calm down for you for I know that is because of me that this terrible storm is upon you nevertheless the men rode hard to return to the shore but they could not because the sea was growing stormy upon them then they called out to his Shemin said oh please Hashem let us now parrot let us not now perish on account of this man's soul do not reckon it to us as instant blood for you as Shem as you a wish have you done and they picked Jonah up they threw over to the sea the sea stopped its raging then the men fear - I'm greatly the often is sacrificed to a Sherman mm ok chapter 1 just a quick summary what we just read Yona is told by a chamois Shem says to me owner go down to this great city called Nineveh and tell him to repent you owner doesn't seem to want to go so instead he hires a ship that's leaving from yo port you know Yahoo and near Tel Aviv you're going to a Tarshish a place called Tarshish and he goes out there's a huge storm all these hard sailors get really scared the owner goes down takes a nap captain comes to himself while you sleep in such a storm dive into your God and we realize that's because of one of them that there's a strange sort of storm and the lots fall in Yoda sailors don't want to do it but they eventually pick them up and be thrown into the sea and once they do the storm stops that's chapter one question what are your questions yeah beautiful good question number one that's very very well by our is wait a minute Yoda is a very bright man not only is it bright man he is a prophet as a prophet he understands that God is everywhere why does it think he could run from God good question what is it your question is why does he think you can rough with God God's everywhere beautiful question good yeah beautiful beautiful they asked that they said to him like you know you know what are you said I'm an Eve Rihanna Jew I fear God so if he fears God he's a prophet he knows God is everywhere why does he think he can run away from God yeah good excellent excellent questions very important questions good what else do we have yep beautiful beautiful beautiful why is he even running from God he's a prophet I mean God gave him the command God said listen I want you go to Denver ask them encourage them to repent doesn't want to do it he wants to run away from God's will from God's request why does he not want to do God's desires isn't the job of a prophet too first of all number one to listen to God number two to do God's will and if God's requested you go to the invent tell him to repent that's your job if you don't like big a prophet don't be a prophet you know captain I don't know go into dentistry you know be a pharmacist do whatever you want to do but don't be a prophet go to st. John's and don't register the viruses do what everyone but if you're if you're a prophet you got to do your job Cinelli I think very wise question is why doesn't he want to do God's will if he's a prophet good good question other questions good don't be afraid don't be afraid of questions you keep saying it's good good good good right if we're definitely definitely a seeming inordinate amount of emphasis on the fact that he is fleeing from Hashem he's fleeing from shams presence guys bérenger said yeah it's kind of telling us that he knows that he's gonna end up where this prophecy the prophecy that he had he's gonna maybe way or another maybe maybe maybe yes maybe no maybe yes maybe no does he know that he's gonna have to do God's will or is he running from God's will he seems to be running from something over here does not want to do God's will why why good that's good cool good point I'm not sure it looks like he doesn't it looks like he thinks he could run it looks like he thinks he could run prophet on the run I think he thinks he could run good a couple other points here about a couple of problems other problems are observations details that seem to be unnecessary anything see ya right right good good good point good point the others over those dice of you ten pestle sir compliment Samantha he seems Aaron's question ah Thank You village Aaron's question is a good question that he seems number one he seems to know that he's the cause of the problem thank you he seems to know that he is the cause that he's the cause of the problem there's no question about it in fact not only does he seem to know it what the Lots drawn him they take lots you know the choose and like short straws falls on him and he has no problem with it he admits it he seems to understand that this storm is because of him he knows that he seems to know that a goddess could is indicating that very very clearly good excellent other problems what's another problem we have a question another question we have observation observation here he's a great sleeper isn't he the guy could sleep look at that I mean you know you have to imagine this is a little fishing boat in the middle of the Mediterranean 2700 years ago wasn't exactly the Queen Mary and it's being tossed around by this storm and this was such a storm that it frightened the most hardened sailors you know sellers at that time I imagine were very very rugged individuals right there very rugged and and they're terrified out of the wits they're all praying to their gods like crazy and what does Jonah do time for a little nap over here you know gets in his pajamas like Shabbos afternoon you know goes down to his little bunk and gets gets tucks himself in and the captain the ship has to come up to him and says how can you sleep so soundly you know please call your God maybe hope he'll he'll listen to you so what's that all about what's that all about you know just another observation by the way if you look in verse 12 it says once he realizes that it's because of him he says to them pick me up and throw me into the sea it's a famous assessed line because why doesn't he just say to them throw me into the sea he says pick me up and throw me to the sea he's brought down and amongst the great body muster that look at the value of one moment of life he feels he's gonna die right now but that one moment of life the difference between thrown into the sea and being picked up and thrown into the sea whatever those few seconds are all worth it that's what life is what life is all about the value of a few seconds of life so he knows he's gonna die but still he asks for those few more moments of life before him into the sea and he assumes he's going to die and the sea stops its raging and it says father the men fear to shun great and the offered sacrifices shown took vows it says it says them in Russian there were seventy sellers on the boat one representing each of the nations all the seventy sellers actually became converts the understood that God is the true God and they became converts to Judaism so it was a interesting act that he did it's also brought down that it was a very supernatural storm by the way that the whole sea was calm and the storm was only where the boat would go the boat would move here that's what the storm we go so was obviously a supernatural event a very strange sort of storm and it was frightening us convicted so the way it's good question that in all sources that we have which we call terrific starship at the table the written terror which includes the five books of Moses the prophets the writings they're all given down what we call the Midrash in the midrash of the middle russian are the oral communication of the details are the explanations so accompanying anything that's written in terms of a text there's a body of information we call the oral law and that's what we dig in and we try to use it to analyze and to to splice together the real storyline this is like the lecture notes the real sure is what in the toy shop I'll pay the Ola Porter question good ok good let's read chapter 2 now as we read chapter 2 I have one question for everybody this is a question I want you to tell me what's missing Jonah is now it says a Shem designated a large fish to swallow Jonah and Joan remained in the fish's belly three days and three nights right the famous story of Jonah tis whale he's inside this whale's stomach which is possible by the way right you do hear stories like that in all sorts of cultures that people think small it up inside whales so he's inside this fish's belly three days and three nights now Jonah's gonna prick from inside the whale he's giving a prayer to his Shem I'm gonna read you the prayer quickly and I'm not gonna go into detail because a very cabbalistic prayer but I'm gonna ask you one question what's missing from his prayer listen carefully Jordan pray to Shem is God from the fish's belly he said I called in my distress to Shem and he answered me from the belly of the lower world I cried out you heard my voice you cast me the depth in the heedless seek in the heart of the Seas the river world around me all of your breakers and wave swept over me I thought I was driven for your sight but I will gaze at your holy temple he must have been in the well having some sort of amazing you know near-death experience where the seriously where he is just now realizing he's alive still waters encompassed me to the soul the deep world around me weeds were tangled about my head to the base of the mountains did I sink the earth it's bar gets me forever yet you lifted my life from the pit to shove my god well my soul was faint within me I remember to shut my prayer came to you to your holy temple it must have been I think he would saw himself passing out of the temple guarding on a futilities they forsake their kindness but as for me with a voice of gratitude when I dig offerings to you what I vowed I will fulfill for salvation as a Shems then a shaman dressed the fish and it spewed Yona out to the dry land the fish spit Joan out okay he's in the whales belly and he has some sort of awesome like near-death experience he's about to die and he said there's a passing under the temple was the person's the sole sport goes and then he was alive again and they start saying there's also awesome prayer of thanksgiving to a chef but thank you a chef for giving me life you know you think you're about to die noise and you're alive this awesome prayer of thank you question what is conspicuous conspicuously conspicuously conspicuously absent from his prayer what is absent from his prayer what is absent from his prayer oh so beautiful oh gosh I wish I would Bukharian wish I could be so smart I guess so smart I was that it must be my previous guild goal you know you know my previous life I was I'm pretty sure I was most American I'm pretty sure it's pretty obvious by my love for the Samsa for you know I go to the weddings I tell my house I go to the way I go to the weddings it's embarrassing it's embarrassing you know what I call your weddings mr. Shem I've been to many of your weddings I'm mr. shott me to be a lawyer waste reduction I mean it's embarrassing because everyone's dancing and I'm eating you know I when they say when the band cut starts playing the music to go up you know like I'm like oh darn you know and I think okay but then I like it cuz everybody leaves the tables opportunity for me like being on like the low of I plate up you know they you know so but I'm the last to get on the floor I'm not proud of it I'm not proud of it but you know but I think it's indication of my fact that I was really you know my previous lifetime force America also I dance I you know the biggest compliment they ever got I was dancing out of wedding yeah you know doing the whole thing going and I was feeling very ridiculous and Sonic out to me and said wow a craft be Bukharian said no he said you dance so well that's the biggest compliment I ever guy so that's what I'm thinking that maybe that you know my previous life but in that case it was excellent comment that was just raised that in this prayer what was missing an apology God gives it an assignment he said I want you to go to Nineveh tell it ahjumma he said I'm not going he goes out on a ship he runs away God makes him miraculous storm he ends up in the water God has him swallowed by whale and he lives he offers up a beautiful prayer thank you a Shem for giving me life but was he not say doesn't say I'm sorry say you're sorry yeah say you're sorry no sorry sorry God I should have listened to you the first time why did I listen to you I was wrong why can't the man say he's sorry beautiful beautiful question so important let's look at chapter 3 now it says the word of a son came to Jonah a second time saying arise go and into that great city and cry out to her the proclamations I tell you because Shem says them okay second chance go to Nineveh tell him to repent so Jonah rose up went in didn't fight this time he's not running away anymore and according to God's Word now Nineveh was an enormously large city three days journey Jonah commenced to enter the city the distance of one day's journey God made a miraculous that he got there very fast he proclaimed and said forty days more and then but shall be overturned he said to listen back listen fellas I've got 40 days our God couldn't destroy the place and the people of Nineveh had faith in God so they proclaimed the fast and more sackcloth from the great to the small when the matter reached the king of Nineveh he rose from his throne removed this robe from upon himself he covered himself with sackcloth and sat on a she's imagined that the king of the country you know Kings usually hold themselves to a very high standard of you know honor the king himself puts on sackcloth cover yourself to ashes and sits on the floor and has it declared through it by the counsel of the King of the nobles man and beast heard and flocks are not tasted anything he should neither grazed or drink water there the card until the sackcloth of men beasts and let them call out mightily to God each person is to turn back from his evil way and from the robbery which is in their hands he knows that him repent and God will be relent --fill he will turn away from his burning wrath so that we perish not God's other deeds that they repented from the evil ways God relented concerning the color he said he would bring upon them and did not act interesting what happens Yona goes he tells me to Chava they do the most magnificent jouvert probably maybe ever done in human history this was a nation that was so evil and so bad and they come back to God in a fantastic display of repentance yeah tell us what to do okay that's an excellent question who are these people by the way these people were the Assyrians these were the Syrians in about eighty to a hundred years from this point these were to be the people who are going to destroy the first temple this was an evil nation very evil nation okay now why did they Blissett what's that why the guy kept with a good ask this question is a good question why did God care about such evil people number one good beautiful why he got care we're gonna talk about that a second these were very evil people this was Nazi Germany in 1920 right these were the people who destroy the first temple about 80 years before I think vetted using so widely listened to Jonah do the other see what the Prophet the other study was a prophet people believe in God and finally we had the first temple by the way the world respected us tremendously they saw all the miracles in the temple they knew we had prophets they knew God was the Jewish people wore the or the gold of the light to the nations in fact in the time of the first temple we didn't accept converts did everybody wanted to convert was too easy to see that were the chosen people now that were in exile when someone wants to convert to joining a nation joining us a nation that has the truth but the fact being a Jew is in a bargain you know we're in exile but then it was then it was a bargain we were exalted we're at the highest point of our of Jewish history at this point before destruction the first step okay beautiful so they do chuva fantastic question before we read the next line if you were Jonah if you were a prophet and your job is to be a prophet your job that's your job and you see this nation do such a magnificent act of repentance and say God we're sorry and God says all beautiful I'm not gonna be destroyed if you see that and you're Jonah what should be your reaction what should be your action happiness what did you be happy look at that they came back to God is that the job of a prophet to bring people back to God yes well happy we see people come back to God look at the next line with me chapter 4 verse 1 this displeased Jonah greatly and it grieved him it displeased them that they did Shova why would it grievin he prayed to his Shem instead of Shem please Hashem was this not my contention while I was still my own so I'm eating what is this the whole reason I didn't want to come I knew that they were you're gonna forgive them therefore I'd hates it to flee to Tarshish for they knew that you are gracious and compassionate God slow to anger abounding in kindness and relent for punishment baby says to God listen that's the whole reason I didn't want to come here because I knew you're gonna forgive them because I know you're so compassionate question why is he so bothered by God's compassion we'd love God's compassion don't we why is he so bothered by that they do chuva the whole nation is chuva and it grieves him he said I don't like this he says the guy does laura's I didn't want to come because I knew you're gonna forgive them so now sham please take my life from me for better as my death and my life she says God listen kill me kill me that's what says to God I can't tolerate the fact that you forgave them kill me what what's wrong with this guy his death wish that's his problem why does he want to die because they did Chewbacca's God forgave him I think you should be overjoyed did the children enjoyed the fact that God so compassionate what's going on over here speak a sense anybody doesn't engage sense to me any sense - em said are you that deeply grieved Jonah left the city and stationed himself the East the city he made himself a booth there and sat on her in the shade until he would see what would occur in the city let's stop right there and we're gonna put together a little bit then we'll look at the ending and see if it strengthens anymore okay any questions before I before I talk yeah he knew that this is a nation that would in the future will be the Jewish nation right so God will destroy them will be better for Jews in the future okay good you a second secular point right you know this nation is going to be a very evil nation to the Jewish people in a short period of time excellent okay good point he seems to feel there is something is he doesn't like repentance for some reason there's good point yeah but you said you say Moyes reaction is more the fact that he feels guilty they shouldn't have run and therefore trying to justify why he's feeling why he didn't listen to begin with interesting interesting other commas other comments we put together guys good okay let's see we could do a little bit look at Jonah's name by the way go back to verse 1 le devoir chef Yana been a meaty name bore the word of a shrimp came to Jonah the son of a meaty what is a meaty meat in Hebrew what's the root he was Biggers I met I met was that Matt made it citrus near his father's name happens to be a met truth his name is Jana then a meaty these Yona the son of truth you know in Hebrew when you say some was the son of something or somebody it doesn't only mean that that is your father it means that describes you Yodas outstanding personality trait was M it was truth truth what is truth being you know truth means truth means you do something there's a consequence Britta does something and someone says hey listen you know I just let it go that's slide what do you say back well that's not being truthful you gotta be a person did something wrong you got a continent you got a there has to be a consequence Jonah's very bothered because God gives an assignment the contradicts what he feels is truth God gives it an assignment to go to a place called Denver and encourage them to repent now what does repentance mean we spoke about in a few little while ago it was repentance mean repentance means what a person or a nation repents god I'm sorry I won't do it again I'm committing to the future to uphold this promise God takes all the sins that a person did he races it it's not there and as we mentioned if a person does it out of love God will take those sins and turn them into a mitzvah as we're gonna go to heaven and we're gonna find all these mitzvahs or really our sins because we append it out of love definitely bothers Jonah you know why because his question to God is God listen if you can undo the past by merely saying you're sorry what's the point of life I don't understand this chuhwa business guide the person sins a nation sandy this was a really bad nation if a person sins and this is a bad people these are the Assyrians these are people who destroy the temple and right now the that I think it'll be worse in the future perfect the Nazi Party in 1920 became the party's 1933 imagine you know if Hitler your mock Shamu there's a young man you know he's a terrible person and God wants to kill him and it's your job to go to him and encourage him to do chuva and you look to God he say God listen women this is Hitler in 18 years from now he is going to be killing and gassing six million Jews I'm supposed encourage if through Chuba problem number one but philosophically and theologically is in a different product deeper problem God what's the point of life what's the point of anything I do if it's merely undone by saying you're sorry person does terrible sins like oh god I'm so sorry you know it's Lachlan oh I'm sorry oh gods oh it's forget about it forget about the past God is that just where's your justice if you do something there has to be a consequence you can't just erase the past by saying you're sorry god I don't understand this chuhwa you know what does it mean what a person you know we don't understand it so well but you know what sin really is sin means I've rebelled against the creator of universe that's what it is God has given me a lease on life that I don't deserve on condition that I listen to him that's it that's my lease on life sin means that I have betrayed that lease I've betrayed that trust and and I've got done whatever I wanted to do I've rebelled against God and all I have to do say that I'm sorry God said okay it didn't exist the past didn't exist we'll change it all around well turn it all around we'll erase it will blot it out of the computer screen we'll remove it from the harddrive and if you do it out of love will turn it into a mitzvah joe says god that makes no sense to me I don't understand chuhwa I understand this there's no truth in that there's no justice in that I give you an example listen I remember I heard this from a very wonderful rabbi in Baltimore and David Forman and I recommend if you could listen to his tapes or buy his things wonderful wonderful speaker and so insightful I heard this and that Marshall this analogy from him number of years ago during the time of that great period in American history during the OJ Simpson trial so if I remember the OJ Simpson trial that wonderful stage in Jewish history American history when we're all waiting to the tariff where's OJ innocent or guilty who was all the Simpson well he was a football player played for the helped me along pretty please me was until the go big big superstar player he didn't have a great marriage one day he came home and saw his wife and this fellow who iPad was just returning her glasses from the drugstore and he came in or allegedly came in with a knife and D murder them both cold blood and this one's the famous old Jay Simpson trial but ten years ago more so if you remember it we're all following it so carefully on the radio those I have to admit I turned the radio state you know I wanted everyone to hear the verdict we know he was fed innocent by the way because I said if the glove don't fit you got to quit right the glove didn't fit and but in a case ever knew it was guilty but what imagine the father I remember forever the players in it it was the judge name was judge Ito judge you know and be the fellow killed besides his wife was named Nicole and the guy killed was Ron Goldman Jewish guy years ago that's why I think the Jewish press said it didn't say you know it said Jewish Jewish man killed that was the that was the headlines the Jewish press Ron Goldman now I'm a Ron Goldman's father was the one who was pushing for the suit the the lawsuit against OJ in addition to the criminal charge but imagine the following scenario imagine the scenario let's say mr. Goldman that's Ron Goldman's father the middle of this court proceeding and if you remember the court proceeding is it was it was a media circus I mean it was really ridiculous and this judge Ito was such a showman it was really terrible but imagine the phonic scenario this disc Kayson going on for a number of weeks and judge Ito calls up mr. Goldman says to mr. Goldman need to speak to you please come to my chambers mr. Goldman comes in so listeners ago I was so sorry about your son Ron so he was a wonderful boy and this nice lady Nicole but I have to tell you something this Court has become a media circus and I think we have to stop this now I've asked Oh Jay and he's agreed he's gonna come to your house tomorrow it's good knock on the door I want you to invite him in all right you know offer him a drink sit down and be civil he's gonna offer an apology I want you to be a man and accept his apology and that's it but bygones be bygones let's move on what would mr. Goldman say to judge Ito don't tell me what mr. Goldman would say to judge you it wouldn't be polite but that's what he would say to judge Ito as I think all of you would say to judge you know maybe not probably to sod off you'd find a nice way to say it I'm sure I said it before oh sure whatever you said with hiring would even have more of an but let me change this to no one Morris let me change the snare a little bit on you imagine mr. Goldman goes to sleep and in the middle of a sleep he has an awesome dream in the dream the old mighty God himself appears to him and he's sure that it's God God speaking to him and God says listen mr. Goldman this trial has become a media circus it's going on too long tomorrow I've spoken to OJ communicated with him in a dream tomorrow Oh Jay he's gonna come to your house he's gonna knock on your door I want you to invite him in when you call from a drink he's going to apologize for killing your son I want you to accept the apology I want you to forgive him and let bygones be bygones that's all the past this is God signing out you wake up and you know it's God it's not just a nightmare it was God and there were signs and wonders and there's no question your mind that God had told you that he had forgiven oj now he wants you to forgive oj what would your reaction be what would your reaction to that wow you're really Ksenia well it really is you have a good heart look at this huh what you know what I would say I would say God that's not a world I can live in I can't live in that type of world a man kills my son in cold blood and you forgive that you want me to forgive him there's no justice you can make it right by saying you're sorry God what type of world is this you've created there's a world that doesn't have truth of the world there's no justice I can't live in such a world you know I'm I can imagine that mr. Goldman might even turn to God and say if that's the one you've created I don't want any part of this I want out where's their justice where's their truth I dare say that this is Jonah's problem Joe deters the goddess's god you want me to be the facilitator for the Assyrians to allow them to do chuhwa there are terrible people now they're gonna be even worse people in a short period of time and destroy our temple it killed millions of many many Jews and you want me to help them repent but they could say they're sorry now and they can undo all the bad stuff that they did god there's not a little truth I don't want a world like this I don't want to talk to you God can we does goes on a ship why because we understand they can only have prophecy when you're in a state of simcha instead of join and go out on the waters and the waters so you know rough and and and and the sea is so stormy so wild God can't speak to someone out of the waters because versus not the state of happiness but God wants to speak to Jonah the guy says listen Jonah I know you don't want to speak to me but I want to talk to you so he creates a storm this storm is a miraculous storm wherever the boat goes there's a storm the rest of the sea is calm what moves here there's a storm what was there this storm this boat starts shaking back and forth back and forth back and forth the sailors are terrified Jonah's not so scared he says listen God I know you're trying to speak to me I don't want to speak to you he goes down goes to sleep the captain wakes them up and says to listen Jonah God pray to your God Joseph listen I know it's because of me so you know yeah I'm the problem over here the sailors still don't want to harm them in any way they start trying to row back to shore it doesn't work finally they draw lots and every time they seem to draw the Lots it always falls on Yoda again obviously this is storm is speaking directly ona they tell you oh no what should we do with you the owner says did look the only thing is the only way you're gonna solve a problem here is to get me off the ship because God is doing this for me he's doing this to me and in fact I don't mind going off the ship because a world like this is not a world I want to live in well there's no truth there's no justice we could undo the past by saying you're sorry I can't tolerate such a world I don't understand this Chuba stuff it makes no sense to me it's not truthful it's not real throw me in so they pick him up before him all the sailors as we mentioned before do Chuba because they see how God is actively involved in the world and the true God is involved in the world 70 sailors become Jews what does God do the God doesn't give up so easy and Yona he has a fish swallow him up the fish in fact she says one fish and large fish swallows him that fish spits enough that that just says he's inside a smaller fish crammed between these fish eggs there's no place to move and God finally says to him Oh Jonah there's no running I got you I got to talk to you Jonas starts praying God thank you for saving my life he has an amazing experience there was about to die and he said that amazing prayer of gratitude God you saved my life God that Spitz has the witness ship the fish spit him out but what Jonah doesn't say sorry as we mentioned why because he's not sorry so God the reason I wanted to die was because I'm bothered by the fact that you could undo the past by saying you're sorry now crew you saved my life and I appreciate that but I'm not sorry for what I did I ran away from you I ran away from this assignment because chuhwa upsets me you can't undo the past by saying you're sorry so God says okay Jonah look snap snubber to God and invite Todd to repent this time you guys there's no running away he goes down and tells him to repent they do that amazing amazing act of repentance and then in verse 4 what does Jonah say if this pleases Jonah greatly he's so upset by the fact of the repentance and we asked the question we said wait a minute why is he so bothered by that a prophet supposed to encourage people to turn back against their evil ways so the nation turns back from the evil ways and Jonah gets upset about it and he says to God he said God wasn't that the whole reason I ran to Tarshish because I know that you're gracious and compassionate slow to anger abounding in kindness and would led for punishment God the whole reason I ran away because I knew you were to forgive them as always as I read why should I be upset and then he says to God he turns to God again he says now Shem please take my life for better as my death than my life I want to die I want out God the whole reason I ran away because I don't understand this you can't undo the past by saying you're sorry that's a contradiction in the world truth I'd rather die than being this world I'm like mr. Goldman have you hear God say look just forgive Oh Jay I can't live like this no reason I didn't want the assignment all right what do you do if you're God and you want to reach a guy like Jonah how do you communicate to Jonah that there's something in chuhwa and repentance that perhaps Jonah's not seeing as deeply as he should see how do you communicate that message let's look at the end how do you commute the message chapter 4 verse 4 and a chévre said are you that deeply grieved Jona left the city station himself in the east of the city he made himself a booth and sat under the shade until he would see what would occur in the city then ash Emmett look Kim God designated a kick I young shun created a gourd like a plant which rose above John at the forum shade over his head to relieve him from his discomfort and Jonah rejoiced greatly over the kikiyaon over this court in imagined Joanie's up there and the hill watching what's gonna happen the Sun is beating down his head God miraculously kraits this gourd ki ki owned his calling here bro get some shade and now he's really happy the fact that this the shade is protecting from the hot Sun then God designated a worm the next day it attacked the kick I own and it withered away and it happened that when the Sun rose God designated the stifling east wind the Sun beat upon Jonah's head and he became faint he asked for death think better is my death and my life well that's it just didn't he just said that a minute ago right when he sees that the city repents he also says I want to die and now what happened he's sitting there watching it and there's a tremendous hot Sun and God creates this big leaf to shade him a cacao new gourd and then God tells us worm to eat away the gourd and now he's stuck there in the hot Sun again and he must be really hot and he says again God betters my depth in my life I want to die and God said to Jonah are you so deeply grieved about the gourd the kikiyaon he said grieved to the point death Shem said you took pity on the kikiyaon for which you did not labor nor did you make it grow which materialized overnight and perished overnight and I shall not take pity upon Denver that great sin in which there are more than 120,000 people who did not know the right for the left and many beasts as well what happened what happened at the end how does God communicate the message to Jonah listen carefully listen carefully God has a mission now he has to teach Jonah that there's something good about Trueba about repentance it's not necessarily a contradiction in truth there is a way that it works the only way to teach them is in a very funny way God's a great teacher and God teaches him the message through this gourd what happens so he's lying there in the hot Sun God creates this leaf that shades on the gourd and he's really happy because the hot Sun is not going on his head then God creates a worm and the worm eats away at the Gordon and now he's left there in the hot Sun and he's saying god I want to die and then got to Oh Jonah you got it you had pity on this gourd which you didn't do anything to cause it to grow shouldn't I have pity on the people of Nineveh end of the story well okay and the story how did he solve Jonah's philosophical problem he made him experience what he was experiencing for the people meaning that what that he felt he felt he felt God's compassion he felt God's compassion the diplom ending to this story no because the problem is so good what's bothering John is so real let's probably Jonas O'Connor to understand Shuba how could you fix this how could you change your life how could you undo the past by saying you're sorry so God teaches a lesson listen the lesson no sir buddy question that that gourd that that that big plant did it have a seed they love a safe with earth seed what Sun course anyway it seems that this this Court had no seed it appeared full-grown it just grow there it was people overnight it was a manifestation of God's complete mercy there was no cause that brought it there there was nothing that allowed it it didn't have a right to exist no in fact I think this is what happening in the metaphor that God then tells a worm to eat it away it's as if this worm comes to the gourd and says to the gourd listen gourd show me your building permit show me your seed show me your papers do you have a right to be there you know if you want to be there that has to be there something that brought you there you have to have deserved to arrive there do you deserve to arrive here where's your seed I don't have a seat I don't have a seed sorry gotta eat your way by a Jonah then sit wait a minute but what God it offered so much shelter it had such potential it provided shade that protected for me don't take it away just because it couldn't justify its right to be there Oh God says Johnny you got it you got it now you understand what you of is true of Amin's that God looks beyond only what we did in the past God looks at our potential as to what we can be you know that gourd did nothing that allowed it to really be there there's no seed it didn't justify its existence it didn't have any building permits but guess what it gave such shade and when it was withered away when the were made it up Jonah says my gosh but look at the thing the thing offered such protection such shape it couldn't justify its right to be here it didn't have a cause but look what it can do in the future it offered such shade it's so effective at protecting me dad don't take it away it has such potential Joanie you got it I understand chuva people might have done things in the past I think I did terrible things but you know what but a person comes to God and says I'm sorry I won't do it again I feel so bad about it I commit myself to the future what God says I see a different potential in you you could be a different person going forward and just because the past wasn't so good I'm gonna look at who you are now and what you can be look at the potential that human being the person says god I'm sorry I regret so much what I did but God look at who I am i receptor potential going forward God says okay we'll forget the past let's look at the new potential that's chuhwa Jonah Dee get it granted this nation can't justify its right to beer based on the past these are terrible sins and saying you're sorry does can't really you know you say you're sorry you're undoing the past but by undoing the past you're also saying that God I want to have a different future Jonah don't be caught so much in the fact that they're only undoing the past focus on what that means when you say I regret my past it means you want to have a different future you're a different person with a new potential that it can do such goodness you should give shade you can provide you can help you can give you can love look at what that person could be and these people could be look what that gorg did for you kid just the fights right the beer but look what his potential is look what I was doing for you I've got again I understand it Coover isn't a denial of truth chula is the ultimate truth because the human being is a being which is constituting change and influx and it means that we're always striving to correct and prove ourselves and if I can regret my past it means I can have a different future I could be a different person and that's what God's looking at for us to do it's not a contradiction it doesn't defy the world of truth when I regret my past I'm saying god I wanted be a different person going forward and God is an infinite love looks at that and says I accept it and he bow you don't we call that we call that rock I mean rock I'm in his mercy it's the same word by the way as what a woman had mommy's rectum rectum is the womb and the world represents mercy because think about it that little fetus inside a woman's womb did it deserve to be there did it do anything that that this is they gave it all right to life no it just occurred we just brought in there but what does a woman do for that fetus let's see it creates a beautifully calibrated an environment to protect it it creates a beautiful environment to provide the exact nourishment that it needs it gives it the oxygen that it needs to exist it protects it a sac that protects it from the from the outside world a woman's womb provides everything that little fetus needs even though the fetus didn't do anything to deserve life that's called mercy that's right I mean that's the guide does for us just like a woman's womb says look I'm giving you life little fetus why because of what you can be in the future not because of what you are God says that's chuhwa that's my mercy that's my love I'm gonna give you a new stake on life because of what you can be but show me what you can be by saying you're sorry that's how you show what you want to be the future that's the new stake on life that's what rockin it is all about that's mercy that's God's love that's a God has to communicate the owner you know my friends you know what we read this we're gonna read this little piece of this little piece of important piece we're gonna read this in the afternoon on Yom Kippur in Middle Earth time you know why because if you're having a really good Yom Kippur and you turn to God and you can say God I'm sorry I won't do it again I regret it I feel so bad about it you know what should hit you Jonah's question can I really undo the past by saying I'm sorry like you're having a really good Yom Kippur you should be asking yourself this question wait a minute can I really undo the past I can undo it we bullet for the hard drive and turn into a mitzvah if I don't know to love like you have to send yourself yeah you can because in God's world God's truth there's something called mercy Rahman what my god looks at the potential of what we can beat not only at what we did that's how it works so if you're having a good Yom Kippur you should ask your question and that's why I think our sages put it right in the middle of the Yom Kippur prayers in the afternoon right there were you having great Yom Kippur your kippers coming to an end she'd sing but God what doesn't make sense I can undo the past yeah you can't do the past because God's looking at what you can be in the future and that's something real about you and I also very real attack you in me we're not stuck at who we were as who we are we're always in motion were always in change and sincere repentance can cause God to say there's a new potential go forward you know first question we asked we said why doesn't Russia's China come after Yom Kippur right first let's do two over let's clean ourselves off let's come back to God and then has to be judged how come first God judges us our lives have been determined everything's been determined for the coming year and then God says okay you have ten days to change it around I didn't seem to make sense right like you know do it the other way let me clean myself up fix myself bother then judge me I think there are two answers answer number one is we wouldn't really do chuva properly unless we knew that maybe our lives are on the line but a deeper answer perhaps is that God is telling us something very real just because you can do children and undo the past because I'm looking at what you can be at your potential don't think that the pastor doesn't mean anything don't think your actions don't mean things your actions mean everything I noticed it I noticed you I saw everything I looked I investigated the past year meant everything I examined you very carefully your lives do matter don't think it likes don't matter things are real life is real what you do is real but now now understand something else once you have that message clear now understand there's a perhaps a deeper reality in life that what you can be in the future is equally as great first be judged first know that it mattered life does matter this consequence and now once you got that clear understand there's a deeper level of life that you come back to God and say God I want to begin again I want to undo I'm not happy with who I am I want to change I want to be greater god says oh what a new potential I can look at that we can go forward my friends I think there's a little bit one of the reasons perhaps small reason why we read The Book of Jonah on Yom Kippur my blessing to everybody of course is that we should look at ourselves we should do a really sincere chuhwa come to God tell God like I won I want to be different I want to change who's happy with who we are should love yourself respect yourself but we want to grow we want to be great that's full purpose of life let's come to God and say God in the merit of my desire to change look at the potential of what I can be and offer me a receiver Haseena Toba [Applause]