Modern Masters: Sefer Yona-Rebuke and Responsibility | Rabbi Sam Shor

All right, we as you know it's Thursday tomorrow's shabas kesh and which is of course a shabashva which means that yam kipper is also just around the corner and I figured it's appropriate time for us to speak about safer today and more specifically if we think about cphiona sriiona is read in the waning moments of Yam Kipper, the waning moments of the entire period, which leads us to to scratch our head because if we assume most of us when we learn the story of Yona, we assume that the primary message of Yona must be that it's about Chuva. Okay? The story of Yona himself doing Chuva, the story of the city of Nineve doing Chuva. So th though those themes of chuva are certainly woven within yona seiona if the main take-home message that we were meant to glean from siona was indeed chuva the concept of chuva so why not read it on rashashana why not read it on shabashuva why why not read it during el why wait literally till just a few moments of for the waning moments Okay. Of oniper afternoon to read this. So I want to pause it this this this morning that it must be that there are other messages that we're meant perhaps even more more important messages that we're meant to glean from safer Yona. In order for us to understand this, begin to understand this, we're going to take a deep dive over the our time together this morning to try to try to arrive at what those messages might indeed be. So, we're going to begin not on your sheets, but Rashma Ainer, one of the great um great voices of Torah in the religious Zionist world, of course, the Rashiva is in the old city. is also the the the chief rabbi ameritus of betel and numerous other communities where he served as chief rabbi earlier in his rabinet. So in his commentary on Rabbi aire quotes the rad and he says the following the explains that the story of yona the book of Jonah is included amongst the holy writings. Why? He he to to demonstrate that Hashem's compassion is beyond any calculation that we can even imagine. And to show that Hashem has um compassion and patience for the from every people, not just the Jews. He will forgive them. and even more so if we're dealing not just with a but with many. Okay. And that's why specifically we read this story specifically on Yam Kipper to remind us of Hashem's unending compassion and ability to forgive not only the members of the Jewish people do chuva but even those across the world okay in the other nations of the world who also do chuva that they have the capacity to do so. So that's one idea and perhaps that's one of the themes we're meant to continue to hold on to at least according to the red do. But is there more going on there? And that's what we're going to try to take a look at now and explore together this morning. If you take a look just just jump right in text number one sheets the beginning I say for Yona Hashan speaks to Yona and tells him to go. What does he say? go and call out to the great city of Nineveh that where there are many people and and remind explain to them that their wickedness is is has come before me that I recognize their wickedness and basically Hashem is telling Yona go warn them okay that they don't do chuva then they're going to be consequences and what does Yonah do when he gets this sacred call to action flees and he tries to run away from the mandate from the mission that has given him. Now does that is that even possible? Is it possible for any of us to flee from Hashem to run away from? Certainly Yona understood that he it was impossible to run from a bar. So what does it mean that Yona decides to flee? We know what ends up happening that he ends up on first on on the ship. He's then thrown over the board once the weather becomes bad. He gets um he gets eaten by the fish. Okay. He survives inside inside the fish. He's given another chance. By the way, Kazal described the experience of Yenna going into the belly of the fish as so to speak a rebirth. Okay? He made a mistake. He went into the depths of the belly of the fish and it's like going into a womb, right? And he emerges from this womb uh with a new opportunity. He's given another chance, right? We'll come back to that in a moment. So, what is Yona really what is going through Yona's mind here in the very beginning of the seafair when he when he flees from Hashem? So, if you take a look, there's a very interesting medish in the Tanuma. This is text number two. Listen to what? Listen to this. Yona, therefore said what's going to happen? I'm going to go and warn and it's going to be a powerful message. And what's going to happen? They're going to do chuva. And therefore, what's it going to cause? It's going to cause Hashem to have frustration and anger with AmIrael. Why listen to the medishim shaveim the njwe who I don't have the same amount of of laws and regulations that we have in the kadosha the minute I warn them that I'm going to decree cast a decree a decree against them they will do chuva this is what yon's thinking is it Okay. And what's going to happen? It's going to look bad for the Jews. Why? Because the Jewish people, it's not they don't react that way. Every time Hashem constantly sends their prophets before them, the Hank Sheriff and they are what? A stiff necked, stubborn people. And therefore, what Hashem will have great anger upon the Jewish people. So the first reason that the medish offers for Yonah deciding that he's not going to go through with warning the the people of Nineve is why he's concerned that it's going to cause Hashem to be angry with the Jewish people. That's the first reason. Why? Because he recognizes that they're going to respond. They're going to get this warning from a prophet of God and they're going to respond accordingly and do Juva. But the Jewish people, okay, even when the prophets of God speak before them, sadly are imperfect and they don't always respond accordingly. Therefore, there will be great anger upon the Jewish people. The loan and not just this, here's the second reason. What else is he concerned about? That the Jewish people end up calling him a false prophet. Why? Because if his prophecy was what that the nive is to be destroyed because they're deserving to be destroyed and then the ducha and therefore hashem has ramanas on them. So what's going to happen? He's going to be he's going to look to his fellow Jews as what? Not only will the Jewish people call me a a navisher, but even what the nations of the world will also say that like who are you? You big shot. You can't you said we're going to be destroyed. Look, you you don't know so much and therefore I'm going to run to a place where Hashem's presence is not is not is not to be found. Now what's the reality is what's the wakeup call that Yona gets very very loudly that there's no place where we can run where Hashem's presence is is is is absent right there's no place he can run to >> all right so so let's try to understand this in order to understand this and maybe think about what is it that Yona just doesn't get and what he's missing I want to compare this this story to two other very familiar um calls to action that kazal compared to each other and those are the calls to action of Noah and right everyone knows the famous rashi text number three when it says that Noah was that he was a righteous and pure individual in his generation the famous rashi that means that there are many of our of our that took this to say what? That he was righteous in his generation as a praise for him. Why? That if he lived in a nation, a a a generation full of righteous individuals, then he would have been even greater. Meaning, it's not just that he was great because he lived in such a lowly generation. But if he managed to be great in such a lowly generation, then certainly he would have been what? Even greater if you lived in a time where there were other people like him. And we also know that there are those from that that um interpret this to his discredit. Why? According to his generation, he was considered a if he lived in the generation of Ara, he wouldn't have been considered anything. He would have been considered nothing. So that's a very very strong statement. It's not just that he wouldn't have been considered anything so great. He would have been a nobody. Okay? It's only because and that according to that opinion, it's only because Noah lived in that particular terrible generation he's called good. If he lived when Aram was alive, he would have been a nobody. So what is it that's so great about Avid? If you look, okay, in the zo, we're just going to read one, two, three, four, five, six, seven lines down in the middle of the line where it says Yehuda Yehuda Abraham. Okay. Rab Yehuda asked, "Who is have we ever seen a compassionate father like Abraham?" Bo, let's go and look. But Noah regarding Noah, it says, When it comes to Noah, Noah tells Hashem tells Noah what the end of all days is going to come. I'm going to destroy the world and the world everything around you is going to be destroyed. Build yourself this this tava out of out of go out of wood. And Noah just does exactly what he's told. He doesn't respond. No. What about nothing about like what about what about Shiman next door or Yakov down the block? Okay. He immediately just builds and doesn't respond at all. Doesn't ask any questions. So I want that's a that's a madrego. Okay. Abraham when it comes to Abraham. Okay. soon as as Hashem says to Abraham, the the the the the iniquity of stone and Amara is is is plentiful and therefore they're going to be destroyed. What does he say? go. And Hashem says to them, "Go down and see immediately." It says, "Abraham appealed to Hashem and said, "We also destroy the righteous together with the wicked." So what does this teach us? The Zora is teaching us that Noah hears that Hashem plans to destroy everything around him. And what's his what's his immediate which is the entire world by the way here hashem plans destroy the entire world and not a word not not a word trying to understand and process it or even advocate on behalf of others when it comes to Hashem destroying Sodom and Amar not the entire world just two cities immediately begins to watch to advocate and say are you sure you want to do this Hashem maybe there's some righteous individuals Maybe there's one righteous individual. Are you sure you want to do this? So listen, Rabbi Rabbi Barak Simon picks up on this and listen to what he says. This is text number five. He says Noah may not in the fir in the first version of the story that we just learned in the Zor, but he says there's another there's another that after after Noah has left the TVA after the se the flood has ceased and the water has has has re receded, right? What happens? Noah comes out of comes out of the and he complains toward the heavens and he asks Hashem how could it be that you destroyed the world answers him you foolish you foolish servant okay foolish shepherd I said to you that you were the righteous individual amongst those of this generation that you had the capacity what to for the other people of your generation and you didn't do so and only now after the deed's been done after the world's been destroyed you're coming after the fact and asking to me why didn't you have suddenly compassion. Why didn't you Hashem? Why didn't you have mercy upon them? We also learn this from another Zor. All these are three different listen to this one. Okay. The the Nav'i calls the Mab Noah, the waters of Noah. Even though Hashem tells you're going to save the world is going to be saved through you. The world is the humanity is going to be perpetuated and all the animal kingdom is going to be perpetuated through you. Ultimately the Na'vi calls the flood may Noah the waters of Noah as if to say Noah is responsible because Noah did not appeal on behalf of the people of his generation. Soak of the great advocate of the Jewish people in text number six, he's going to take this even further. Listen what he says. It's true that Noah was righteous and great and pure. Despite all this, he was very, very small in his own eyes. He was very self-deprecating. By the way, Rafuk famously taught in his work on midot that the midava of humility does not mean to be self-deprecating. Okay? To truly be humble means to have the capacity to look yourself in the mirror and say, "What are my coat? What are my strengths? What are the things I'm meant to be doing in this world? And am I actualizing that? And if not, am I reaching that potential? what do I need to do to recalibrate to begin to be able to accomplish what I'm meant to accomplish in this world. Okay. So to be humble doesn't mean to be self-deprecating to put yourself down and and that's says the kadushi was what didn't understand yes he was he was righteous in terms of his actions but in terms of understanding who he was and that hashem endowed him with with great capabilities no he he missed the boat why because he was too busy putting himself down he was self-deprecating he was very small in his And he didn't believe that he was not only worthy and righteous, but that he had the capacity to impact others and change the decree. But quite the contrary, he just saw himself in his own eyes as what? As being the same as everybody else around him in that generation. And he thought that if I'm going to be saved in the in the ark, then certainly Hashem will figure out a way for everybody else also to be saved. Okay? Because I'm no greater than anybody else. And therefore, he didn't take the opportunity to dive in and advocate on their behalf. Here by the way doesn't mean doesn't mean that had no done that Hashem made nei was going to change his mind. It just means in terms of you're looking at who they are and the because ultimately a doesn't convince Hashem either, right? Okay. But but but the difference is just the reaction in terms of the the the capacity to say what Hashem, are you sure you're ready to do this? We what about what about you know and and and Shmearel that live right next door to me? He wasn't able to do that. A immediately went to that mode. No, wasn't able to do that. Here's Rashi. This is what Rashi explains was amongst the the small in faith. That is to say, Noah didn't believe that he was deserving and and righteous enough to what? To be that advocate and maybe possibly um help to change the decree. Shaloh Bay at atmo batsmo clum because he did not consider himself in his own eyes as anything special at all. Okay. So with this as our context, okay, the ability to understand your role if Hashem is speaking to you directly, okay, to understand your what the significance of of that, understand your role, what what it means to be a to be a Now let's come back to to Yona. Again, we said we began the introduction of him fleeing. We skipped over outside. We talked about what happens in Paragbet of of him, you know, coming to the ship and being thrown overboard and then being swallowed by the by the fish and then being being regurgitated by the fish and then given another chance. And then he goes, we know he he goes again and he decides and he actually goes forward and warns Nve and what happens is we're going to pick this up in pergiml text number seven and hashem saw it out. What happened after Noah? After Yon warns Nve, they do chuva and Hashem sees this. Okay. And Hashem therefore has comp um decides to to to have compassion upon them. The what the punishment he was going to bring upon them the low side. He doesn't punish them. And what's the response then from Yonah? Yona gets first angry and then depressed. Look what happens. Okay. Okay. This decision made Yonah he was very displeased and it made him sad. This is why I ran away to to begin with to begin with. because I know that you're a compassionate, loving God, that you'll have unending um compassion and mercy and you you would go back on your your your word to destroy them. And therefore now, God, take my soul from me. He says, "Take my soul away from me because it'd be better for me to die than to be alive." So Yona goes in a a total depression. He's like, "God, look what you did to me. You made me a laughingstock. I'm a failure." He just doesn't get it. He doesn't understand the nature of his. And then the can continue And he goes outside the city and he sits underneath. He makes himself a a makeshift hut of some sort. And he sits in the dwelling outside the city to see what's going to be. And Hashem made this kayon this this plant with big leaves grow over Yona and it provided shade for him and to save him from any discomfort. and Yona was very very happy that Hashem gifted him with this special plant that provided him with shade and protection. And the next morning, okay, after Yona had seemingly a comfortable night's sleep underneath this this this plant, what happens? The worm attacked the plant and the plant um the plant um dash and the worm attacked the plant and it dried out. Okay. And when the sun came out okay, Hashem caused the uh the the the sun to be down the wind to blow the sun to be down on his head. Okay. Skipping the good You were so concerned and so appreciative and so concerned and so loving towards this plant that you did no work for. You did nothing to help it grow, nothing to help sustain it. Okay? That one night you had it, the next night it was gone. barely was in existence and you were so distraught at its at its demise and I shouldn't what have cried or cared about Nve the great city Adam that are more than 120,000 people I shouldn't have had compassion and cared about them and given them the same kind of love and compassion that you had for this little plant that was here one day and gone the next. So, Hashem is giving Yonah tremendous here at the end of the and the question is the question is that's all very powerful but now we have to take again return to our opening question that is we're reading these words of that in the waning moments of in the moments before we're going to enter into nila and the question is why so we're going to look at a number of texts together in the next few moments to hopefully bring this all together. We're going to start with the Rambam. The Ram Deos. Okay. The Ramom, you know, the Ram wrote the Mishna Torah as is layman's codeex for daily Jewish conduct. And before we get into any of the laws of prayer and blessings and and shabas or the holidays, any of that that practical stuff, you know what the safer what the Rama begins with? He begins with safada which is all the the fundamentals of belief and faith and character traits and character development. And in Ramada, one of the one of the sections is which are basically the the the laws of of interaction with one another, of concern for one another, of character development. And take a look at what the Ram says in Deos andos. If you see your friend who is who is doing something inappropriate or he's doing something that's what clearly not good what to try to bring find a way to bring him back to bring him back to the good side and um and notify him that he's only harming whom? Himself. through his through his bad deeds. And you should speak with him what? Softly, okay? And gently and be clear on that you're only sharing this with them for their own good. So here in the Rama gives us a very specific instruction in terms of how we're meant to what? To give to how we're meant to give admonition to others. What is the reason why there's a mitzvah? To give admonition. Not because we're angry at them. Not because Hashem is angry at them. Not because of fear of consequence, but what? Rather because we're sharing this for your own good. We want you to get back on track. Okay? I'm coming to you as a friend. I see you're struggling. How can I help you get back on track before you spiral out of control? Okay, this is this fundamental idea is exactly what Yona missed. Hashem gave him an instruction to go speak to Ninve. Hashem speaks to him. He's a Na'vi. He hears the proverbial voice of God. He has an opportunity to go speak to Ninve and turn them around. But instead, what? >> He ran. >> He was worried. What? That he's going to look bad. He was worried he's going to be successful and he's going to look bad. He didn't understand at all what his entire his entire mission as a Navi was all about. Rook, we mentioned Raya earlier. We spoke about Anava. Look at what Rufuk says about concern for all of Hashem's creations. Text number nine. Love for all of humanity needs to be alive in the hearts and in the soul. The love for every individual person and the love for all nations. The desire to elevate and sustain them spiritually and physically. Okay? All that has to be innate within our hearts, alive within our hearts. Okay? Resentment or hatred. Okay. Hatred is only to be directed at what? That which is evil and that which is disgusting in the world. Okay. But generally speaking, unless someone or some nation separates themselves as being wy wicked. Okay. We have to what? Work for their betterment to elevate them. This is the mission of am to be what? and or lago to be a light unto the nations. This is our sacred mission, our eternal mission. And uh in his famous famous essay, the the lonely man of faith, okay, he takes this step, he takes this even further. Text number 10, both the prophetic and the prayer prayerful communities are three-fold structures. He says this is not only true when we talk about the Naveim, okay, the community of the Naveim, but it's even true about whom? What? The average Jew who davins three times a day. Okay, both the prophetic and the prayerful community are three-fold structures consisting of all three grammatical persona. I, thou, and he. Listen to Ralvich's incredibly poignant words. The prophet in whom God confides and to whom he entrusts his eternal word must always remember that he is the representative of the many anonymous they for whom the message is earmarked. No man, however great and noble is worthy of God's word if he fancies that the word is his private property not to be shared by others. The prayer prayerful community must not likewise remain a two-fold affair. a transient eye addressing himself to the eternal he. The inclusion of others is indispensable. Man should avoid praying for himself alone. The plural form of prayer is a central halahic significance. When disaster strikes, one must not be immersed completely in his own his own passional destiny, thinking exclusively of himself, being concerned only with himself and petitioning God merely for himself. The foundation of efficacious and noble prayer is human solidarity and sympathy or the covenantal awareness of exential existential togetherness. Wow. Rasalic okay says so powerfully that the responsibility not only the Na'vi but even of the average the average Jew has the capacity to dive in okay that comes with a responsibility not only to see that that opportunity as an as an opportunity for us to improve our circumstances but what it comes with the responsibility to be an advocate and use that to be an advocate for the transformation and elevation of the entire world. This is the message that Yonah missed that he didn't get that Hashem reemphasized at the very end of the safer where he says you have compassion on on this plant that was here today gone tomorrow but people I I should have compassion on this is the makabat of the entire the the hammer blow of the entire safer yona okay the take-home message that we're meant to get from safer yona and that's specifically why we read it. Okay. Oniper afternoon before we enter into the experience of nila because we're going to go into nila and we're going to pour out our hearts and we're going to dive like we've never dived all year long. Okay. And what we need to have in mind is not only the things that we as an individual need that we as a nation need. We have to look at the world around us and say how can I appeal to Hashem to fix and elevate the entire world. That is our sacred me that is our sacred mission and that's I think the take-home message of safiano. We're just going to learn uh one more piece from cook together and then two other pieces that are not on your sheets just to bring this all together. So this is of cooking oresh text number 11 person has to try to transcend always transcend his own individual routine that fills his entire being okay we become very self-centered said it's human nature but a person has to work to transcend that that self that self-centerness because that only brings the person down to what the depths of smallness. Okay? And there's no end to what the potential suffering physical and spiritual that could come as a result of that selfcenteredness. but a person's thoughts and desires have to be what? And all his all his thoughts and desires have to be dedicated to what this idea of unity universal needs. the needs of all the needs of the entire world of all humanity to all of the Jewish people to everything in existence and in that way he'll be able to what to transform even his personal desires to desire what is appropriate okay and not to get stuck in in things that he's made up for himself in his self-centerness. And the more this universal concern is strong within him, so too his joy will increase and he will merit to receive divine enlightenment. So the rebi of the mashi law this is not on your sheets he brings us all back to yona and he says on a sacred mission and doesn't want to go quoting our major that we learned together right the exact same words because he realized that the other nations will do chuva quicker than Israel than the Jewish people and if they do it'll cast a negative espersion on the Jewish people but Hashem wanted to demonstrate that all the nations are indeed dear to him we may be be be thear because we're chosen for a very specific role to be that orim to teach the world about God and to and to teach the or that Hashem cares about everyone else, but doesn't mean that what that Hashem doesn't care about the other nations just because we're we're chosen for that specific role for that specific. Hashem doesn't hold back his compassion even from the other nations because he's the God of all humanity says the Rebi Vishbitz. And just to close, okay in in the in paragraph of says the following. Sorry. The prophecy of Yona was meant to teach us what? To reiterate to the Jewish people that we can't run away. Just like Yona wasn't able to run away from his okay we the Jewish people cannot run away from our sacred mission which is what leot orim to be a light to the nations of the world saysuk my friends as we prepare for shabashua and we look ahead we're going to read yona in the waning moments of yam kiper afternoon before we enter nila let's take to heart all these powerful messages. Let's recognize that. Yes. Woven within the theme of Safreion is is the theme of Chuva. Yes. Woven within the the text of Siona is Hashem's compassion and love for all of humanity. But the take-home message based on everything we've learned today from so many sources including the last few from Rafuk and and Rasalovich and the ishitzi is clearly to reiterate to us that we're going going to in the we should not dive in from a space of being self-centered. We should dive in from a space of understanding our collective eternal our collective eternal mission and responsibility to be the voice to bring the light and awareness of Hashem to the entire world to be an orim to advocate and ask Hashem to give us the tools to be able to help fix the world around us to elevate the world around us. That is our sacral and sacred and eternal mission. That is why we read according to the rash rabbi shore I'd like to suggest that's exactly why we read in those wing waning moments of yam kipra afternoon before we enter nila the experience of the to reiterate to every single one of us as we go enter the experience of nila that we have a sacred mandate that we must live up to so I wish everybody a simatova and um and let's take those messages to As we approach Shabashua and young Kiparat,