On Yom Kippur afternoon we read the Book of Jonah, popularly known as “Maftir Yonah,” the chanting of which has become a coveted Synagogue honor.

This dramatic adventure on high seas is contains within it a very poignant, moving and inspiring story of repentance and reflection.

The story briefly:
G-d summons Jonah to call on the wicked residents of Nineveh to repent, but Jonah seeks escape by boarding a ship bound elsewhere.

A mighty storm at sea was about to break the ship, as the frightened sailors cried, ‘each man pray to his god.’ But Jonah lay fast asleep.

The ship captain approached Jonah, 'How can you sleep? Arise! Pray to your G-d to save us,' as the passengers asked him, “What is your occupation? Where do you come from?"

As an admitted fugitive, Jonah asked to be cast overboard, and the storm subsided. A large fish swallowed him, and he prayed from the watery depths:

"I cried to G-d in distress, and He heard me. From the depth of hell I cried... You cast me into the deep, the heart of the seas; Your waves passed over me. I descended to the bottom of mountains, the earth’s bars closed in on me; yet You raised my life from the pit, O L-rd..."

G-d commanded the fish to spew Jonah unto dry land; he went to Nineveh and caused its people to repent.

But Jonah became frustrated upon seeing that his original threat of doom and destruction did not materialize and Nineveh was indeed spared. Jonah asked to die, "for death is better than my life."
G-d corrects Jonah’s negativity. As Jonah rested near Nineveh, a leafy vine rose to provide him shade and comfort, but the vine withered by morning. Jonah grieved over the loss, and G-d responded: "You pity a plant on which you didn’t labor; it lived a night and perished. Shall I not have mercy and compassion on all of Nineveh’s residents?"

ON A Deeper Level
Divinely profound, G-d’s multi-faceted Torah can be appreciated on different dimensions and various levels.

In addition to their basic literal interpretation, the Torah stories contain allegoric interpretations with broad spiritual and psychological applications. Besides highlighting a particular person at a specific time in a certain place, the Torah addresses us all directly now, in September 2004, wherever we may be. Indeed, the Jonah story relates to "the entire life span of humans in this world."
(Zohar Vayakhel p. 199)

The Soul’s Journey
According to the Kabbalah, the name “Jonah” in Hebrew, “Yonah” literally means a dove. Throughout the Book of Song of Songs, the faithful loving “bride” is compared to a dove, because the dove is forever true and loyal to its mate. Similarly, the essence of our soul remains faithful to G-d, refusing to be led astray by material pleasure and temptation.

“The City of Nineveh,” by contrast, represents a vain and corrupt society. Our souls are charged with the Divine mission to reach out to the world and its inhabitants, to imbue and transform earthly life with G-dly light.

Denial
But as humans, we tend to shirk duty, and run from responsibility. We embark on a ship; our body containing the soul is as a ship vessel containing passengers.

Using our physical body as a getaway and escape vehicle, we rumble off freely without any sense of mission. We cruise off happily on a worry-free junket, sailing away blithely without a care or concern for Authority or for our fellow man.

Warning: Turbulence Ahead
Everything may seem to go along fine, until we hit a bump. The sunny skies turn overcast and gloomy as we begin to encounter major turbulence that threatens our very existence. The sudden shakeup arouses some of us from our illusions.

Ironically, even simple, common folk realize quickly that something extraordinary is happening, and are moved to action. Yet those who hear the calling and should know better doze off and sleep soundly.

Amazingly, those who are charged with a mission remain detached, convincing themselves that there is no emergency. Oblivious to the turmoil and chaos all around them, they ask to be left alone; “Please do not disturb.”

But even as we slumber, a Divine nudge tries to bring us to our senses. The captain, our soul asks: 'How can you sleep? How long can you be in denial of a world gone mad? What more will it take to make you realize the problem?’

"Where are you from? Remember your origins!" the inner voice speaks to those craving to return to sleep. "Remember your occupation and from which people you are" it says. “Stop denying your roots; don’t run from your destiny. Do not dismiss your calling as a witness at Sinai, your Divine mission to repair this world.”

Resignation and Surrender
Rudely awakened, we must confront reality. But a melancholy moral honesty takes over Jonah. He finds perverse expression in offering to be thrown overboard, to rid others of the burden he imposes.
This existential depression overwhelms one confronted by G-d, but afraid to embrace G-d. Unable to run from Him, a person is resigned to death. Surrendering his last vestige of spiritual dignity, he allows himself to be swept away, to be swallowed and converted into a different being.

Wanderlust
In the Midrash, fish are used as a metaphor for prolific procreation. Jonah being swallowed by a fish expresses a person who is losing his soul to unbridled lust and desire.

The Hebrew term “dagah’ used in this story also translates as “Daagah” anxiety, an alternative response to turmoil. The person throws himself wholly into materialistic pursuits, so the stress of climbing the financial ladder overwhelms his soul’s spiritual angst. Totally engulfed by his career and profession, he forgets his true goal and purpose in life.

Hitting Rock Bottom
At this crucial time, our soul encounters G-d. Until falling to the lowest depths, we run from G-d and from ourselves. Constantly in flux, the soulful flow can’t remain static, but in which direction? Is it running to G-d or from Him? Once the soul hits rock bottom, it must begin to rise upward.

Challenge
Rediscovering its mission, the soul leaves behind all its addictions and misdeeds. It embarks on a journey to bring purity and holiness into itself and into the mundane society.

Yet, once discovering Divine truth, the soul craves to remain in a sacred environment, removed from human degeneration.

“Must I deal with pettiness, politics and profanity?" cries the soul, yearning to escape the confining world and become absorbed in G-d’s infinite light.

G-d now reveals to the Yonah soul that the ultimate plan is fulfilled only by transforming and elevating the secular and unholy. The beauty of the Divine-human partnership shines forth only in the earthly muck. Despite its resistance, the soul learns to emulate G-d and embrace the world, rather than try to escape it.

Two Types of Sleepers
There are light sleepers who awaken at the slightest sound. These people are aroused by the sound of Shofar on Rosh Hashanah. The primal piercing sounds inspire Repentance.
But there are those who can sleep even through a powerful explosion. Nothing bothers or budges them.

They sleep through the sound of the Shofar. The ship is about to break, but they sleep. The Titanic is sinking but they bask in their first-class accommodations.

We are confronted by September 11th, bombings and beheadings, international maneuvering and Global Terrorism, but some remain asleep. As innocent men, women and children are blown to pieces, seizing the world with fear and confusion, there are those that are busy with self-gratification.

In Israel we’ve been paralyzed by the fantasy that if we tolerate evil, the world will finally love us. Some of us are still asleep, pretending that life is, more or less, normal.

Cover-up
It’s Yom Kippur, the one true day of the year that tolerates no facades. On this holiest day, G-d’s sheer truth reaches even those who are try to hide under covers and blankets.

On Yom Kippur, even those deep in slumber hear the captain cry; “Arise! Call to G-d!"

YONAH by Amram Ebgi. The focus of Egbi's work is Jewish life and culture, reflecting his love for Jewish tradition, expressed with reverence and joy. Born in Morocco, immigrated to Israel in 1951 and relocated to Miami in 1981, Ebgi’s works collected by private and public institutions and museums. You can see more of his work at amramebgi.com.