בס”ד
I. Repentance in the Book of Jonah
- The sailors
- Jonah 1:7-16
| And they said everyone to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Yona. Then they said to him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us; what is thy occupation? and where dost thou come from? what is thy country? and of what people art thou? And he said to them, I am a Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the G-d of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land. Then the men were exceedingly afraid, and they said to him, Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he had fled from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them. Then they said to him, What shall we do to thee, that the sea may be calm for us? for the sea grew more and more tempestuous. And he said to them, Take me up, and cast me into the sea; so shall the sea be calm for you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you. Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring the ship back to land; but they could not: for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them. So they cried to the Lord, and said, We beseech Thee, O Lord, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O Lord, hast done as it pleased Thee. So they took up Yona, and cast him into the sea: and the sea ceased from its raging. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the Lord, and made vows. | וַיָּ֤חֶל יוֹנָה֙ לָב֣וֹא בָעִ֔יר מַהֲלַ֖ךְ י֣וֹם אֶחָ֑ד וַיִּקְרָא֙ וַיֹּאמַ֔ר ע֚וֹד אַרְבָּעִ֣ים י֔וֹם וְנִֽינְוֵ֖ה נֶהְפָּֽכֶת׃ וַֽיַּאֲמִ֛ינוּ אַנְשֵׁ֥י נִֽינְוֵ֖ה בֵּֽאלֹקים וַיִּקְרְאוּ־צוֹם֙ וַיִּלְבְּשׁ֣וּ שַׂקִּ֔ים מִגְּדוֹלָ֖ם וְעַד־קְטַנָּֽם׃ וַיִּגַּ֤ע הַדָּבָר֙ אֶל־מֶ֣לֶךְ נִֽינְוֵ֔ה וַיָּ֙קׇם֙ מִכִּסְא֔וֹ וַיַּעֲבֵ֥ר אַדַּרְתּ֖וֹ מֵֽעָלָ֑יו וַיְכַ֣ס שַׂ֔ק וַיֵּ֖שֶׁב עַל־הָאֵֽפֶר׃ וַיַּזְעֵ֗ק וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ בְּנִֽינְוֵ֔ה מִטַּ֧עַם הַמֶּ֛לֶךְ וּגְדֹלָ֖יו לֵאמֹ֑ר הָאָדָ֨ם וְהַבְּהֵמָ֜ה הַבָּקָ֣ר וְהַצֹּ֗אן אַֽל־יִטְעֲמוּ֙ מְא֔וּמָה אַ֨ל־יִרְע֔וּ וּמַ֖יִם אַל־יִשְׁתּֽוּ׃ וְיִתְכַּסּ֣וּ שַׂקִּ֗ים הָֽאָדָם֙ וְהַבְּהֵמָ֔ה וְיִקְרְא֥וּ אֶל־אֱלֹהִ֖ים בְּחׇזְקָ֑ה וְיָשֻׁ֗בוּ אִ֚ישׁ מִדַּרְכּ֣וֹ הָֽרָעָ֔ה וּמִן־הֶחָמָ֖ס אֲשֶׁ֥ר בְּכַפֵּיהֶֽם׃ מִֽי־יוֹדֵ֣עַ יָשׁ֔וּב וְנִחַ֖ם הָאֱלֹקים וְשָׁ֛ב מֵחֲר֥וֹן אַפּ֖וֹ וְלֹ֥א נֹאבֵֽד׃ וַיַּ֤רְא הָֽאֱלֹקים֙ אֶֽת־מַ֣עֲשֵׂיהֶ֔ם כִּי־שָׁ֖בוּ מִדַּרְכָּ֣ם הָרָעָ֑ה וַיִּנָּ֣חֶם הָאֱלֹקים עַל־הָרָעָ֛ה אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֥ר לַעֲשׂוֹת־לָהֶ֖ם וְלֹ֥א עָשָֽׂה׃ |
b. Nineveh
2. Jonah 3:4-10
| And Yona began to enter the city a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Another forty days, and Nineve shall be overthrown. So the people of Nineve believed G-d, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. For word came to the king of Nineve, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineve by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water: but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to G-d: and let them turn everyone from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. Who can tell? G-d may turn and relent, and turn away from his fierce anger, so that we perish not. And G-d saw their deeds, in that they turned from their evil way; and G-d repented of the evil, which he had said that he would do to them; and he did not do it. | וּבְכֵן תֵּן פַּחְדְּךָ יד’ אֱלֹקינוּ עַל כָּל מַעֲשֶֽׂיךָ וְאֵימָתְךָ עַל כָּל מַה שֶּׁבָּרָֽאתָ. וְיִירָאֽוּךָ כָּל הַמַּעֲשִׂים וְיִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לְפָנֶיךָ כָּל הַבְּרוּאִים. וְיֵעָשׂוּ כֻלָּם אֲגֻדָּה אֶחָת לַעֲשׂוֹת רְצוֹנְךָ בְּלֵבָב שָׁלֵם. כְּמוֹ שֶׁיָּדַֽעְנוּ ד’ אֱלֹקֽינוּ שֶׁהַשִּׁלְטוֹן לְפָנֶֽיךָ עֹז בְּיָדְךָ וּגְבוּרָה בִּימִינֶֽךָ וְשִׁמְךָ נוֹרָא עַל כָּל מַה שֶּׁבָּרָֽאתָ: |
II. Universal recognition of G-d
3. Liturgy, Days of Awe (Rosh Hashanah/Yom Kippur)
| And so, grant that Your awe, L-rd, our God, be upon all Your works, and Your dread upon all You have created; and [then] all [Your] works will fear You, and prostrate before You will be all [Your] created beings. And may they all form a single band to do Your will with a perfect heart. For we know L-rd, our God that rulership is Yours, strength is in Your hand, might is in Your right hand and Your Name is awesome over all You have created. | וּבְכֵן תֵּן פַּחְדְּךָ יד’ אֱלֹקינוּ עַל כָּל מַעֲשֶֽׂיךָ וְאֵימָתְךָ עַל כָּל מַה שֶּׁבָּרָֽאתָ. וְיִירָאֽוּךָ כָּל הַמַּעֲשִׂים וְיִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לְפָנֶיךָ כָּל הַבְּרוּאִים. וְיֵעָשׂוּ כֻלָּם אֲגֻדָּה אֶחָת לַעֲשׂוֹת רְצוֹנְךָ בְּלֵבָב שָׁלֵם. כְּמוֹ שֶׁיָּדַֽעְנוּ ד’ אֱלֹקֽינוּ שֶׁהַשִּׁלְטוֹן לְפָנֶֽיךָ עֹז בְּיָדְךָ וּגְבוּרָה בִּימִינֶֽךָ וְשִׁמְךָ נוֹרָא עַל כָּל מַה שֶּׁבָּרָֽאתָ: |
4. Esther 4:16
| Go, gather together all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me, and neither eat nor drink for three days, night and day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise, and so I will go in to the king, though it is against the law: and if I perish, I perish. | לֵךְ֩ כְּנ֨וֹס אֶת־כׇּל־הַיְּהוּדִ֜ים הַֽנִּמְצְאִ֣ים בְּשׁוּשָׁ֗ן וְצ֣וּמוּ עָ֠לַ֠י וְאַל־תֹּאכְל֨וּ וְאַל־תִּשְׁתּ֜וּ שְׁלֹ֤שֶׁת יָמִים֙ לַ֣יְלָה וָי֔וֹם גַּם־אֲנִ֥י וְנַעֲרֹתַ֖י אָצ֣וּם כֵּ֑ן וּבְכֵ֞ן אָב֤וֹא אֶל־הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹֽא־כַדָּ֔ת וְכַאֲשֶׁ֥ר אָבַ֖דְתִּי אָבָֽדְתִּי׃ |
5. Proverbs 1:7
| The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. | יִרְאַ֣ת ד’ רֵאשִׁ֣ית דָּ֑עַת חׇכְמָ֥ה וּ֝מוּסָ֗ר אֱוִילִ֥ים בָּֽזוּ׃ |
By Rabbi Tani Burton
More shiurim of Rabbi Tani Burton
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