he reading of the book of Jonah forms part of the celebration of Yom Kippur.
This little book, consisting of only 4 chapters, is
considered by many theologians to be one the most important texts of the TaNaKh. It brings home some of Judaism’s main teachings.
Devoted to telling the story of an unwilling, uncooperative, and unmerciful messenger who refuses to deliver his message until coerced into doing so, the story is told as if these events had actually happened.
However, according to thinkers such as Erich Fromm. “ it is written in symbolic language.”
All the realistic events described, says the famous humanistic psychoanalyst, are symbols for the inner experiences of a man torn between his conscience and his wish to escape from his inner voice.”
Jonah, whose Hebrew name means ‘dove,’ symbolizes the flight of God’s people from fulfilling their mission.
In one of the book’s most famous scenes Jonah finds himself in the belly of a big fish expressing that an individual can indeed survive an examination of the unconscious, which is what Yom Kippur encourages to do.
T
experiences, a man torn between his conscience and his wish to escape from his inner voice.”
Jonah, whose Hebrew name means ‘dove,’ symbolizes the flight of God’s people from fulfilling their mission.
In one of the book’s most famous scenes Jonah finds himself in the belly of a big fish. An expression that an individual can indeed survive an examination of the unconscious, which is what Yom Kippur encourages to do.
The variety of evils that afflict Jonah: pride, prejudice, narrow-mindedness, stubbornness, exclusivism, selfishness, animosity, and hypocrisy, are the elements explored by "the little book with the big message."
The book delves on the tension between justice and mercy.
Should a country that disregards human life to fulfill its ambitions of domination be given some slack? Even when, as in the case of Nineveh it will keep on enslaving and killing?
"Jonah" is relevant today because the questions it raises are discussed in the synagogue, the street and...Congress