Recently, a Lobster diver, was diving in waters on the Provincetown, MA coast. About 45 feet down, his vision was darkened. He thought he was bitten by a shark. It was really a whale that swallowed him whole. He thought it was the end. He cried out “Oh G-d please help me”. The Whale spat him out. Some sailors in the vicinity helped him into their ship.
Jonah’s Reason for Running Away from G-d
Jonah / Yona was a Jewish Prophet. He received a Message from Hash-m to Tell the city of Ninveh to do Teshuva – Repent. He was reluctant to do so. He reasoned that if Ninveh would repent – the Jews would look badly if they did not repent. He ran away. He went to the sea and a raging storm attacked the ship.
The mariners prayed to their god – with no respite. The storm continued. Yona was sleeping. The captain woke him up and said get up and pray. The captain had faith in Hash-m. Yona knew that Hash-m*was sending the storm for he was trying to escape doing his mission. He told the captain. They lowered him into the waters. The waters calmed. Hash-m sent a big fish to swallow Yona. It was quite comfortable inside – he didn’t mind it so much. Then G-d had that whale spit him out and a whale with less comfortable “quarters” swallowed him.
He prayed to Hash-m to save him from the whale’s insides. He was spit up onto the shore of Ninveh – to accomplish his mission.
Eventually the people of Ninveh heard the message of G-d and repented and prayed sincerely to Hash-m. Hash-m forgave them and allowed the city to survive.
G-d then communicated with him – and Told him that he cares about all his creatures.
Two things to learn from Yona
- Hash-m Cares about you. G-d Loves his creatures and we are among them.
- In the most trying situations – even when one thinks the end is near – there is always hope. Pray to Hash-m & Repent & He will help. Repentance in Judaism is basically making an effort to see The Sun Rise Again and Starting Over – Wiping the Slate Clean.Once a gentile woman went for a visit at my friend’s optometrist office. She told him that she abandoned the worship of her younger years and started praying to Hash-m. He asked her why? She responded – when she prayed before her prayers were not answered – now she started praying to Hash-m her prayers were more frequently answered.
Prayers of Gentiles to Hash-m are Answered
Shlomo Hamelech / King Solomon prayed to Hash-m that specifically the prayers of the gentiles be answered when they prayed by the Holy temple.
He wanted every person in the world to worship Hash-m. Why did he ask that specifically the gentile’s prayers to Hash-m be answered?
He reasoned that gentiles are more sensitive to not having their prayers answered. If a Jew prays and he is not answered – he can attribute it to his transgressions or other reasons. So the Jew will be less sensitive if G-d does not answer positively.
An opportunity for all people – pray to Hash-m and get your wish fulfilled.
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*(the name of G-d – in many versions of Jonah and other Tanach texts “Hash-m” is mistranslated from the Hebrew text to English as “the L-rd” / it really means Hash-m – ie, it says in Jonah / Yona 2:1 “The Lord appointed a great fish …” is properly translated as “Hash-m appointed a great fish …”)