Midrash on the Story of Jonah
My Side of the Story
By R. Jonah Ritter
"Midrash is an interpretive act, seeking the answers to religious questions (both practical and theological) by plumbing the meaning of the words of the Torah. (In the Bible, the root d-r-sh is used to mean inquiring into any matter, including occasionally to seek out God’s word.) Midrash responds to contemporary problems and crafts new stories, making connections between new Jewish realities and the unchanging biblical text." MyJewishLearning..com
Prologue: I have always felt their is another side to the story of Jonah, and that Jonah got a bad rap. After all, he did spare the sailors lives, and eventually went to Niniveh to risk his life again and saved the great city with the power of his word. People have been too quick to assume they have learned the necessary lessons and morals of the Story of Jonah, and in doing so, miss much greater opportunities for learning about themselves. This can be said about most of works of literature and art, but it is especially true of scripture, and particularly the Story of Jonah, in my opinion. Why is Jonah's Story so important? Well, considering the fact that it is the Haftorah story associated with the holiest of Jewish days, Yom Kippur, I think the answer to that question speaks for itself. For me, the answer is also because I was named Jonah, it is my Hebrew name. And, my son was born on Yom Kippur. The Story of Jonah is deeply personal to me and profoundly meaningful.
Faith is a belief which should not relieve us of an effort to search for G-d, nor the value of questioning. As a means for my own personal search for a deeper understanding, and a more personal relationship with G-d, I decided to explore the Story of Jonah via the excercise of writing midrash. In doing so, I found I needed to break the story up into parts, in order to address different questions and ideas that I have regarding the story. So instead of one midrash, I have a seperate midrash for seperate sections of the story. This first midrash took me, and Jonah, up to before arriving at Niniveh.
It was also a conscious choice to write in the first person, as though I were Jonah. This gave me a greater sense and awareness of what it was like to be Jonah. It also allowed me to speak for Jonah; to offer my side of the story. By writing in the first person, my midrash felt more to me like a personal conversation with G-d. In addition, I took the liberty, and a literary right, to give Jonah some knowledge of scripture.
As a ground rule, I adhered to a premise by Maimonides that the voice of G-d came to prophets in visions and signs, during dreams, rather than a direct conscious voice. I also tried to be mindful of the historical context, including the relations at the time the story took place between the Hebrews and the Assyrians who populated the great city of Niniveh. It is notable that the two peoples were enemies and that the Assyrians had a reputation for being fierce warriors.
Last but not least is that I fully expect to change this story. This interpretation will evolve. As I write later sections of my midrash, the meaning and understanding that I derive causes my to want to modify previous sections that I've written. So what you read today may change tomorrow.
-------------------------------
To Noah You said God, "The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth has become full of robbery because of them, and behold I am destroying them from the earth. (Genesis 6:13) And now God, you say to me, Jonah, "proclaim judgment upon [Niniveh]; for their wickedness has come before [you]." (Jonah 1:2)
Lord, If I proclaim your judgment upon the assyrians, mine enemies and rivals, what shall become of me? To Noah, you gave assurances, "I will set up My covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark, you and your sons, and your wife and your sons' wives with you. " (Genesis 6:18)
Moses exclaimed "Behold they will not believe me, and they will not heed my voice, but they will say, 'The Lord has not appeared to you.'" (Exodus 4:1) And for Moses, who doubted his speech and its power, you showed signs as you told him to "Cast [his staff] to the ground," and it became a serpent. (Exodus 4:3) You offered Moses other great displays "In order that [the Egyptians would] believe that the Lord," (Exodus 5.5) was his protector. Besides, the Pharaoh and his wife still loved Moses. Pharoah would not kill Moses. And just as surely, the King or his people in Nineveh will kill me. Am I to be a sacrifice? Or speak to me of my powers.
To Elijah, my teacher, you said, "turn eastward and hide" from his enemies. You even directed the ravens to supply Elijah food. (1 Kings 17:3-4) God, surely my evil enemies and rivals in Niniveh will silence me and your proclamation of their coming judgment well before I can make the three day walk across with your message. Are you to be my shield? I leave for Tarshish that YOU might make your proclamation and deliver your judgment directly on the people of Niniveh for their wicked deeds. Let the idolatrous enemies of the people who keep Your Covenant, perish by your Hand! Be this your will? Why must I be sacrificed for your will to be done?
Why do you Lord forsake me still in my sleep. The only voice that came was the captain's who cried out to me, “How can you be sleeping so soundly! Up, call upon your god! Perhaps the god will be kind to us and we will not perish.” (Jonah 1.6) All I hear are your angry seas, mad at me.
I was tashlich, cast off, and as "The floods engulfed me;" and "All Your breakers and billows swept over me" and I sunk to the depths, to the pit of Shoel, "I thought I was driven away. Out of Your sight." (Jonah 2:4 2:5) And, as "The bars of the earth closed upon me forever." At the time of my final slumber, "When my life was ebbing away," (Jonah 2:8) you came to me, and by your hand I was saved. As Micah, who prophesied Tashlich, from the depths, in the body of a fish I was saved from the evil eye and there I was cleansed of sin. You "provided a huge fish to swallow me." I remained "for three days and three nights." (Jonah 2:1) and from the belly of the fish your message came to me, "They who cling to empty folly Forsake their own welfare," (2:9) That is what will come of the Assyrians. "But I, with loud thanksgiving, Will sacrifice to You;" "What I have vowed" from the belly of the fish, "I will perform. Deliverance is the LORD’S!" And "You brought my life up from the pit. O LORD by God!" (Jonah 2.7)
With your word and intent firmly in my heart, you "commanded the fish, and it spewed me (Jonah) out upon dry land" (2.11). I must proclaim your judgement on Niniveh. I will go at once to Nineveh in accordance with your command. (Jonah 3.3) For surely, without any signs of power given to me to display, all the people of Niniveh will "cling to empty folly" and "forsake their own welfare." I give myself as your sacrifice. Now my enemies to perish.
Link to Part II
Link to Part II
