Why was Sefer Yonah Included in Tanach? (Part 2 of 2)

Artwork: Colossal Whale, by Adam Paquette

Why was Sefer Yonah Included in Tanach (Part 2 of 2)

Review

In yesterday's post we took up the Radak's question: Why was Yonah's prophecy recorded and included in Kisvei ha'Kodesh if wasn't for the Jews or about the Jews? 

The first of Radak's three answers is that Yonah's prophecy was recorded in order to inspire us to do teshuvah like the citizens of Ninveh. The Abravanel objected to this answer on two grounds: (1) If we aren't motivated to do teshuvah by the neviim who have been sent to our own nation, how are we going to be inspired by the account of a navi who was sent to another nation? (2) Ninveh's teshuvah was incomplete, in that they still clung to their avodah zarah; what kind of teshuvah role model is that supposed to be for Bnei Yisrael? 

We attempted to defend the Radak's explanation by pointing out how incredible it was that the Nazi-like people of Ninveh did complete teshuvah from their violent ways. While the Abravanel is correct in pointing that we typically aren't motivated by our own neviim, the teshuvah of Ninveh seems to be in a category of its own - one which would certainly seem to be inspirational in a different way than our own neviim. The Abravanel suggested his own answer: Sefer Yonah was included in Kisvei ha'Kodesh to teach us about Yonah - not about Ninveh. 

Although we weren't able to define the machlokes, we suggested that the Radak and Abravanel probably weren't arguing over the inspiration-value of Ninveh's teshuvah, but on whether such an account would be sufficient to include Yonah's nevuah in Kisvei ha'Kodesh. We left this as a tzarich iyun. Check out the comments for at least one good approach.

Answer #2: The Miracle of the Fish

The Radak offers a second explanation for why Sefer Yonah was included in Kisvei ha'Kodesh:

Furthermore, [Sefer Yonah was written] in order to make known the great miracle that God (blessed is He) did with the navi, namely, [that He enabled] him to be in the bowels of the fish for three days and three nights and live; furthermore, that He caused the fish to vomit him up.

The miracle of the fish is certainly the most well-known feature of the story. Say the name "Jonah" and most people will automatically associate to the phrase "and the whale." As far as miracles go, this was certainly an impressive one. A human being was sustained for three days and three nights in the belly of a fish, and survived even after being vomited out. 

Still, some might find this answer to be difficult to swallow. Although the Ralbag (Shemos 1:7) maintains that the derech ha'Torah is to publicize all miracles, since miracles serve as a proof of God's Existence and His role in guiding mankind, is this really enough to warrant including the entirety of Sefer Yonah in Kisvei ha'Kodesh? After all, the miracle of the fish only takes up one out of the four chapters in the sefer. 

My guess is that when the Radak introduced this answer with the word, "Furthermore ..." he did not mean to imply that the miracle of the fish would, in and of itself, be sufficient to include Sefer Yonah in Kisvei ha'Kodesh; rather, the miracle of the fish is another reason why Yonah's prophecy rises to the level of being a "Scripture-worthy" prophecy. In other words, the miracle that happened to Yonah might have been an important factor in the Anshei Kneset ha'Gedolah's decision to include Sefer Yonah. 

Answer #3: God Accepts Baalei Teshuvah

The third and final explanation offered by the Radak is my personal favorite: 

Furthermore, [Sefer Yonah was written] to teach that God (blessed is He) is compassionate to those who do teshuvah, no matter what nation they are from, and that He forgives them - especially if they are many.

There are several lessons to be gained from this explanation. First is the point which is explicitly highlighted by the Radak, namely, that God accepts all baalei teshuvah - no matter who they are, and no matter where they are from - and that He is abundant in mercy, compassion, and forgiveness. This theme is treated at length by the Rambam in Hilchos Teshuvah 7:6-7:

Teshuvah is great for it draws a man close to the shechinah, as it is stated: "Return, O Yisrael, to Hashem, your God" (Hoshea 14:2), and it is stated: "'Return to Me,' says Hashem" (Amos 4:6), and it is stated: "'If, you will return, O Yisrael,' says Hashem, 'You will return to Me'" (Yirmiyahu 4:1). In other words, if you will return in teshuvah, you will cling to Me. 

Teshuvah brings near those who were far removed [from Hashem]. Previously, this person was hated by God, disgusting, far removed, and abominable. Now, he is beloved and desirable, close, and dear … 

How exalted is the level of teshuvah! Previously, the [transgressor] was separate from God, the Lord of Israel, as it is stated: "Your sins separate between you and your God" (Yeshayahu 59:2). He would call out [to God] without being answered as it is stated: "Even if you pray many times, I will not hear" (Yeshayahu 1:15). He would fulfill mitzvot, only to have them crushed before him as states: "Who asked this from you, to trample in My courts?" (ibid. 1:12), and it is stated: "If only there were someone among you who would shut the [Temple] doors, so that you could not kindle upon My altar in vain!” (Malachi 1:10), and it is stated: "Add your burnt-offerings to your peace-offerings and eat [their] meat!" (Yirmiyahu 7:21).

But now he is clinging to the shechinah, as it is stated: "And you who cling to Hashem, your God" (Devarim 4:4). He calls out [to God] and is answered immediately as states: "Before you will call out, I will answer" (Yeshayahu 65:24). He fulfills mitzvot and they are accepted with pleasure and joy as it is stated, "God has already accepted your deeds" (Koheles 9:7), and it is stated: "Then, shall the offering of Yehudah and Yerushalayim be pleasing to God as in days of old and as in the former years" (Malachi 3:4).

This is a significant point on multiple levels. Philosophically, it is important to know that a person can completely and instantaneously change his metaphysical standing before God (whatever that means) from one extreme to the other. Psychologically, it is important for the transgressor to know that complete redemption is possible - otherwise, he might give up hope and feel "doomed" by his sins. It is also important to know how the status of a baal teshuvah is regarded from the vantage-point of Torah and mitzvos (e.g. a baal teshuvah's tefilos are answered, his mitzvos are accepted, etc.). From Ninveh in particular we see that teshuvah is so powerful that it can overturn a decree of destruction, even though the nation had descended to the utmost levels of depravity. 

Rav Hirsch, in his commentary on the haftorah, picks up on the Radak's point, but draws a different lesson from it:

We have pointed out at length elsewhere how characteristic it is of the truly broadminded universality of Judaism that it is idol-worshiping heathens whose amendment is held up to us on this day [of Yom ha'Kippurim] as a model for our own betterment.

I challenge anyone to find one other example of a religion that uses the spotlight of its holiest day to showcase "heathens" (who remained heathens) on account of their good behavior. 

But my favorite lesson to be gleaned from the Radak's third explanation may be summarized as follows: Sefer Yonah illustrates that teshuvah is not essentially a religious phenomenon, but a human phenomenon. I will attempt to illustrate this point by drawing upon my own teaching experience.

One of the biggest obstacles I face when teaching high school students about teshuvah is that they are still locked into an extremely narrow view of what teshuvah is. To many religious teenagers, "teshuvah" entails feeling guilty for speaking lashon ha'ra, klopping an al cheit for that time they ate a candy bar without a hechsher, and texting all of their friends a frantic, "Are you mochel me?" before the Aseres Ymei Teshuvah deadline is up. I have even encountered a number of freshmen who seem to think that teshuvah involves little more than regretting what you did and saying that you're sorry, whether to God or to another person.

According to my understanding, teshuvah is far broader than that. I would say that real teshuvah is a process which involves every single aspect of human development. The Rambam introduces Hilchos Teshuvah by saying "the explanation of this mitzvah, and the fundamental principles which are dragged along with it, because of it, will be explained in the following chapters" - and he is quite serious. His Hilchos Teshuvah begins with "halachic teshuvah," but goes on to describe the darchei teshuvah, how God judges the world, the criteria for entry into olam ha'ba, free will, reward and punishment, berachos and klalos, lishmah and she'lo lishmah, and many more topics. The majority of these topics are pertinent not only to Jews who observe the system of 613 commandments, but to non-Jews as well.  

What better way to illustrate this point than by focusing on a real-world instance of teshuvah which was completely "non-religious" in character, and which didn't involve any Jews? The teshuvah of Ninveh was from the transgressions of chamas (i.e. violence, theft, robbery, battery, etc.), which is bein adam l'chaveiro on the most basic societal level. By pondering their teshuvah from this sin, we will come to recognize that our teshuvah has the same fundamental objective, namely, to help us to live as human beings, which is the purpose of the entire Torah.

Conclusion

In order to fully investigate this question, we would really have to delve into the whole sugya of what makes something worthwhile to include in Kisvei ha'Kodesh. We would have to understand why the neviim that made it in, made it in, and why those who didn't, didn't. 

The purpose of these two blog posts was not to educate ourselves about the halachic criteria for "Scriptural canonization," but to gain insight into the major themes of Sefer Yonah in an attempt to understand what we should expect to gain from learning it. In that regard, I feel that our analysis was a success.