Shalom,
On Yom Kippur we read the story of the Navi {Prophet} Jonah. This story contains powerful allegories and profound spiritual and psychological interpretations.
I will start with the 1st Chapter of Jonah posted here from the Chabad translation
http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/15762/jewish/Jonah.htm :
Chapter 11. And the word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai, saying:
2. Arise, go to Nineveh, the great city, and proclaim against it, for their evil has come before Me.
3. And Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from before the Lord, and he went down to Joppa, found a ship going to Tarshish, paid its hire, and went down into it to come with them to Tarshish from before the Lord.
4. Now the Lord cast a mighty wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, and the ship threatened to be broken up.
5. And the sailors were frightened, and each one cried out to his G-d, and they cast the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them, and Jonah went down to the ship's hold, lay down, and fell fast asleep.
6. And the captain approached him and said to him, "Why do you sleep? Get up, call out to your G-d, perhaps G-d will think about us, and we will not perish."
7. And they said, each one to his fellow, "Come, let's cast lots, so that we will know because of whom this evil has befallen us." So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.
8. And they said to him, "Tell us now, because of whom has this evil befallen us? What is your work and whence do you come? What is your land, and from what people are you?"
9. And he said to them, "I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord G-d of heaven, Who made the sea and the dry land."
10. And the men were very frightened, and they said to him, "What is this that you have done?" For the men knew that he was fleeing from before the Lord, because he has told them.
11. And they said to him, "What shall we do with you, so that the sea subside from upon us, since the sea is becoming stormier?"
12. And he said to them, "Pick me up and cast me into the sea, so that the sea may subside from upon you, for I know that, because of me, this mighty tempest is upon you."
13. And the men rowed vigorously to return to dry land, but they could not, for the sea was becoming stormier upon them.
14. And they called to the Lord and said, "Please, O Lord, let us not perish for the life of this man, and do not place upon us innocent blood, for You, O Lord, as You wish, You have done."
15. And they picked Jonah up and cast him into the sea, and the sea ceased storming.
16. And the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they made sacrifices to the Lord and made vows.
Chapter 21. And the Lord appointed a huge fish to swallow up Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights.
2. And Jonah prayed to the Lord his G-d, from the belly of the fish.
3. And he said: I called out from my distress to the Lord, and He answered me; from the belly of the grave I cried out, You heard my voice.
4. And You cast me into the deep in the heart of the seas, and a river surrounded me; all Your breakers and Your waves passed over me.
5. And I said, "I have been driven away from before Your eyes," Indeed, I will continue to gaze upon Your Holy Temple.
6. Water has surrounded me even to the soul, the deep encompassed me; the Red Sea hangs over my head.
7. To the bottom of the mountains I descended, the earth-its bars are closed on me forever; but You brought up my life from Gehinnom, O Lord, my G-d.
8. When my soul grew faint upon me, I remembered the Lord: and my prayer came to You to Your Holy Temple.
9. Those who keep worthless futilities abandon their kindness.
10. But I-with a voice of thanks will I sacrifice to You; what I vowed I will pay, for the salvation of the Lord.
11. And the Lord said to the fish, and it spewed Jonah onto the dry land.
May the words of Hashem comfort those who have faith in his promise of redemption.
Shana Tova!
muman613
Topic: Jonah - Chapters 1 & 2 (Read 650 times)