Jonah’s book tells the story of the prophet commanded by God and is commanded to convey a message of repentance to Nineveh. It is an enemy city that was considered the epicenter of evil at the time, and is located in what is now northern Iraq.
Instead of obeying, Jonah tries to escape his mission by boarding the ship in the opposite direction. A violent storm explodes and Jonah realizes that he is the cause, is thrown overboard and swallowed by a great fish. Three days later he is spitted out onto dry land. Only then will he finally travel to Nineveh and shares the warnings of God.
Surprisingly, the Nineveh people include their livestock – repeat. God forgives the city, but instead of rejoicing, Jonah sucks sul under the withered plants, confused by God’s mercy. Standard morality is clear. No one can overtake their responsibility. Repentance is always possible, and God’s compassion extends to those we may consider undesirable.
However, this story is read as a cosmic comedy, rather than a strict instruction, in Yom Kipper, the sacred day of the Jewish year. All of Jonah’s actions are the study of avoidance and petulance. He flees God, takes a nap on a deadly storm, and conveys what will become history’s most enthusiastic sermons. The people of Nineveh, and even their cows, surpass Jonah in the liety, wear bags, and fast with slapstick adjoining zeal.
The supposed hero is the only person who never actually makes a joke.
On the day of the ultimate soul quest, the Jews face a parody of prophetic dignity, not a paragon of virtue. This reminds us that there is nothing more absurd than running away from the truth, except perhaps taking yourself too seriously in doing so.
Jonah’s story is a mirror for those who have ever dodged difficult truths and responsibilities. The urge to “run away” from harsh conversations, looming obligations, or unpleasant self-collected is universal. However, as Jonah’s misfortune shows, avoidance rarely brings peace. It often amplifies the problem, drags others into the storm, and causes great discomfort before it can be resolved.
Jonah’s book is also a criticism of the people’s self-righteousness and refusal to see the enemy humanity. For ancient Israel, Nineveh embodied existential threats and moral descent. But the story argues that even such enemies are out of reach of compassion and repentance.
For modern Israel, the temptation to see Gaza or Iran only through the lens of threat and hostility reflects Jonah’s original prejudice. This is not a call to ignore danger, but a challenge to the presumption that reconciliation is impossible and mercy is weakness.
Jonah’s failures are not only personal, they are national. They refuse to imagine that the “opposite side” could change or that their own side should also repent. The story warns against the self-destructive consequences of denialing the possibility of change.
Today, Israel often subjugates Palestinian suffering to its own narrative, and frames all resistance as an Iranian proxy. These are forms of self-deception that reflect Jonah’s biblical story, perpetuate conflict and undermine the moral tradition of the Jews.
True strength means facing the root causes of violence, such as occupation, confiscation, and inequality. True progress comes from dealing with these issues head on. It’s not about doubling your strength or ignoring your accomplice.
Commentator and former Zionist Peter Beinart warns that sticking to innocence while ignoring suffering in Gaza and elsewhere is a dangerous avoidance of liability. His views are shared across political spheres and by the vast majority of Americans increasingly demanding a more fair, humane and accountable approach to US policies towards regional Iran and American power, as well as Israeli-Palestinian conflicts.
Israel’s pretense of US and regional control is more about power than security. Their strategy goes far beyond defensive needs and is essentially to maintain and expand influence, control and utilization in the Middle East. As critics point out, they distract from executive scandals and legal challenges at home.
With the wisdom of comics, Jonah’s book leaves us with counterintuitive truths. Sometimes what’s more dangerous than your enemies is your certainty that you’re not like them.
A religious vision is not about seeing what is not there. It’s about seeing what’s there and always was. In many cases, it is easier to ignore.
Notes and reading
Hebrew BibleJonah’s Book (Chaps 1-4)
TalmudMishna Yoma 6:2. (Jona read Yom Kipper in the afternoon)
Hebrew Bible: Translation with Commentary -Robert Alter (2018); Jonah: A new translation with introductions, explanations and interpretations – Jack M. Sasson (1990).
Jewish tradition: Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, The Unasked Question (2014). Posted on the Rabbi Sacks Legacy site, it has become an important reference for modern Jewish research and discussion. Sachs tackles Jonah’s reluctance, God’s mercy, and the interaction of justice and compassion.
The bag of orthodox rabbis, philosophers and theologians was the chief of the United Hebrew Conference, the British rabbinic post.
Peter Beinart – His book, Jews after the destruction of Gaza: calculationshas caused a storm of debate in the American Jewish world and has surpassed it. Many readers have blissed his criticism of Israel and Zionism. The growing crowd rethinks his doubts on his pages, rethinking his relations with Israel and where his country is heading.
Will Iran now accelerate its efforts to build a bomb as its sole guarantor?
Tip #213 – written in stone: broken at birth
timeout – Chaos 2.0
Approx. 2 + 2 = 5
Source: 2 + 2 = 5 – williamgreen.substack.com
