kosher bookworm: alan jay gerber

Yom Kippur and the Jonah legacy

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It is with certainty that Yom Kippur is the most intensely and widely observed of all Jewish holidays. Within the context of this observance there are numerous liturgical, biblical, theological and literary factors that establish the underlying theological themes of the day’s observance. One such literary ritual is the recitation of the Book of Jonah in the afternoon Mincha service.

Jonah is the focus of a new study, “Unusual Bible Interpretations: Jonah and Amos” (Gefen Publishing) by one of today’s leading Bible scholars, Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin, a musmach of Yeshivas Ner Yisrael in Baltimore.

Within this work Rabbi Drazin gives us a new translation, an easy to read commentary that explores the book’s numerous ambiguities that have drawn the attention of commentators for over 2,000 years.

In the chapter, “Prayer in Jonah and the Meaning of Prayer,” Rabbi Drazin presents views that are challenging, when we consider that the Yom Kippur observance is centered almost exclusively on prayer.

“The Hebrew word used today for “to pray” is lehitpaleil. The root is p-l-l, which literally denotes ‘judge’,” writes Rabbi Drazin. “It signifies the person making the statement, and should be translated as ‘to judge one’s self.’ Understanding this, when people read the text of the siddur [machzor] … they should pay attention to what is written, reflect upon their behavior, goals, successes and failures, and ‘judge themselves’ against the ideas mentioned in the text and their own sense of self and their life goals. The text should be a stimulant for improvement, not a passive reliance on divine help. 

“The biblical book of Jonah reflects this understanding of lehitpaleil. Jonah is greatly distressed and expresses his anguish in internal reflections.”

Rabbi Drazin details Jonah’s emotions, using the biblical text to reinforce the emotional turmoil he was going through.

This part of the Yom Kippur service, because of its placement, seems to self-marginalize the Book of Jonah, suggesting it is almost a sideshow wedged between the Avodah service and Neilah’s liturgical climax to the day’s observance. Hopefully the interpretative treatment in this volume will enhance the interest of worshipers in Jonah who will thus take its reading a bit more seriously. 

“Is the book of Jonah a parable or did it actually occur?” asks Rabbi Drazin. “Who was Jonah? Why didn’t Jonah want to obey G-d? What is the significance of the fish that swallowed Jonah? Is it even possible to disobey G-d? Why is Jonah silent when G-d speaks to him?”

And, please, also consider this: “Why does the word repentance, which many assume to be the message of the book, not appear in it even once?”

If you would like to further study from the works of Rabbi Drazin, consider his previous work, “Mysteries of Judaism,” especially his chapters dealing with the high holidays, and of his detailed take on the whole concept of teshuva.  

FOR YOUR FURTHER STUDY

One of the most fascinating public rituals at the very start of the Yom Kippur Kol Nidre service is the open recitation of the Shehecheyanu Blessing.

If your curiously has been peaked by this experience, you might want to check out an essay by Rabbi Johnny Solomon at Machon Ma’ayon in Israel, where he teaches halacha and Jewish thought, in the Autumn 2016 issue of Conversations, published by the Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals (Jewish Ideas.org).

This 12-page essay include 59 footnotes that together will give you a comprehensive view of the significance of this holy blessing.

Contact Alan Jay Gerber: Columnist@TheJewishStar.com