Yonah at Yom Kippur Minha
Sefer Yonah | The reading, and the question it asks of its listeners
Megillah 31a - Selected passage
ืึผึฐืืึนื ืึทืึผึดืคึผืึผืจึดืื ืงืึนืจึดืื ืดืึทืึฒืจึตื ืืึนืชืด, ืึผืึทืคึฐืึดืืจึดืื ืดืึผึดื ืึนื ืึธืึทืจ ืจึธื ืึฐื ึดืฉึผืึธืืด. ืึผืึทืึผึดื ึฐืึธื ืงืึนืจึดืื ืึผึธืขึฒืจึธืืึนืช ืึผืึทืคึฐืึดืืจึดืื ืึผึฐืืึนื ึธื.
On Yom Kippur we read Aharei Mot and read as the haftarah โFor thus says the High and Exalted Oneโ. At Minha we read the passage concerning forbidden relationships, and read Yonah as the haftarah.
Mishnah Taโanit 2:1 - The elderโs address (selected passage)
ืึทืึผึธืงึตื ืฉืึถืึผึธืึถื ืืึนืึตืจ ืึดืคึฐื ึตืืึถื ืึผึดืึฐืจึตื ืึดืึผืึผืฉืึดืื, ืึทืึตืื ืึผ, ืึนื ื ึถืึฑืึทืจ ืึผึฐืึทื ึฐืฉืึตื ื ึดืื ึฐืึตื, ืึทืึผึทืจึฐื ืึธืึฑืึนืงึดืื ืึถืช ืฉืึทืงึผึธื ืึฐืึถืช ืชึผึทืขึฒื ึดืืชึธื, ืึถืึผึธื (ืืื ื ื) ืึทืึผึทืจึฐื ืึธืึฑืึนืงึดืื ืึถืช ืึทืขึฒืฉืึตืืึถื, ืึผึดื ืฉืึธืืึผ ืึดืึผึทืจึฐืึผึธื ืึธืจึธืขึธื. ืึผืึทืงึผึทืึผึธืึธื ืืึผื ืืึนืึตืจ (ืืืื ื) ืึฐืงึดืจึฐืขืึผ ืึฐืึทืึฐืึถื ืึฐืึทื ืึผึดืึฐืึตืืึถื:
The elder among them addresses them with words that move the heart: โOur brothers, it does not say of the people of Nineveh, โGod saw their sackcloth and their fastingโ, but rather, โGod saw their deeds, that they had turned from their evil wayโ (Yonah 3:10). And in the prophetic writings it says, โTear your hearts, not your garmentsโ (Yoel 2:13).โ
Key point: The Gemara establishes the reading; the Mishnah provides a direct explanation of what Nineveh teaches a community that is fasting. The following synthesis draws on those sources and on Radak: the fast should lead to changed conduct, and the possibility of mercy calls both the city and the prophet to respond.
Questions from the text
- What does the Mishnah deliberately contrast with โtheir deedsโ? Locate the concrete change in Radak on 3:10.
- According to Radak on 1:1, why can Ninevehโs response instruct Israel? How does the Mishnah use that same city to address a Jewish community?
- Compare Yonahโs gratitude for rescue in 2:10 with his complaint in 4:2. What makes mercy welcome in one passage and troubling in the other?
- Why does the sefer continue after Nineveh repents? Use Radak on 4:6 and 4:10-11 to explain what Yonah still needs to understand.