Difference between revisions of "The Repentance of Nineveh/1"
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<div><b><center><span class="highlighted-notice">This topic has not yet undergone editorial review</span></center></b></div> | <div><b><center><span class="highlighted-notice">This topic has not yet undergone editorial review</span></center></b></div> | ||
<h2>A Model to Emulate?</h2> | <h2>A Model to Emulate?</h2> | ||
| − | <p><a href="Yonah3" data-aht="source">Yonah 3</a> appears to describe one of the only successful repentance campaigns in all of Tanakh. Yonah cries out but five words, "עוֹד אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם וְנִינְוֵה נֶהְפָּכֶת", and manages to get the entire city, | + | <p><a href="Yonah3" data-aht="source">Yonah 3</a> appears to describe one of the only successful repentance campaigns in all of Tanakh. Yonah cries out but five words, "עוֹד אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם וְנִינְוֵה נֶהְפָּכֶת", and manages to get the entire city, young and old, human and animal, to fast and don sackcloth.  The king himself prods the people to repent of their ways and cry out to God. </p> |
| − | <multilang style="overflow: auto"> | + | <multilang style="overflow: auto;"> |
<q xml:lang="he" dir="rtl">(ז) וַיַּזְעֵק וַיֹּאמֶר בְּנִינְוֵה מִטַּעַם הַמֶּלֶךְ וּגְדֹלָיו לֵאמֹר הָאָדָם וְהַבְּהֵמָה הַבָּקָר וְהַצֹּאן אַל יִטְעֲמוּ מְאוּמָה אַל יִרְעוּ וּמַיִם אַל יִשְׁתּוּ. (ח) וְיִתְכַּסּוּ שַׂקִּים הָאָדָם וְהַבְּהֵמָה וְיִקְרְאוּ אֶל אֱלֹהִים בְּחׇזְקָה וְיָשֻׁבוּ אִישׁ מִדַּרְכּוֹ הָרָעָה וּמִן הֶחָמָס אֲשֶׁר בְּכַפֵּיהֶם. (ט) מִי יוֹדֵעַ יָשׁוּב וְנִחַם הָאֱלֹהִים וְשָׁב מֵחֲרוֹן אַפּוֹ וְלֹא נֹאבֵד.</q> | <q xml:lang="he" dir="rtl">(ז) וַיַּזְעֵק וַיֹּאמֶר בְּנִינְוֵה מִטַּעַם הַמֶּלֶךְ וּגְדֹלָיו לֵאמֹר הָאָדָם וְהַבְּהֵמָה הַבָּקָר וְהַצֹּאן אַל יִטְעֲמוּ מְאוּמָה אַל יִרְעוּ וּמַיִם אַל יִשְׁתּוּ. (ח) וְיִתְכַּסּוּ שַׂקִּים הָאָדָם וְהַבְּהֵמָה וְיִקְרְאוּ אֶל אֱלֹהִים בְּחׇזְקָה וְיָשֻׁבוּ אִישׁ מִדַּרְכּוֹ הָרָעָה וּמִן הֶחָמָס אֲשֶׁר בְּכַפֵּיהֶם. (ט) מִי יוֹדֵעַ יָשׁוּב וְנִחַם הָאֱלֹהִים וְשָׁב מֵחֲרוֹן אַפּוֹ וְלֹא נֹאבֵד.</q> | ||
<q xml:lang="en">(7) And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying: 'Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing; let them not feed, nor drink water; (8) but let them be covered with sackcloth, both man and beast, and let them cry mightily unto God; yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. (9) Who knoweth whether God will not turn and repent, and turn away from His fierce anger, that we perish not?'</q> | <q xml:lang="en">(7) And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying: 'Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing; let them not feed, nor drink water; (8) but let them be covered with sackcloth, both man and beast, and let them cry mightily unto God; yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. (9) Who knoweth whether God will not turn and repent, and turn away from His fierce anger, that we perish not?'</q> | ||
</multilang> | </multilang> | ||
| − | <p>At first glance, the Ninevites' comprehensive repentance appears to be a model worthy of emulation. On closer inspection, however, the all-inclusive nature of the repentance itself makes one question. Why are the animals participating? Is not the goal to | + | <p>At first glance, the Ninevites' comprehensive repentance appears to be a model worthy of emulation. On closer inspection, however, the all-inclusive nature of the repentance itself makes one question. Why are the animals participating? Is not the goal of the process to reflect on one's ways, feel regret, and change?  As animals are incapable of such introspection, their self-affliction seems almost farcical, causing one to question the entire character of the city's repentance.</p> |
<h2>A Contradiction?</h2> | <h2>A Contradiction?</h2> | ||
<p>Chapter 3 ends by sharing that Hashem decided to avert His decree of destruction:</p> | <p>Chapter 3 ends by sharing that Hashem decided to avert His decree of destruction:</p> | ||
| − | <p> </p> | + | <multilang style="overflow: auto"> |
| + | <q xml:lang="he" dir="rtl">וַיַּרְא הָאֱלֹהִים אֶת מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם כִּי שָׁבוּ מִדַּרְכָּם הָרָעָה וַיִּנָּחֶם הָאֱלֹהִים עַל הָרָעָה אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר לַעֲשׂוֹת לָהֶם וְלֹא עָשָׂה.</q> | ||
| + | <q xml:lang="en">And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, which He said He would do unto them; and He did it not.</q> | ||
| + | </multilang> | ||
| + | <p>This verse implies that Hashem's decision was a direct result of the people's repentance. However, when Yonah later expresses dismay over the city's salvation, Hashem makes no mention of their repentance.  He, instead, provides an enigmatic analogy , bringing a "קיקיון" to shield Yonah from the sun, and then drying it up, leading Yonah to once again request death. Hashem then explains:</p> | ||
| + | <multilang style="overflow: auto"> | ||
| + | <q xml:lang="he" dir="rtl">(י) וַיֹּאמֶר י״י אַתָּה חַסְתָּ עַל הַקִּיקָיוֹן אֲשֶׁר לֹא עָמַלְתָּ בּוֹ וְלֹא גִדַּלְתּוֹ שֶׁבִּן לַיְלָה הָיָה וּבִן לַיְלָה אָבָד. (יא) וַאֲנִי לֹא אָחוּס עַל נִינְוֵה הָעִיר הַגְּדוֹלָה אֲשֶׁר יֶשׁ בָּהּ הַרְבֵּה מִשְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה רִבּוֹ אָדָם אֲשֶׁר לֹא יָדַע בֵּין יְמִינוֹ לִשְׂמֹאלוֹ וּבְהֵמָה רַבָּה.</q> | ||
| + | <q xml:lang="en">(10) And the Lord said: 'Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow, which came up in a night, and perished in a night; (11) and should not I have pity on Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern Between their right hand and their left hand, and also much cattle?'</q> | ||
| + | </multilang> | ||
| + | <p>What does Hashem mean by the analogy?  What is the relevance of the great size of teh scity</p> | ||
| + | <p>In these words, Hashem implies that the decision to save Nineveh stemmed from mercy.  Which was the real reason for the annulling of the decree?</p> | ||
<h2>Names of God</h2> | <h2>Names of God</h2> | ||
Version as of 05:02, 21 August 2020
The Repentance of Nineveh
Introduction
A Model to Emulate?
Yonah 3 appears to describe one of the only successful repentance campaigns in all of Tanakh. Yonah cries out but five words, "עוֹד אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם וְנִינְוֵה נֶהְפָּכֶת", and manages to get the entire city, young and old, human and animal, to fast and don sackcloth. The king himself prods the people to repent of their ways and cry out to God.
(ז) וַיַּזְעֵק וַיֹּאמֶר בְּנִינְוֵה מִטַּעַם הַמֶּלֶךְ וּגְדֹלָיו לֵאמֹר הָאָדָם וְהַבְּהֵמָה הַבָּקָר וְהַצֹּאן אַל יִטְעֲמוּ מְאוּמָה אַל יִרְעוּ וּמַיִם אַל יִשְׁתּוּ. (ח) וְיִתְכַּסּוּ שַׂקִּים הָאָדָם וְהַבְּהֵמָה וְיִקְרְאוּ אֶל אֱלֹהִים בְּחׇזְקָה וְיָשֻׁבוּ אִישׁ מִדַּרְכּוֹ הָרָעָה וּמִן הֶחָמָס אֲשֶׁר בְּכַפֵּיהֶם. (ט) מִי יוֹדֵעַ יָשׁוּב וְנִחַם הָאֱלֹהִים וְשָׁב מֵחֲרוֹן אַפּוֹ וְלֹא נֹאבֵד.
(7) And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying: 'Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing; let them not feed, nor drink water; (8) but let them be covered with sackcloth, both man and beast, and let them cry mightily unto God; yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. (9) Who knoweth whether God will not turn and repent, and turn away from His fierce anger, that we perish not?'
At first glance, the Ninevites' comprehensive repentance appears to be a model worthy of emulation. On closer inspection, however, the all-inclusive nature of the repentance itself makes one question. Why are the animals participating? Is not the goal of the process to reflect on one's ways, feel regret, and change? As animals are incapable of such introspection, their self-affliction seems almost farcical, causing one to question the entire character of the city's repentance.
A Contradiction?
Chapter 3 ends by sharing that Hashem decided to avert His decree of destruction:
וַיַּרְא הָאֱלֹהִים אֶת מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם כִּי שָׁבוּ מִדַּרְכָּם הָרָעָה וַיִּנָּחֶם הָאֱלֹהִים עַל הָרָעָה אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר לַעֲשׂוֹת לָהֶם וְלֹא עָשָׂה.
And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, which He said He would do unto them; and He did it not.
This verse implies that Hashem's decision was a direct result of the people's repentance. However, when Yonah later expresses dismay over the city's salvation, Hashem makes no mention of their repentance. He, instead, provides an enigmatic analogy , bringing a "קיקיון" to shield Yonah from the sun, and then drying it up, leading Yonah to once again request death. Hashem then explains:
(י) וַיֹּאמֶר י״י אַתָּה חַסְתָּ עַל הַקִּיקָיוֹן אֲשֶׁר לֹא עָמַלְתָּ בּוֹ וְלֹא גִדַּלְתּוֹ שֶׁבִּן לַיְלָה הָיָה וּבִן לַיְלָה אָבָד. (יא) וַאֲנִי לֹא אָחוּס עַל נִינְוֵה הָעִיר הַגְּדוֹלָה אֲשֶׁר יֶשׁ בָּהּ הַרְבֵּה מִשְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה רִבּוֹ אָדָם אֲשֶׁר לֹא יָדַע בֵּין יְמִינוֹ לִשְׂמֹאלוֹ וּבְהֵמָה רַבָּה.
(10) And the Lord said: 'Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow, which came up in a night, and perished in a night; (11) and should not I have pity on Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern Between their right hand and their left hand, and also much cattle?'
What does Hashem mean by the analogy? What is the relevance of the great size of teh scity
In these words, Hashem implies that the decision to save Nineveh stemmed from mercy. Which was the real reason for the annulling of the decree?
