The Repentance of Nineveh/1
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, from young to 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 to undergo a process of reflection 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:
