Jonah’s Covid Message

“Each day the Torah should be experienced like it was just given”.  Besides the spiritual meaning behind this, it is also a practical message.  If we look at Torah as if it is brand new, we will look at it through relevant lenses.  

On Yom Kippur when we were studying Jonah, we decided to take the angle of “what is Jonah teaching us about our times”? 

The story is well known and can be reviewed here. When the storm begins on the seas Jonah goes to sleep and falls into a deep slumber.

This begs explanation.  How could he slumber when the future is so unknown?  At first it seems like he is in denial about the circumstances.  But a deeper look and an insight from R’ Yosef Karo gives us a profound message for our time.

Jonah was “running” away from G-d*.  It was clear to him that the storm on the high seas was a direct result of his actions.  (As he says when approached by the captain – “it is on account of me that this storm is brewing”.)

He knew his prayer wouldn’t work because he was in violation of G-d’s instruction and he had no intention of changing this.  At the same time he was at peace knowing that whatever the outcome of the storm it was being guided from above.

When one has such faith and confidence that the events going on around them are being orchestrated from above, there is truly nothing to fear except fear itself.

And so he slept and even slumbered.

Our anxiety today comes from the unknown.  How long will it last? Will I get it? Will I end up hospitalized?  Will my kids need to stay home from school? Will I get fired? The unknowns go on.  
A little child held in a parents embrace, feels with confidence that everything is going to work out ok.  It’s only when the child’s intellect develops and he/she becomes jaded by the outside world that the doubts begin to creep in.

Coming from Yom Kippur and living in anxious times we are reminded of this core message.  Melt into G-d’s embrace.  Feel the protective love of Hashem.  It’s all in His hands.  Let go and let G-d!

The Sukkah is G-d’s embrace.  A literal physical structure that surrounds us from all sides and carries with it Hashem’s hug.  Let’s lose ourselves in this embrace and feel protected with the knowledge that the ship has the best possible captain it could have.

Good Shabbos and Chag Sameach!

*Jonah ran away from G-d because he knew that G-d would forgive the people of Ninveh.  He was concerned that G-d would then have a claim against the Jewish People who are known throughout the books of the Prophets to be difficult in their repentance.  So he ran away as a form of dedication to his people.

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