It is important to note that “repentance” of this sort was not provided for, apart from a special circumstance declared by Adonai himself, for the forgiveness of sins. Rabbi Nosson Scherman writes, “Wisdom decreed that the sinner should be pursued by his evil, and prophecy declared that the wake of sin brings death. Torah declared that atonement could be achieved only by guilt-offerings … but one fact remains undeniably plain – only G-d sanctioned repentance. Without His mercy, the sinner’s fate was bleak indeed. With His mercy, one moment of sincere repentance could wipe out a lifetime of sin.”
This fact was well-known, however, to the prophet Yonah. In fact, the Sages advise us that Yonah’s three days in the belly of a big fish was not the first time Yonah’s life had been batted around to serve a greater purpose of Adonai, like kitchen faucets in the kitchen of Chef Gordon Ramsey.
In I Kings 17, we read about how the prophet Elijah visited a widow and her son and how the son died after eating a meal provided by the prophet. Elijah then takes the boy up to the attic, prays for G-d’s mercy, and the life of the boy is restored. Although the text of I Kings does not name this son of a widow by name, rabbinic tradition holds that his was, in fact, Yonah, who would become a disciple of Elijah and, later, his successor, Elisha.
While we cannot be completely sure this tradition is true, since the boy is not named in the biblical text itself, it certainly lends more background to how Yonah reacts to the merciful actions on Adonai.
Yonah’s reaction to Ninveh being saved from destruction is one of the most mysterious passages in the Tanakh. One would think that Adonai forgiving an entire city headed for destruction from its doom would be cause for an overwhelming celebration that even the prophet would join in on. But this was not the reaction of Yonah.
Jonah 4:1-3 But this was displeasing to Yonah, and he became angry. He prayed to Adonai, “Now, Adonai, didn’t I say this would happen, when I was still in my own country? That’s why I tried to get away to Tarshish ahead of time! I knew you were a G-d who is merciful and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in grace, and that you relent from inflicting punishment. Therefore, Adonai, please, just take my life away from me; it’s better for me to be dead than alive!”
Can you imagine being angry at G-d? Can you imagine being so angry at G-d that you would beg him to take your life, and declare that you were better off dead than alive? That is extreme anger. It is an anger so intense, it causes even G-d to caution Yonah with the words, “Is it right for you to be so angry?”
Yonah never responds to G-d’s question, because the answer is obvious.
