The Auckland Hebrew Congregation

David received a parrot for his birthday. This parrot was fully-grown with a bad attitude and worse vocabulary. Every second word was an expletive. Those that weren't expletives were, to say the least, rude.

David tried hard to change the bird's attitude and was constantly saying polite words, playing soft music, anything he could think of to try and set a good example. Nothing worked.

He yelled at the bird and the bird got worse. He shook the bird and the bird got angrier and ruder.

Finally, in a moment of desperation, David put the parrot in the freezer. For a few moments he heard the bird squawking, kicking, and screaming. Then suddenly there was silence.

David was frightened that he might have hurt the bird and quickly opened the freezer door.

The parrot calmly stepped out on to David's extended arm and said: "I'm sorry that I might have offended you with my language and action and I ask your forgiveness. I will endeavour to correct my behaviour."

David was astonished at the bird's change in attitude and was about to ask what had made such a dramatic change when the parrot continued; "May I ask what the chicken did?"

There are some who look at Yom Kippur like a day in the freezer. It is a day of affliction and suffering - a day when we strip ourselves of comforts to look at ourselves and our lives in bare spiritual terms. How do I better my lot? How do I avoid eternal refrigeration?

There are others who look upon Yom Kippur as the most remarkable Yom Tov. It is a day of genuine celebration. It is a Shabbat Shabbaton - time set aside for spiritual thought and communion with G-d. It is a day when we can really draw close. It is a day of forgiveness and acquittal. A day in the Garden of Eden.

It is a special day. There is a special feeling when a community appears together in shul. There is a sense of bonding. Even our presence has a presence. The old melodies, the majesty of the service. Whether we think of ourselves as returning penitents or simply identifying Jews, coming to the Yom Kippur service and being a part of the community is a mitzvah. It creates a spiritual expectation and a spiritual moment.

There is a moment in Yom Kippur that I cherish every year and in sharing the experience with you I know I risk destroying it, but full as we are now, as we move through Mussaf, the numbers will wane, parents take children home, people have had their fill of emptiness, people will be take a nap before returning for Ne'ilah.

There is a moment that I cherish, and that's when we've had the shortest break after Mussaf and we resume for Mincha. It's a smaller crowd of stalwarts - for a very beautiful service.

The heart of Mincha - and it is such a shame that people miss it - is the story of Jonah. Just four chapters long - but one of the most beautiful books of the Bible.

With its underlying theme of G-d's mercy and forgiveness of the wicked people of Nineveh, it is the home address of Tshuva in the Torah. The book speaks of G-d's love and compassion for all creation - from the great nations of the world, to every beast and flower.

The parrot in the freezer - looking at his ways and vowing to repent is the heart of Jonah chapter 2. Jonah, swallowed by the fish is given time to contemplate eternity.

I should like to share with you a perspective on Jonah and retell the story - a little differently from the fairy tale version with which we were all raised.

Jonah, as you remember, was instructed by G-d to go to Nineveh and encourage the citizens to repent. Why did he disobey? Why didn't he want to heed the word of G-d? What kind of prophet is he?

We are told by the commentaries, that Jonah knew that the people of Nineveh would one day rise up against Israel - that they were an enemy. Personally, he would rather they didn't repent and they were punished and slain. He is introduced as Jonah ben Amitai - the son of Emet or Truth. Jonah was disobeying G-d on a matter of principle.

Of course he would be punished - he didn't care that he would be punished. He was happy to martyr himself to the cause. He stowed himself aboard a heathen ship, anticipating that G-d would take them all out.

The sailors, less enthusiastic, eventually identify Jonah as the cause of the storm. What should they do? Jonah recognises he has no future and insists despite their protest that they throw him overboard. Let them live - but he will not do G-d's bidding.

Poor, poor, Jonah. There is no easy way out. He cannot even get himself drowned. G-d prepares a big fish to swallow him. As he hits the water he is trapped. He had wanted death - but he is now neither alive and free nor dead - he is in fishy limbo.

We may disagree with G-d. We may fight or resist G-d. Even on matters of great principle - where we believe ourselves to be right - but we cannot, we cannot escape Him.

Realising that, Jonah opens his mouth in prayer. It is the most beautiful prayer from the depths. It is a perfect model of Tshuva

He talks from the heart. How far away he is - how far removed - he is below the depths - there is no metaphoric light at the end of the tunnel. Jonah says he can't even see the storm above him - in just a few lines he delineates loss and depression.

Jonah promises - I will gaze at your holy Temple. Jonah knows that if G-d has given him this cocoon it s an opportunity to return. If Jonah can return from having defied G-d then he can do it all the way. I have run so far from all that is holy - have abandoned it, have favoured death - but if You have not given up on me - then I can return

Emboldened Jonah sees himself bringing sacrifices in the Temple. He does not return to be a spectator. Jonah is not a second class, second division Jew - repentance brings him to the very altar in the heart of worship.

I have abandoned you. Run from you. You have chastened me - given me the opportunity to return. Return, I shall - and I shall even bring offerings of thanks and appreciation.

This isn't the breast-beating Tshuva of al chet, al chet, al chet this is the return to the Garden of Eden. Without even stopping to confess and spell out his misdeeds, Jonah sees that he yearns to be in the palace.

There, in the belly of the fish, Jonah sees his return to Jerusalem. Chutzpah? On the contrary it is the purest Tshuva of love. And none of us has done so bad and none of us has run so far and none of us is so removed that we cannot wish for the same.

The message of Jonah's prayer is clear. If you truly will it - then you are there.

Resolved to complete his mission, Jonah is dropped off by the fish on the sand. He didn't even need to swim ashore.

Tshuva is open to us however far removed. Tshuva is open to us, however low and abandoned we feel. If we want to return and if we will return - we are given the red carpet treatment.

This is whet the commentators describe as the Tshuva of love - it is a desire to draw close - to be close - and the imagination that you are close, the commitment to be close will take you right there.

There is nothing in your past, nothing you have done, no skeleton in your cupboard so revolting that it precludes your decision right now to return to the bosom of G-d's service

The people of Nineveh receive him with fasting, sackcloth and ashes. Theirs isn't a yearning to be close - but a fear for their lives. It is the frozen parrot model. But no less valid. It is where we are right now And they survive.

But the story of Jonah continues with one more little incident that is so easily missed - but is so much the essence of it all.

Jonah sits outside the city to see what will befall. He suffers the scorching sun - so G-d makes a plant which grows overnight and provides instant shelter. Jonah, we are told, loved the plant.

And the next day, as Jonah sits, watching Nineveh, sheltered by the shadow of the plant, G-d makes a worm that devours it - and Jonah is back in the scorching sunlight. So sorry for himself, so sorry for the plant, he prays for death.

How arrogant! Jonah's perception of the world is one where only the prophets and only the people of principle have a place. How arrogant and how wrong.

What happened to the Tshuva in the fish - the desire to be close - seeing himself in the gates of Jerusalem, at the altar of the Temple? In less than a week, Jonah has made a colossal spiritual climb-down. Ahh - When we step out of shul tonight, will we pay G-d as much attention as we give to him now?

So G-d admonishes Jonah - how tragic that the prophet looks only to himself, his own comforts. Does My world revolve around you?

You have a place - like the plant had a place - like the people of Nineveh have a place - like the worm has a place - you are a part of My creation.

We sit here in shul - genuinely feeling something of Judaism. We are aware of the basic moral lessons - we understand the core Mitzvot. Some we accept, some we kick into touch - place in a time or context that we say belongs elsewhere. Some we might reject outright.

Do we see ourselves as sinners? Do we really believe that our lives should be judged for life or death?

At the very end of the book, G-d tells Jonah to recognise that the sinners of Nineveh don't know - cannot tell between their right hand and their left. " lo yado bayn yemino le-smolo"

A bizarre comment. Especially now - after they have atoned: "cannot tell between their right hand and their left". Do we understand from this that the King of Nineveh put his gloves on back to front?

We can tell, we can distinguish the extremes: The right with a "R" in the world and the wrong with a "W" are often readily discerned. We, most of us, can deal with good and evil - but there is the "Beyn" - there is the between, there is that grey area in which most of us live.

And we cannot always tell or understand why G-d has instructed this or demanded that.

We're mostly pretty good on the Ten Commandments. Though Shabbat is in there. We get people in shul on festivals but Rosh Hashana has Two Days - not one but so many of the details, the laws and the principles are not as clear as right or left. We can't see why they are so important and we can't see why certain things are wrong.

I love the book of Jonah - and we read the book of Jonah because it fills me with hope that I can aspire for paradise. But I love the book of Jonah - and we read the book of Jonah, too - because G-d gives me a place if I like who I am.

I might be a worm of a messenger - a whale of a messenger - a frightened seaman caught up in G-d's storm or a prophet. Of greater or lesser merit, I have a place in G-d's world. Each brings G-d into His world.

In a moment we move into the Yizkor service. It is a service in which we remember parents, loved ones, even children - who brought us joy, brought us teaching, brought us love. We remember the special moments with them. We hurt at the separation.

Still blessed with parents - I remember my grandparents - from whom I learned so very much. And I remember so very much of what I learned from and about over 90 people, that I have buried these last 5 years in Auckland.

It is a great privilege to know people. We take relationships so very much for granted - till tragedy or landmarks like Yizkor bring them back into our focus.

Consciously and subconsciously we perpetuate their memories by emulating their examples, applying their lessons, learning from or repeating their mistakes.

May we take of the best - vivify the best - live up to the best - pass on the best. May our children and our grandchildren delight in the stories we can tell of the people we once knew

May each of us foster a relationship with G-d. May we look to show him love, by giving Him time & doing His bidding. May each of us find happiness in a place in G-d's world. May each of us take a little more of what inspires us to spread a little godliness and be a messenger for Judaism in this world.

Zochrenu lechayim, kotvenu besefer hachayim. Remember us for life. Inscribe us in the Book of life. May we and all Israel be blessed with a year of peace and year of happiness, a year of health and a year of life.

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