44 Jonah in the Belly of the Big Fish

Again we met, a group of friends, and discussed the "Book of Jonah". These get-togethers have already become a Yom Kippur tradition. The hosts choose a subject related to Yom Kippur and each participant draws upon his own world in order to contribute to the discussion. Here are some of the things I said as well as some after thoughts.

It is almost possible to understand the story of Jonah without recourse to God. Jonah is a man with a mission. Is there anyone who does not know a person who believes that he must do some great deed and whose entire life revolves around delaying his commitment or making any progress toward doing so. Jonah flees from his life's mission; he wants to forget it or at least to distance himself from it. But mortal danger at sea is responsible for an upheaval. The story of Jonah's slumber on the ship about to sink is wonderful and without explanation. Perhaps there is a hint here that the story or at least part of it is a dream. And perhaps the sleep is a sort of meditation, a mystic concentration before leaving the body on the way to other worlds. That is also an explanation of Jonah's "existence" in the body of the fish, that is, a sort of dream or mystic experience.

In any event Jonah's experience at sea is a revolution that changed his life. He fled to the sea as a hermit flees to the desert; nevertheless something returned him to his life's mission. What was that something?

Someone in the group asked why Jonah of all people was chosen for this mission (to call upon the people of Nineveh), and my answer is simple. A man's mission is his, and only his. Jonah's Nineveh is none else's Nineveh. Perhaps in the belly of the fish Jonah read the story "Before the Law" by Kafka and realized that his Nineveh is his entrance to the Law that was intended only for him and would close when he died. And he did not want to die like the villager before the closed entrance. Perhaps that understanding caused his drastic change.

And one more word about false prophecy. The fear of being a false prophet is mentioned in the story as a reason for Jonah's reluctance toward assuming his mission. But the one who alarms and warns and in that way is able to change and postpone a catastrophe – and his grave prophesies do not take place – perhaps he is the true prophet.

43 Paradise in Heaven and on Earth

In the period between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, when the Day of Atonement is approaching and Jews reflect on their deeds in the past year and resolve to mend their ways, many of them quote the traditional poetic description to the effect that He who dwells in Heaven judges mankind the way a shepherd judges his flock and decides who will live and who will die, who by water and who by fire – and they ask for mercy so that they may have a good life that ends in paradise.

Paradise – the image of good, of plenty, the wonderful and the miraculous – has assumed many forms also in the descriptions of this world and one of them is the name of the lovely flower that blossomed this week in my garden. Two beautiful flowers of the "Bird of Paradise" grace the entrance to my house and another two are about to bloom in the next few days. There are those that seek paradise in heaven or in the mythological past, and others who are content to make do with what they find in this world – the revelation of beauty and glory.

The images of paradise in the heavens and on earth can be stretched a bit more to ask the question whether it is preferable to seek beauty and goodness in distant worlds or on earth, even near our own home; and should we rely on the powers of the Almighty who would mend the world as He would or should we aspire to improve the world with our own meager resources. To this question is added yet another – whether it is even possible to repair the world – that is to say, ourselves – without the idea of a Perfect Being that everything is directed towards and judged by.

These days, between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, one could consider the question, where do we stand in the continuum between the sky and the earth, between paradise and the 'Bird of Paradise', between the record in the 'Book of Life" and the ability to enjoy the world around us and to concern ourselves with improving and beautifying it.

42 New Moons of Chaos

On New Years day (Rosh HaShana) the twelve months cycle ends and we are accustomed to enumerate the months of the year and assign them symbols. Look at the beautiful image in the photo. It is part of a page of a Hebrew manuscript from Poland from the year 1640. The heading reads "Moladot Shel Thohoo" (Moons of Chaos) and on the relief itself, in the right hand column, is a list of all the months of the year. But what is the meaning of all the rest? What do the other three columns signify? And what are the "Moons of Chaos"?

Wise men debated the question whether the age of the world dates from the creation of man or from the creation of the world. After all, according to the first chapter of Genesis, man was created on the sixth day of the creation of the world, and according to tradition – on Friday the 1^st of Tishrei (the first month of the year). It follows therefore, that the world was created on the 25^th of Elul (the last month of the year). It must therefore be that the world itself was also created on the 1^st of Tishri. The logical conclusion is that the world was created a year before the creation of man. Due to these considerations we have two chronologies for the world: a chronology for the creation of man which wise men called the "chronology of man" or "chronology from the beginning of time", and a chronology for the creation of the world which wise men called "chronology from the beginning of chaos" – since that was the beginning of the chaos from which the world was created. The chronology referred to in the Talmud is the chronology of man but in the course of time the chronology of chaos was adopted by Judaism.

The tablet in the picture, therefore, is the exact account of the birth of the months. The three rows to the left of the names of the months indicate the birth of the months (new moons) according to the day of the week, the hour and the part of the hour (the hour in this system is divided into 1080 parts). These calculations were extremely important in order to determine the Hebrew calendar and the leap years, and heated disagreements over these matters were not unusual.

The eventual victory of "Moons of Chaos" over the "chronology of Man" is interesting – victory whose meaning was a decision in favor of the concept that does not place man in the center but assigns him a more modest role as part of the world. Although man is the crown of creation he is not the measure of all things.

41 The End of Summer

I have hiked much in the mountainous regions and here I am again, on my bicycle, amongst the orchards and fields near my home. The sun is low on the horizon and soon it will fall into the sea. The uncultivated brown fields are still covered with withered thorns but other fields have already been prepared for sowing. The furrows are fresh and the dark soil has been shaped into a huge chocolate bar. Sprinklers are refreshing the soil and only the broad paths are as yet one gigantic sand box, and that is how they will remain until the arrival of the first rain of the season. It is very hot and the humidity is heavy. I pedal on looking around me and suddenly, next to the road – an entire field of Chazavim (squill). I stop suddenly as if struck by lightening: summer is over – the Chazav is blooming.

I remember the childhood feeling of time, or more correctly the timeless feeling in which it seems that summer lasts almost eternally. Backwards it extended to the distant past before the beginning of the long summer vacation and forwards – it seemed that it would last forever. Even today I feel that self same refusal to believe that that eternal present – of sea, swimming pool and watermelon – could end. True, the calendar says that it is already September and soon the holidays will be upon us, but that is nonsense. The calendar is just so many paper pages – and the sun is the sun. Therefore when I am suddenly confronted with the white sign, the Chazav, standing tall by the side of the road, I get all excited. Because the Chazav is reality. A reminder that can no longer be denied: Summer is over.

When it is warm and I am in shorts and an undershirt, I find it hard to imagine the cold winter, and in winter I can't imagine the summer heat. I know that the seasons come and go. Nevertheless I refuse to believe that a different time of the year is possible at any moment. How does the change take place? How does the arrow of time pass from one point to another? I reject any such possibility – but then the Chazav confronts me and says: here, it has already happened. Summer is over.

40 My Scooter

This is my scooter. I use it for short trips – to the swimming pool, routine arrangements and shopping. I also ride on it in winter and even enjoy doing so. I have an excellent wind breaker suit, a wool scarf and leather gloves – which is sufficient for Israel's mild winters. But the real pleasure is going on it to the sea in summer. I take a good book with me (or a book that I need to evaluate), load my telephone with two items from "The New York Times Book Podcasts", place a bottle of water or sometimes cold beer in a backpack, tie the seat to the scooter and set out.

At the seashore scooter parking is free. I pass the automobile barrier easily and reach the parking lot of Sdot Yam's sailing club near the seashore. I like to sit on the bank of the Kibbutz Sdot Yam Bay, north of the boat club. It isn't crowded there and the sea is like a gigantic swimming pool surrounded by arms of flat rocks. I watch the many surfboard riders gliding diagonally either away from the shore or toward it and marvel at their dexterity. I watch the children returning from the sea in little boats, pushing and pulling them onto wagons and dragging them ashore.

When I get tired of sitting near the water I go for a refreshing swim and then take my customary walk – south to the power station or north to the Port of Caesarea.

The picture shows my scooter fully equipped and ready to go. The backpack is already in the storage compartment, the chair is strapped in place and presently the helmet will be on my head. The key is lying next to the helmet. See you at the seashore.

39 Noble Pearls

It has been a few weeks now since we saw the occasion of the publication of the book "Noble Pearls" whose scientific editor I had the honor of being. "Noble Pearls" is a selection of speeches delivered by winners of the Noble Prize for Literature, speeches these outstanding poets and authors made on the occasion of officially receiving the award, that special moment when they were in the limelight and had the ear of the world.

What can be said at such a moment, how can one meet this challenge of world recognition and honor? How to give thanks for the recognition? These speeches make for fascinating reading and in every way these prize winners chose to express themselves, they shared with their words pearls of wisdom. As the poet Yisrael Bar Kochav (who is seen in the photo above) said - when he quoted from 'Ithaka' by Kavafis - we must 'learn from those who know' and the speeches in this book are the words of those who know.

The occasion began with a reception at the Swedish Embassy, on the roof of 'Asia House' from where one has a wonderful view of Tel-Aviv. Afterwards, in a ceremony that took place in 'Beit Ariela', the book was praised by many and the Swedish ambassador made a speech in excellent Hebrew that won him much applause. He noted with gratification that during his tour of duty in Israel, three Israelis won the Noble Prize (although not in literature) and emphasized the fact that the prize indeed gives the winners special status which enables them to express themselves on any subject whatsoever. The world is eager to hear what they have to say – thanks to the prize.

38 A Computer Centered Life

When I began to work from home I bought a lap top because it is quieter, conveniently mobile and capable of doing everything that the large, noisy computer can do. From the outset I insisted on working opposite a thin screen outside the computer and equipped with comfortable cordless keyboard and mouse. Although I bought a lap top does not mean that I must do with those terrible keyboards and something that only resembles a mouse. I began to work facing the screen and the paper stand which are on the left hand side of the picture and lately a friend convinced me to use the computer screen in addition. Today I use the main screen for editing and the subsidiary screen (of the lap top) for scanning, mail, search and verification of information etc. At times I have two identical versions of text on the two screens when I need to compare different places in the text or make searches and want to avoid running each time to discover where I was and the exact wording in the two places. Now I am sitting opposite three objects: two screens and a paper text (generally the printed version or some kind of supplementary material, slips of paper and so forth).

Recently I began using the computer for telephone conversations abroad as well. I acquired a little camera and earphones with a microphone and I discovered the world of 'Skype', which enables talking from computer to computer or from a computer to an ordinary telephone. I also discovered 'Jaja', a program that makes possible talking from telephone to telephone at ridiculously low prices. Incidentally 'Jaja' also has an option of communication from mobile phone direct without using the computer.

So this way I sit many hours opposite computer screens. On the pages I write corrections with a mechanical pencil or a red pen. I prepare the suspended slips of paper from excellent 80 gram paper which is ideally suited to writing with a fountain pen. Sticky notes lying on the base of the screen are used as markers and reminders – one of them is sticking to the screen's base.

When I work I take off my wristwatch and place it in front of me. In front of that you can see the famous telephone with whose help most of the pictures that have appeared in this column have been taken. This time I had to use a different camera so that it too could appear in a column that bears its name. And what about the glass? That is 'Murphy's' beer that I bought on my return from the swimming pool.