ק֠וּם לֵ֧ךְ אֶל־נִֽינְוֵ֛ה הָעִ֥יר הַגְּדוֹלָ֖ה וּקְרָ֣א עָלֶ֑יהָ כִּֽי־עָלְתָ֥ה רָעָתָ֖ם לְפָנָֽי׃
“Bangunlah, pergilah ke Niniwe, kota besar itu, dan serukanlah terhadapnya, karena kejahatan mereka telah naik sampai ke hadapan-Ku.”
Midrash Tanchuma
When the Holy One, blessed be He, wills it, even the organs under a man’s control may be taken out of his control. How do we know this? We know it from Moses, Balaam, Jonah, Jeremiah, and Jeroboam. Where do we learn this about Moses? R. Samuel the son of Nahman said: The Holy One, blessed be He, tried for seven days to persuade Moses from the midst of the burning bush, as is said: Come now, therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh (Exod. 3:11), but Moses replied: O Lord, I am not a man of words, neither heretofore, nor since Thou hast spoken unto thy servant (ibid. 4:10). This verse indicates that the Holy One, blessed be He, tried for seven days to persuade him to go to Pharaoh.12Translated literally, Exod. 4:10 reads: O Lord, I am not a man of words, also from yesterday, also from the day before yesterday, also since Thou hast spoken unto Thy servant. Yesterday and the day before yesterday indicate three days; the word also is repeated three times, implying three more days; and the day on which Moses asked God to send someone else is the seventh day. He replied: Send please, whomever you will send. The Holy One, blessed be He, rebuked him, saying: Do you believe that your feet are under your control? Thereupon, Moses went to Pharaoh against his will. In the case of Jonah, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city (Jonah 1:2). But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord; and he went down to Joppa (ibid., v. 3). Ultimately, He inflicted upon him all the terrors of the sea: The fish swallowed him, and he cried out to the Holy One, blessed be He, from the belly of the fish; and the hair of his head and beard fell out because of the heat within the fish’s belly. Finally, he went to Nineveh, even though he did not desire to do so.
Shemot Rabbah
“Moses said to the Lord: See, You say to me: Take this people up, but You have not informed me whom You will send with me. And You said: I know you by name and you have also found favor in My eyes” (Exodus 33:12).
“Moses said to the Lord: See, You say to me,” that is what is written: “One moment I will speak of a nation and of a kingdom, [to uproot, to smash, and to eradicate, but if that nation repents of its evil, that which I spoke of,] I will reconsider the evil [that I thought to perform against it]” (Jeremiah 18:7–8). What is, “one moment I will speak”? In the blink of an eye I decree that a person shall die, and he repents and I am reconciled with him, as it is stated: “But if that nation repents of its evil.” Who are they? These are the people of Nineveh. What is written in their regard? “Rise, go to Nineveh, the great city” (Jonah 1:2). Why? “For their wickedness has ascended before Me” (Jonah 1:2). And it says: “Jonah had begun to enter the city, a journey of one day, [and he proclaimed and said: Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned]” (Jonah 3:4). What is written there? “The people of Nineveh believed in God, and they proclaimed a fast and they donned sackcloth” (Jonah 3:5), “man and animal” (Jonah 3:8). They said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, the animal knows nothing, and you absolve it; we, too, consider us like an animal.’ As it is stated: “Man and animal, herd and flock, shall not taste anything” (Jonah 3:7). Immediately, “God reconsidered the evil that He had said to perform against them and did not perform it” (Jonah 3:10).
The Rabbis say: “One moment I will speak of a nation,” this is Israel, as it is stated: “Who is like Your people, like Israel, a unique nation on the earth” (II Samuel 7:23). “And of a kingdom,” this is Israel, who were called a kingdom, as it is stated: “You shall be for Me a kingdom of priests” (Exodus 19:6). “To uproot, to smash, and to eradicate” (Jeremiah 1:10; 18:7); because they performed that act1The sin of the Golden Calf. and He sought to destroy them, as it is stated: “Let Me be, and I will destroy them” (Deuteronomy 9:14). When Moses stood and asked for mercy for them, immediately, “The Lord reconsidered” (Exodus 32:14). [Moses] said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, You became full of mercy for them; lead them Yourself to ascend to the land, and not by means of an emissary.’ That is what is written: “Moses said to the Lord: See, You say to me: Take this people up.”
“Moses said to the Lord: See, You say to me,” that is what is written: “One moment I will speak of a nation and of a kingdom, [to uproot, to smash, and to eradicate, but if that nation repents of its evil, that which I spoke of,] I will reconsider the evil [that I thought to perform against it]” (Jeremiah 18:7–8). What is, “one moment I will speak”? In the blink of an eye I decree that a person shall die, and he repents and I am reconciled with him, as it is stated: “But if that nation repents of its evil.” Who are they? These are the people of Nineveh. What is written in their regard? “Rise, go to Nineveh, the great city” (Jonah 1:2). Why? “For their wickedness has ascended before Me” (Jonah 1:2). And it says: “Jonah had begun to enter the city, a journey of one day, [and he proclaimed and said: Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned]” (Jonah 3:4). What is written there? “The people of Nineveh believed in God, and they proclaimed a fast and they donned sackcloth” (Jonah 3:5), “man and animal” (Jonah 3:8). They said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, the animal knows nothing, and you absolve it; we, too, consider us like an animal.’ As it is stated: “Man and animal, herd and flock, shall not taste anything” (Jonah 3:7). Immediately, “God reconsidered the evil that He had said to perform against them and did not perform it” (Jonah 3:10).
The Rabbis say: “One moment I will speak of a nation,” this is Israel, as it is stated: “Who is like Your people, like Israel, a unique nation on the earth” (II Samuel 7:23). “And of a kingdom,” this is Israel, who were called a kingdom, as it is stated: “You shall be for Me a kingdom of priests” (Exodus 19:6). “To uproot, to smash, and to eradicate” (Jeremiah 1:10; 18:7); because they performed that act1The sin of the Golden Calf. and He sought to destroy them, as it is stated: “Let Me be, and I will destroy them” (Deuteronomy 9:14). When Moses stood and asked for mercy for them, immediately, “The Lord reconsidered” (Exodus 32:14). [Moses] said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, You became full of mercy for them; lead them Yourself to ascend to the land, and not by means of an emissary.’ That is what is written: “Moses said to the Lord: See, You say to me: Take this people up.”