During the afternoon Mincha services, we read the entire Book of Jonah, which teaches us that you can’t run away from Hashem, and that Hashem always accepts Teshuva (repentance) even from an entire city of sinners. The story is about the Navi (Prophet) Jonah, who is told by Hashem to go to Nineveh and teach the people there to do Teshuva, otherwise Hashem will destroy the city. Jonah does not want to go, and tries to run away from Hashem by boarding a boat
going to Tarshish. On the way to Tarshish, a great storm arises, tossing the ship about…Jonah asks to be thrown overboard as he knows the storm is only because of him. Sure enough, as soon as he is thrown overboard, the storm stops. When Jonah is thrown into the sea, he is swallowed by a great fish, where he prays to Hashem and is forgiven. On Hashem’s orders, the fish carries Jonah to the shore, and he heads towards Nineveh. In Nineveh Jonah tells the people Hashem’s message. They listen to Jonah and do Teshuva.
