זוהר שמות — דף קעא ע”ב

Rabbi Abba said how great are the works of the Holy One, blessed be He, in the heavens above and on the earth below. Jonah is the secret of the human soul that descends into the body and is obligated to perform the commandments. When a person forgets his obligations and flees, the soul descends into the depths and cries before the Holy One, blessed be He, to be saved. Within the structures of the narrative one can grasp the secrets of the soul and its teshuvah. The completion of the story purifies the soul and the secret of teshuvah is revealed at the end of the tale.