זוהר שמות — דף קצט ע”א

Parasha Vayakhel — folio 199a. The Zohar teaches that God established conditions with all of creation from the beginning: with the sun to stand still at mid-sky in Joshua’s time, with the stars to fight Sisera, with the fish to swallow Jonah. The story of Jonah is a parable for the human soul descending into this world: the ship is the body, the storm is the divine decree of judgment, and sleeping Jonah is the soul that does not awaken to repentance. The ship’s captain — the good inclination — awakens the person to examine his sins and return to his Master.