To begin, turn up your volume, click below and laugh away!
No one because we're isolating.
In our current reality, millions of people have flocked to humor for a sense of comfort, connection and control. The Atlantic spells it out right here, in “Yes, Make Corona Jokes.” There’s been an outpouring of memes, funny videos, and general silliness. Amidst our fear, exhaustion and anxiety, we seem determined to carry on laughing.
Sometimes to deal with difficulty and tragedy, we need to laugh. The ability to find humor in the grimmest of circumstances is not only a survival tool but a supreme act of creativity.
Jewish tradition also recognizes that humor plays an important role in our lives.
The Talmud relates the practice of the sage Rabbah, who before beginning to teach matters of Jewish law, “would say something humorous so that the Sages might be cheered.” Rabbah determines that the best way to prepare his students for Torah study is to tell a joke.
For Rabbah, the laughter is an attempt to put nerves at ease, and create space for hearts and minds to be opened to possibility. He embarks on a journey of study having felt the power of sharing a moment of humor.
In this Value Spark, we will explore the value of Humor.
What does laughter symbolize, what is particular about Jewish Humor, and what is the dark side of humor?
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Laughing Out Loud
When we’re so pent up with emotions, laughter is a natural release, signifying any number of feelings.
Being able to laugh is part of the human condition, as we encounter in the Biblical episode of Isaac’s birth. Abraham and Sarah were well beyond childbearing years, and when the news arrived from angels that they would have a child, they both laughed. This was such a powerful and momentous response, it even gave a name to the child who would be born.
Yitzchak, or Isaac, means “he who will laugh.”
Across geographical, socioeconomical, or political divides, there exists a universal code of laughter. The chuckle, for example, is used when you are laughing to yourself. A snicker, is often used as a sign of disrespect.
For an outsider to discern the nuance of a laugh, though, is highly subjective. Deciphering whether laughter is joyful or painful, genuine or artificial, relies on our own interpretation, and while we sometimes mis-read it, circumstance and intonation give us a glimpse into what particular laughter is meant to convey.
What did Abraham’s and Sarah’s laughter really mean? We can imagine that Abraham’s laughter was a burst of joy, for he would be blessed with a child. Sarah’s laughter might have been an exclamation of disbelief, since she was certain her window to motherhood had passed.
Learn the story of Isaac’s namesake for yourself and use the Laughter Gifs to interpret the story, identifying the particular types of laughter that were at play.
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Jewish Humor
Throughout the centuries, Jews have used humor as a way to navigate through challenging circumstances. From Lenny Bruce to Joan Rivers, Seinfeld to Sarah Silverman, from the Borscht Belt to Hollywood, many of the greatest entertainers and comedians are Jewish. Bill Novack comments that Jewish Humor "is not, for example, escapist. It is not slapstick. It is not physical. It is generally not cruel and does not attack the weak or the infirm. At the same time, it is also not polite or gentle."
Freud writes in Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious that Jewish humor takes on a unique form. Instead of making fun of others, it is self-deprecating, making oneself or one’s community the brunt of jokes.
For a snapshot of Jewish Humor, check out this clip:
While Jewish Humor places Jews and their collective experience at the heart of a joke, each person responds differently. What one person finds funny might be considered offensive to someone else. And what might seem extreme to a group could be the perfect antidote to someone’s needs.
Watch the following clips and capture your reactions.
At what points did you laugh, and what was so funny? What did you find to be cathartic? Did the jokes go too far at any point?
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The Dark Side of Humor
By definition, the humor that creates feelings of belonging and inclusion for some can also be at the expense of others. Just as it has the potential to unite, it can also divide. Humor can be mean and derisive, picking on those who are different, establishing who is inside the group and who is not and perpetuating stereotypes.
We laugh with people to belong, and at others to exclude.
We’ve each been the brunt of a poor joke. In particularly difficult situations, all eyes may have been on you, mouths agape and fingers pointed. In more uncomfortable situations, you may have been in the company of people targeting individuals or groups, and while they didn’t necessarily target you, you were very much present in the moment.
Standing up to inappropriate humor is not simple, which is especially true when a bystander can easily get away with letting a joke pass. Engaging requires courage and vulnerability, and sets one at risk of social ostracism. While the benefits are clear, how much should one be willing to risk?
In this challenge, you'll have a chance to replay a scenario that could have unfolded differently, whether you were the subject of a joke or witnessed someone else take a hit.
Reliving such moments can be difficult. Analyzing how you reacted – or could have reacted – will equip you to respond appropriately the next time you find yourself around ill-humor.
Humor is cathartic, and laughter is medicinal.
Teleport back to a time when you literally clenched your stomach because you were laughing uncontrollably.
Feel the stretch of your smile pinned across your cheeks. Recall the short, continuous, rhythmic breaths and taste the tears of joy that trickled down your face. Remember the uncomfortable but welcomed sense of paralysis you experienced, where your diaphragm took complete control of your body.
Relive the moment.
And as you gained control of your breathing and your face regained its shape, meditate for a few seconds on that final sigh of relief and euphoria.
What can you do to create another such moment?
"May our mouths be filled with laughter, our tongues with songs and joy." -Psalms 126:2
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