What are the specifics of humor Torah of the Jews?

Question

Jews from time immemorial different sense of humor. About Zhvanetskogo Raikin and know everything. And what is the specificity of humor Jews the Torah?

Responsible Rav Reuven Piatigorsky

Good question. Everyone knows that the Jews there is the quality, and even in an exaggerated way, but - whether it occurs in religious Jews? In the text of the Torah no hint of humor or satire. Then where does the famous Jewish ability to always laugh at everything, including on himself?

Life is made. Humor - Special response to any event in which an internal inconsistency. Usually this discrepancy we find there, where instead of the truth we slip imitation of the truth. Hypocrisy, lies, hypocrisy - this is the vicious environment which contribute to the improvement of the very old proven tools: laughter and mockery. Jews being an "eternal nation" simply had to possess such "means". Because something in our environment so soon born anecdotes.

We are writing them, and with us all laugh. Laughter helps to survive without losing a human face. But where there is no danger for human dignity, there is no need for a protective response. No wonder the Jews, keep the commandments, and among them, "Love your neighbor" is appreciated and good heart joke, but it is difficult to find examples of "stinging" laughter, "killer" of irony, "stinging" sarcasm. After all, the evil mockery can really hurt and even kill.

Jewish jokes are short, fun - and as wise as those rabbis, which they tell. To one Jewish Rabbi came to consult how to get out of an unpleasant situation in which he found himself on his own fault. To confess to wrongdoing I was ashamed, so he said that he was sent to another question. Rav gave a complete answer, but in the end he added: tell a friend, not to fear the next time he come; let him come and say that he was sent to another question.

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