Comedy, Humor, A Good Laugh; A Torah Perspective

Rav Hirsch: פרשת לך לך יז:יז Page 400

" In any case, צחוק, is triggered only by noticing something ridiculous or absurd, and there can be no greater absurdity than the expectation now held by Avraham. Avraham was a hundred years old, and Sarah was ninety. In the course of their long married life, Avraham had no children by Sarah. Now, Practically at the end of their lives they were to have a son! The birth of this child would be totally unexpected; and even if he were to be born, he would be an only child, and in all likelihood would be orphaned at an early age. Yet the prospects of a great nation destined to prevail over the entire world, the hopes of all of mankind, are to rest on this late-born, orphaned youth! if we consider only the natural course of things, this expectation seems totally absurd -like mountains hanging by hair!

Indeed, it was a great absurdity, and even Avraham- who, by throwing himself down on his face, had already expressed his confidence- could not help but laugh. Great significance is attached to this laughter. It is repeated below, in connection with Sarah, and will be evoked for all time by the name of the promised child.

The beginning of he Jewish people was absurd. To the rational mind, which calculates only on the basis of cause and effect, this people's history, expectations, hopes and life appear as a monstrous, ludicrous, pretension. Jewish History begins to make sense- indeed, deserves to be studied with utmost seriousness-only if one evaluates it on the basis of the higher causality of the Cause of all causes; if one believes in the free, omnipotent Will of the free God, Who acts freely and intervenes powerfully in the affairs of His world.

It was imperative that our ancestors know this from the beginning, and that their descendants always remember this. That is why God waited until the nation's patriarch and matriarch reached an absurd age; that is why Ge began to fulfill His promises only after all human hope was lost. He wished to create Himself a nation that would be אצבע אלקים- a"finger" of G-d. an indication of God in the midst of man kind. From the beginning to the end of its existence, this nation would stand opposed to all the forces operating in world history. Until this very day, the Jewish people is considered an utter absurdity in the eyes of God denying fools. The laughter the follows the Jew on his way through history testifies to the Divine character of his path. The laughter does not disturb him, because he was prepared for this laughter in advance.

Rav Hirsch פרשת בשלח פרק יד:יא

המבלי אין וגו׳ means- "Is it for lack of graves..." This sharp irony even in a moment of deepest anxiety and despair marks the sense of wit that is a characteristic trait of the clearheaded Tribe of Jacob

When [they were conversing] two [men] passed by and [Elijah] remarked, “These two are also Benei Olam HaBa.” Rabi Beroka then approached and asked them, “What is your occupation?” They replied, “We are jesters, when we see men depressed we cheer them up; furthermore when we see two people quarrelling we strive to make peace between them.”