God Laughed: Sources of Jewish Humor

by Hershey H. Friedman

Overview

Humor has had a profound effect on the way the Jewish people see the world, and has sustained them through millennia of hardships and suffering. God Laughed reviews, organizes, and categorizes the humor of the ancient Jewish texts the Hebrew Bible, the Talmud, and Midrash in a clear, readable, and accessible manner.

These works have influenced the Jewish people in many ways, and all are replete with humor and wit. Inevitably, this oeuvre of Jewish humor has itself influenced generations of comics, as well as genres of humor. The authors use examples of Biblical humor from several broad categories, including irony, sarcasm, wordplay, humorous names, humorous imagery, and humorous situations.

Because their primary purpose is not to entertain, but to teach humanity how to live the ideal life, much of the humor in the Talmud and the Midrash has a single purpose: to demonstrate that evil is wrong and even, at times, ludicrous. This may help explain why approximately 1,500 years after its closing, the Talmud is still such a fascinating work. God Laughed is the latest addition to Transaction's Jewish Studies series.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781138510401
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	11/15/2017
Series:	Routledge Jewish Studies Series
Pages:	366
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Hershey H. Friedman is professor of business and director of business programs at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York.

Table of Contents

Preface Acknowledgements Part I: Introduction 1 Studying Jewish Humor 2 A Word on the Sources: Biblical, Talmudic, and Midrashic Literature Part II: Heavenly Humor 3 Does God Have a Sense of Humor? 4 Biblical Humor: From Irony, Sarcasm, Wordplay to Humorous Imagery 5 No Match for God: Satan as Trickster Part III: Humor in the Talmud and Midrash 6 Humor in the Talmud and Midrash: An Overview 7 Recurring Characters and Themes 8 Satire, Irony, and Self-Deprecating Humor 9 Sarcasm 10 Exaggerated Imagery and Other Hyperbole 11 Wordplay: Puns, Acrostics, and Riddles 12 Humorous Sayings and Remarks 13 Allegories, Parables, and Fables 14 Talmudic Tales 15 Humorous Cases and Other Absurdities Part IV Conclusion 16 Is There a Jewish Sense of Humor? Appendixes Appendix A: Important Dates In Jewish History Appendix B: The Time Periods of the Talmudic Sages Appendix C: The Sages and Their Generations Appendix D: Classic Commentators Appendix E: Mostly Punch Lines, an Index of Jokes Notes Bibliography Index

Editorial Reviews

03/24/2014
In this lighthearted but thoughtful study, professors Friedman and Friedman step outside the bounds of their own academic disciplines to trace the origins and evolution of Jewish humor from religious texts. Citing numerous sources including the Hebrew Bible, the Talmud, and the Midrash, the authors do a thorough and convincing job of identifying the presence of humor, especially the distinctive elements of self-deprecation and irony, in the Torah. Instances in which God invites argument from humans—including Abraham's defense of the lives of the residents of Sodom and Gomorrah—are presented as logical precursors to jokes at the deity's expense, as they make clear the notion that candid conversations are not viewed as heretical. Lay readers will appreciate the leavening of what could have been a dry recital with multiple examples of contemporary jokes, and examples from TV shows including Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Those who aren't put off by the banalities presented in the opening sections ("Jews tend to see the world through the prism of Jewishness," or, "Jews appreciate humor,") will be rewarded with this fun read. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

"In this lighthearted but thoughtful study, professors Friedman and Friedman step outside the bounds of their own academic disciplines to trace the origins and evolution of Jewish humor from religious texts. Citing numerous sources including the Hebrew Bible, the Talmud, and the Midrash, the authors do a thorough and convincing job of identifying the presence of humor, especially the distinctive elements of self-deprecation and irony, in the Torah. Instances in which God invites argument from humans—including Abraham's defense of the lives of the residents of Sodom and Gomorrah—are presented as logical precursors to jokes at the deity's expense, as they make clear the notion that candid conversations are not viewed as heretical. Lay readers will appreciate the leavening of what could have been a dry recital with multiple examples of contemporary jokes, and examples from TV shows including Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm. . . . [A] fun read." —Publishers Weekly “The Friedman husband and wife team has managed to produce a rich and rewarding book on Jewish jocularity. . . . What is revelatory is how well the Friedmans know their subject. They not only provide scores of examples from the sacred Jewish sources, they spice the proceedings with an abundance of contemporary Jewish jokes (and believe me, they include countless classics). They also provide a fine bibliography, appendices of dates in Jewish history and the periods of the Talmudic sages and classic commentators, a general index, and even an index of jokes and punchlines. . . . The book had me smiling throughout.” —Matt Nesvisky, Jerusalem Post "The Friedmans are best at cataloguing the huge corpus of early Jewish humor . . . they make a strong case that the concerns, styles, rhythms, preoccupations, and values of the Torah and Talmud are buried deep in the words that still make us laugh as Jews, and that continue to bond us a people." —Andrew Silow-Carroll, The Times of Israel “Jewish history buffs and biblical scholars will greatly benefit from this volume along with those who simply enjoy a fun read.” —Reverent Austin Miles, Christian Coalition for America “If you like humor, this book is an eye opener. The authors convincingly demonstrate that the original sources of modern Jewish humor are the ancient Jewish texts themselves! When you hear an old joke, the essence of it may be a lot older than you ever imagined. Not just amazingly informative, this book is a witty and wonderful read.” —Robert I. Bell, Brooklyn College "Humor, hard though it may be to define, has been a key component not only of Jewish religious life and its writings, but of Jews' survival of centuries of exile and persecution. Certainly, while the Torah and the Talmud have their share of paradox and sarcasm, the slightly sour and pragmatic qualities now associated with Jewish humor flowered later, as by-products of exile and change. VERDICT: Peppered with humorous anecdotes and stories, this rich and thought-provoking book is an education in Jewish spirituality as well as a study in the meaning of the comic essence itself and deserves a wide audience." —Library Journal "This book is the most thorough examination of the earliest sources of Jewish humor, and should be a part of the library of every humor scholar." —Joyce M. Saltman, Humor: International Journal of Humor Research “A brilliant analysis of a fascinating aspect of the Talmud that demonstrates its universality and timeless appeal. The authors have produced a work that is ingenious, witty, and truly original and which will appeal to all those interested in religious studies, Judaica, and intellectual history.” —William Helmreich, City University of New York Graduate Center and City College of New York

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