Jewish humor is generally considered to be self-deprecating rather than mocking. This paper studies one Jewish humor trope in which disparagement is used – that of the pious fool. The Talmud presents the chasid shoteh (pious fool) as one who could destroy the world; his piety is a danger to...

This book reviews, organizes and categorizes the humor of the Hebrew Bible, the Talmud and the Midrash, and presents it to the reader in a clear, readable, accessible manner. These works, replete with many types of humor and wit, have influenced the Jewish people in a major way over the...

Humor is the lingua franca of the Jewish people. Even outside the world of the professional comic, we find ordinary folk answering a question with a question, employing a sarcastic retort, offering self-deprecating witticisms. For Jews, this special brand of humor has become a defining...