Jewish Humor Is Often Secularized,

Jewish humor is often secularized, making it seem that it is not rooted in the Bible or the Talmud. In fact, Jewish humor is almost always based on the irony, satire, and sarcasm inherent in the sacred texts of Judaism. Friedman claims, Biblical humor "consists mainly of irony." Cohen and Friedman both find puns and other wordplays embedded in Biblical texts. The fringe religious organization Jews for Jesus analyzes Biblical content for sarcasm and situational comedy, presenting ample references that show the direct connection between modern Jewish secular humor and the types of humor used by Jewish ancestors.

Cohen points out the "puns in the Tower of Babel section of Genesis and the Joseph story in Exodus," as well as "trickster motifs" throughout the Pentateuch (1). These are but some examples of the "fascinating phenomenon" of Jewish humor as a whole (Ziv 48). However, an analysis of Biblical texts can lead to the erroneous conclusion that "the Jewish religion regards humor with suspicion," (Ziv 48). There are "references to laughter" itself in the Bible (Ziv 48). Friedman points out several instances of laughter in the book of Psalms: "He who sits in heaven will laugh, the Lord will mock them." Mockery seems to be a core element of Biblical humor. For instance, in Psalms 37:13: "My Lord laughs at him for He sees that his day is coming." Bitterness transformed into comedy is a means of sociological and psychological survival for the Jews.

It is possible that the projection of seriousness onto the Bible is based on perceptions of ancient Jewish culture. Stories of persecution and enslavement do not naturally lend themselves to humorous accounts, especially when combined with what can be construed as a vengeful God. Nevertheless, the evolution of Jewish humor in Europe and especially among the Ashkenazi culture shows that what is referred to as Jewish humor today can be traced back to the Bible. In fact, it may precisely be the heaviness of the Bible that gave rise to the self-deprecating tone in much modern Jewish humor. Themes in modern comedy like guilt and "woe is me" can be traced directly to Biblical stories like Job. Job 34, for example, reveals some of the lamentation embedded in Jewish humor: "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?" Sarcasm is a prevailing tone in Biblical literature. In Exodus 14:11: "Was there a lack of graves in Egypt, that you took us away to die in the wilderness?" Sarcasm has made its way firmly into modern Jewish humor.

More lighthearted types of Jewish humor can also be located in Biblical texts. Puns, for instance, are inherently lighthearted. Giving rise to "groaner" jokes in a modern context, the Bible's puns are cute when considered in context. The Book of Proverbs also contains lighthearted humor, sometimes in the form of slapstick or hyperbolic descriptions. In Proverbs 11:22, for example: As a gold ring in a swine's snout, so is a beautiful woman from whom sense has departed." Similarly, situational comedy occurs on several occasions in the Bible. "One cannot help but laugh when picturing the account of the prophet Elijah's meeting with the false prophets of Baal in 1 Kings 18:27," ("Humor and Laughter in the Bible").