Laughter in the Torah - Parshat Toldot

The Torah, in describing the episode of the malachim who came to visit Avraham after the Brit Milah, talks about how Sara "laughed". Later on in Parshat Vayera, Sara sees Yishmael "laughing" and instructs Avraham to banish him so that "he shall not inherit with my son Yitzchak." And in this week's parsha, Avimelech spies Yitzchak "laughing" with Rivka.

Yitzchak was given his name as the essence of who he is, but why is the name mentioned in the future tense - "he will laugh"? The Midrash mentions that the name Yitzchak is a combination of the words, "Yatza Chok" - a law was issued. And in the Gemara, the word "tzchok" is associated with avoda zara, gilui arayot, and shfichut damim.

In addition, the Gemara in Avoda Zara 3b states that "There is no 's'chok' before Hashem other than on that day itself. Yet the Gemara describes Hashem's daily activities, and includes that in the fourth hour each day He plays "mesachek" with the Liviatan. The answer is provided in that Gemara that Hashem "mesachek" WITH his creations, but not AT his creations, other than on that very day.

So what does all this mean?

The Mesillat Yesharim in Perek 5 explains the second loss in caution: S'chok - play or laughter is the opposite of caution. In our matter, it diverts the heart from direct and relevant thoughts, and results in a situation where thoughts of the Fear of Hashem are not in a person's heart.

Laughter is caused when something happens that doesn't match up with the process leading up to it. A person can tell a story creating layer after layer of logic, but the "punch line" - the end of the story - is completely opposite to what the logic of the story would lead someone to assume. This is called a joke. The stronger the contrariness is between the result and the underlying logic (what we had been expecting), the stronger the laughter will be at the result. For instance, a person slips on a banana peel. If that person is a child, the situation would be mildly humorous at best. If that person is an adult, it would be funnier. If that person is a respected leader, it would be even funnier, and if that person is a head of state, it would be hilarious and would make headlines.

Laughter occurs when existing boundaries are breached or ignored. Those boundaries could be of propriety, of position or stature, or they could be the rules of a given situation. Thus, laughter can be said to be the opposite of caution. Caution is a respect of boundaries, while laughter occurs when they are breached or ignored.

A game - a "mischak" - comes from the same Hebrew root word. Games ignore the boundaries of reality and in a way, they invent new rules that ignore or breach the normal rules of society. And even when there are "rules of the game", the game is often a challenge to break those rules, or the rules themselves are based on the idea of breaking other rules. Games involve rules that do not take into account the rules of truth.

Therefore, Chazal tell us that "all foolery is prohibited, other than foolery regarding Avoda Zara." It is not allowed to joke about anything other than Avoda Zara, because everything has an existing truth to it that must not be ignored, other than Avoda Zara.

The Gemara in Avoda Zara 3b can be explained in this way. There is a difference between joking ABOUT Hashem's creations and joking WITH Hashem's creations. To joke ABOUT someone means to deny their reality and to belittle or disparage them. It means to ignore the boundaries of the other. To joke WITH someone means to be together with the other person in a reality that has no boundaries.

In the future to come, when the nations of the world demand reward for what they have done, it will be shown that all of their efforts that they have undertaken and displayed for Hashem have no material essence. Tehillim 2 describes how the nations will rise up and plot against Hashem, yet they will claim that everything they are doing is for the glory of Am Yisrael. At that, Hashem will show them the true essence of what they are doing, and he will "laugh AT his creations". Pasuk 4 states, "He who sits in Heaven, Hashem will laugh and will disparage them." That is the "on that very day" that is referred to in the Gemara.

If there is in this world any system that, in and of itself, is not limited by boundaries, and where it is possible to play WITH something, Tehillim gives us the answer, "This is the sea that is large and broad - the Liviatan is what you created to play with it."

This Liviatan belongs to the future, when the Tzadikim will enjoy the Seudat Liviatan. The Vilna Gaon explains in Even Shelemah (11:11) that this refers to a time when the Torah is common in the world, when its deepest foundations are as well-known as the simplest explanations are today. This will be a time when we are free of all of our accusers and denouncers - when all of the limitations we have will be removed.

The Seudat Liviatan is a matter of connection to Hashem. The Even Shelemah explains that the word "Liviatan" comes from the phrase "Liviat Chen", which represents the special connection that tzaddikim have to Hashem. This connection breaks through the boundaries in relation to this world. That is what the phrase in Tehillim means "You created this Liviatan to play with it."

In this world, we work in a system with boundaries, and will many boundaries and restraints. But in the future to come, these boundaries, the things we lack, etc, will be removed, and we will be free of them all. That is the time when Hashem will laugh AT those things holding us back. That will be the "very same day" alluded to above. And so we see in Tehillim, "then our mouths will be filled with laughter and our tongues with song." But in this world, it is forbidden for a person to fill his mouth with laughter.

The term "metzachek" refers to someone who behaves in a way that breaches boundaries. Therefore, it refers to Avoda Zara, Gilui Arayot and Shfichut Damim. These are the three basic forms of ignoring or breaching boundaries that exist in this world.

Yitzchak was born in a humorous way - against what was logically expected of someone so old. That was Sara's claim - after my time has passed, while my husband is old … all those who hear will laugh at me." Yitzchak's name though, is stated as a reference to the future, when all boundaries will be breached and everyone will laugh.

Yishmael was sent away because he was breaching all of the boundaries of proper behavior for a son of Avraham. He was engaging in Avodah Zara, Gilui Arayot and Shfichut Damim, and Sara put her foot down and demanded that he be sent away from Yitzchak.

And in this week's parsha, we have Avimelech seeing Yitzchak behaving with Rivka as a husband and wife - which breached the boundaries of what Avimelech thought was the proper actions of a brother and a sister. Yet the Torah talks about Yitzchak Metzachek Et Rivka Ishto - laughing WITH his wife Rivka. So while Avimelech viewed it as breaching the boundaries of propriety, in truth, it was the type of laughter that was allowed.

The term "yatza chok" - a law was issued, could refer to either the Brit Milah or to the Torah itself. In both cases, the essence was that this was something beyond what had existed in the world until now - this was something that broke the boundaries. The Torah represented a new law - a new Heavenly order that breached the existing boundaries of the material world.

And the Brit Milah takes place on the 8th day, which signifies that it is above nature (7) and that it is a connection to the Above. So it is appropriate that Yitzchak was the first child named at a Brit Milah.

Regarding the future to come, we learn that the boundaries that exist in this world will be removed, just as the sea is a realm without boundaries. This is represented by the pasuk "And the land will be filled with knowledge of Hashem, as water covers the sea." At the end of days, the entire world will have limitless understanding of Hashem's presence and leadership of the world. And at that time, the world will need no boundaries, and Hashem will be playing and laughing with us.