traditional Jewish comedy<\/a>. They include the following:<\/p>\n1. Humor to undermine pretension and pomposity:<\/span>\u00a0Robin Williams managed to be lovable and irreverent at the same time. He did not fear offending anyone.<\/p>\nAs one of his obituaries reported, he once called out from a London Stage,\u201cChuck, Cam, great to see you.\u201d Charles, Prince of Wales, and his wife, Lady Camilla Bowles were in the audience. He continued, \u201cYo yo, wussup Wales, House of Windsor, keepin\u2019 it real!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n2. The Power of the Voice:<\/span>\u00a0Judaism is a religion of the ear more than eye. We hear God\u2019s words, as it says in our central prayer, the\u00a0Shema<\/i>.<\/p>\nThis emphasis on the ear over the eye carried over into modern Jewish comedy. If you watch the Marx Brothers, for example, you don\u2019t even have to see the action to appreciate the humor.<\/p>\n
The same was true with Robin Williams. His voice as the genie in Aladdin was instantly recognizable. It conjures up the character of the genie in all its dimensions. And who can forget the powerful voice proclaiming \u201cGooooood Morning Vietnam!\u201d<\/p>\n
3. Comedy as Healing:<\/span>\u00a0Jewish history is filled with destruction. Hatred and persecution have plagued us for so long, and they continue to do so in the Middle East and Europe.<\/p>\nOne of the great healing balms of Jewish life has been humor. It has helped us maintain perspective, seeing possibilities for joy amidst pain, for sweetness amidst the harshness of life.<\/p>\n
Robin Williams\u2019 humor\u2014along with his many acting roles\u2014helped heal so many. His life mirrored the role he played so beautifully of Patch Adams, the doctor who used humor to heal his patients.<\/p>\n
4. Comedy as a way of poking fun at ourselves:<\/span>\u00a0Robin Williams knew his own foibles. He did not shy away from admitting his struggles with addiction and relationships.<\/p>\nAnd he would turn those struggles into brilliant one-liners. Indeed, he once described cocaine as\u00a0\u201cGod\u2019s way of saying you make too much money.\u201d \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nWilliams\u2019 apparent suicide is a tragedy. We can never known the pain he felt and struggles he underwent. What we do know, however, is that his life was a blessing.<\/p>\n
He fulfilled the definition of a successful life captured so brilliantly by Ralph Waldo Emerson:<\/p>\n
\nTo laugh often and much; To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.<\/p>\n
\n<\/blockquote>\n
Want to Learn More About Jewish Humor? Click here to get a free ebook.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In Jewish tradition we have a special greeting for a genius. Upon meeting such a person, we say,\u00a0Blessed are You, Eternal God, Source of Life, who has given from His wisdom to flesh and blood.\u00a0 Had I ever met Robin Williams, I would surely have said it. Williams was a singular genius. He brought joy…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":507,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1135","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n
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<\/p>\n