ABSTRACT
Somewhere in the wide range of characters that appear in Jewish humor—the schlemiel, the Wise Men of Chelm, the snide waiter, the sarcastic beggar, the matchmaker, the anti-Semite, the pompous fool, and many more—is, believe it or not, the Creator Himself. William Novak and Moshe Waldoks assert that "Jewish humor mocks everyone—including God." The Talmud and Midrash, which have had a strong influence on the Jewish people, are filled with different types of humor, including humor involving God. Treating God in such an informal and familiar manner is also common in Chassidic tales, which were certainly influenced by the Talmudic stories. The Talmud describes how Rabbah b. Nachmeni died. The government did not like the fact that Rabbah's lectures resulted in thousands of Jewish people not being in their homes during the two months preceding the holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Passover, and thereby making it difficult for the tax collectors to collect the monthly tax.
