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One of the central themes in this week's Torah portion, Parashat Vayeira, is laughter. Sarah laughs when she hears that she is to give birth to a son, despite her advanced age. This laughter is understood as an indication of incredulousness and skepticism on the part of Sarah. She is apparently accused by God of not having sufficient faith that this miraculous prediction will come to fruition. And yet Sarah denies her laughter, perhaps suggesting that she does believe she will give birth.
Later in this parsha Sarah talks about laughter again. Yet this time the laughter is associated only with joy, celebration, and happiness at the birth of her newborn son Yitzchak. Genesis, chapter 21, verses 6 and 7, says the following:
"Sarah said, 'God has made laughter for me; whoever hears will laugh for me.' And she said, 'Who is the One Who said to Abraham, Sarah would nurse children? For I have born a son in his old age.'"
The laughter of Sarah and those who know of her story is no longer a laughter of doubt or any sort of mockery. Instead, it is the acknowledgment of an incredible miracle which has brought more joy to Sarah, and Abraham, than they ever could have expected in their lives.
Laughter is a great source of joy for all of us. When we can laugh we can exult, we can celebrate, and we can even pray with joy and enthusiasm. Laughter can be an expression of our deepest and innermost feelings and emotions. It may be indicative of skepticism or even cynicism at certain times, but far more often laughter is a sign of the affirmation of all the good things in our lives, including friendship and love.
May we have many opportunities for laughter in our lives; not only the laughter of lighthearted entertainment, but the deepest laughter, the laughter which may mingle with tears in the sweetheart and most uplifting of ways. This is the laughter of Sarah upon the birth of Isaac, her son. It is the sacred laughter which will be nurturing to our souls and uplifting for our hearts.
Shabbat Shalom!
Cantor Zachary Konigsberg
[email protected]
917-696-0749
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