I had my Bar Mitzvah 38 years ago Shabbos Parshas Vayera [at the West Side Institutional Synagogue. Maybe Hashem's way of hinting to me that I should be institutionalized] and it just occurred to me. This is the FUNNIEST Parsha in the Torah. If I could have another Bar Mitzvah - that would be the subject of my drasha. [I usually darshen in shul on Shabbos morning and this week that is indeed the topic I planned]. Last week Avraham laughs when he finds out he will have a son. Hashem tells him to call the child "he will laugh" [which by the way is my father's name. I am Elchonon Ally ben He Will Laugh Jonah"]. Sarah hears about the baby and she laughs. Then she inexplicably [unless you follow the blog and understand why] denies laughing. She later says that EVERYBODY who hears about this will laugh. Yishmael also laughs - but that is interpreted by Chazal to be really REALLY bad laughter. But we get the last laugh b/c as a result of his laughter he was expelled from Avraham's house - forever. At the end of days we again get the last laugh and FILL OUR MOUTHS with laughter. אז ימלא שחוק פינו.
The whole WORLD was in a sense created with laughter. Chazal say that the world was created with the letter "ה". What is the sound of laughter ? Ha-ha-ha-ha. The next world was created with the letter "י". So both worlds together are ALSO funny - הי-הי-הי 😀.
Note: Laughter is not necessarily Leitzanus or levity. The laughter we are talking about is SERIOUS business.
