What Does the Torah Say About Comedy and Humor? – R’ Yehoshua Alt

Comedy Cure

Comedy offers a wonderful release for many, providing joy and laughter. Let’s explore some extraordinary aspects of comedy.

R’ Yonah comments on lev someach yeitiv gei’hah, a glad heart is as beneficial as a cure,[1] that happiness can heal a person from illness. In this way we can grasp tageilnah atzamos dikisa,[2] as dikisa can mean tahor, pure, as in ayal kamtza dachan,[3] the ayal species of grasshopper is tahor (i.e., kosher). It can therefore be understood that happiness can purify one’s bones from sickness. In the words of the Vilna Gaon:[4] When one is constantly b’simcha, he can get rid of an illness. This is shown in ki v’simcha seitzeiu,[5] with simcha, the illness goes away.

The Rambam[6] writes that the most beneficial of all types of exercise is physical stimulation to the point that the soul becomes influenced and rejoices, such as ball games. This is because the emotion of happiness will often be sufficient to heal the body just by its very presence. He concluded, “Rejoicing and happiness alone will make many people’s illnesses milder. For others, both the illness and the emotional upset that led to it disappear.”

We see this today with laughter therapy.[7] In 1964 a man named Norman Cousins[8] was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, a rare disease of the connective tissues, which left him in almost constant pain. Although he was told that he had only a few months to live, he disagreed. He believed that if stress had contributed to his illness, then positive emotions should help him feel better. With the consent of his doctors, he checked himself out of the hospital and into a hotel across the street and began taking extremely high doses of vitamin C[9] and watched a continuous stream of humorous films and the like. His condition steadily improved and he slowly regained the use of his limbs! Within six months he was back on his feet and within two years he was able to return to his full-time job. On November 30, 1990, he passed away, having survived years longer than his doctors predicted: 10 years after his first heart attack, 16 years after his collagen illness, and 26 years after his doctors first diagnosed his heart disease.

Dr. Lee Berk of the Loma Linda University of Medicine showed a comedy film to his lab staff and took blood samples while they laughed. When he placed the samples under a microscope, he found that their blood contained an increased number of natural killer cells. The positive effect continued until the next day, with the good cells remaining high 12 hours later.

In another experiment, Dr. Lee Berk asked heart patients on the same medical regimen to break up into two groups. He instructed one group to watch a half-hour comedy every day for a year. The result was that those who laughed needed fewer medications than the group who didn’t watch comedy. Furthermore, only 8% of the watchers suffered a second heart attack compared to 42% in the second group. Today, many hospitals have laughter clubs, especially for cancer patients.[10]

Laughter promotes relaxation and reduces stress. It speeds up metabolism, balances blood pressure, raises energy levels, promotes circulation, increases the oxygen level in the bloodstream and triggers the release of endorphins which relieves pain and elevates one’s mood.[11] It also increases the number of immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thereby improving one’s resistance to disease. Additionally, it diminishes anxiety and stress hormones. Laughter loosens up the body, relieving physical tension and leaving muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes. It strengthens relationships and improves teamwork. Truly, “Laughter is the best medicine.”

Laughter is a wondrous therapy because it costs nothing, has no side effects and is accessible to everyone, even those confined to a bed or wheelchair.[12]