PunkTorah

Independent Jewish Spirituality Online

  • Convert to Judaism
  • Online Rabbinical Program
  • Donate
  • Give Us Your Thoughts

D'var Torah for April Fool's Day

April 1, 2010 by Patrick Beaulier

April Fools Day completely baffles historians. We have no idea where it came from, what its original purpose was, or why it so infectiously spread through the Western World.

There’s speculation that it came from calendar changes: a “fool” being someone who kept the previous culture’s calendar instead of adopting the new one. There’s also a theory that April Fools Day is a rite of spring, a renewal holiday where people delight in all the behavior that they normally cannot indulge in during the rest of the year, like Mardi Gras, for example.

Nevertheless, April Fools Day persists without serving any real purpose. No one “needs” April Fools Day. I know I can go without a day of watching my back as my “friends” find many, varied and unusual ways of torturing me.

April Fools Day is a meme: a cultural idea passed on because it sticks to us so well. April Fools Day is fun, creative and silly. And I love it.

There are a lot of things in Judaism that spark the same “W-T-F” nerve in my brain as April Fools Day. First, tefillin. These weird black boxes and leather straps look like a Chassidic S&M tools. I understand the expression “bind as a sign” on your arm and between your eyes, but you would think the rabbis of the Talmud would have come up with something a lot less dirty looking!

How about the Sukkot etrog? Here’s a weird idea: let’s create a Thanksgiving holiday where a random piece of lemon-esque fruit has to hang in a hut for a week. It’s another one of those Jewish “what were they thinking” moments that I revel in.

When I think about all the silly traditions that I live by, I pause and wonder how I can look at myself in the mirror and say, “now there’s a rational human being”. But you know what? I don’t care how strange any of this seems to anyone. I like all the pointless, meaningless rituals in my life, because that’s what is great about being human. While the rest of the animal kingdom is simply trying to “get by”, our brains and abundance allow us the time to “piddle around” and do strange things like wrap ourselves in leather straps or gaze lovingly at the “fruit of the beautiful tree.”

So go ahead and enjoy April Fools Day. It’s another one of these silly things that makes you remember why it’s awesome to be alive. And when you remember why it’s fun to be alive, you might think about who gave you life, and what you should do with it.

Filed Under: Jewish Text (Torah/Haftarah/Talmud), Random (Feelin' Lucky?) Tagged With: April Fool's Day, convert to judaism, convert to judaism online, Counterculture, darshan yeshiva, holiday, Jewish, Jews, Judaism, online conversion, patrick "aleph" beaulier, patrick aleph, Punk, punktorah, rabbi beaulier, rabbi patrick aleph beaulier, Religion, Torah

Give Us Your Thoughts

At PunkTorah, Your Voice Matters! We believe in the power of collective wisdom, and who better to contribute than our incredible student and educator community?  Your insights are the building blocks of a better PunkTorah. We want to co-create this platform with you to make … [Read More...]

What Are Darshan Yeshiva’s Students Saying?

Alumni of our conversion to Judaism program share their experiences and personal growth in these touching testimonials. Get firsthand insights into the impact of our program. … [Read More...]

Pluralistic Rabbinical Seminary: Online Rabbinical Program

Unlock Your Rabbinical Journey with Pluralistic Rabbinical Seminary Imagine embarking on your rabbinical education journey from anywhere in the world, with an amazing cohort of classmates, and being taught by gifted, experienced educators. If this speaks to you, then you should … [Read More...]

Substack Newsletter

Get weekly Jewish insights from your favorite Punk Jewish thinkers and teachers

Subscribe Today

Online Rabbinical Program

Join the next cohort at Pluralistic Rabbinical Seminary and embark on your rabbinical journey. Students come from around the world and across denominations to earn their smicha with our incredible program.

Learn More About Our Rabbinical Program

Darshan Yeshiva

Whether you're a person searching for an online conversion program or a person looking to add more Jewish learning to your life, Darshan Yeshiva is here to be your partner on your transformative Jewish journey.

Explore Darshan Yeshiva's Courses

PunkTorah Inc.
PO Box 1641
Midlothian, VA 23113

questions@punktorah.org
YouTube
Facebook

Read our DMCA notice

Search the PunkTorah Blog Archive

What We Do

Give Us Your Thoughts

What Are Darshan Yeshiva’s Students Saying?

Pluralistic Rabbinical Seminary: Online Rabbinical Program

  • Jewish Text (Torah/Haftarah/Talmud)
  • Judaism & Belief
  • The G-d Project Videos
  • Podcasts & Videos
  • NewKosher (Recipes)
  • Converting To Judaism
  • LGBTQ & Women
  • Shabbat & Holidays

Copyright PunkTorah Inc.© 2023