Several years ago, I shared a shuttle van to Logan Airport with a family that was taking a trip to visit grandparents in England. The five-year-old was full of excitement that just could not be contained. The parents seemed a litle embarrassed that the child was talking non-stop in a voice loud enough to be heard by all. A slightly older sibling tried to shush the chatter, but truly, we had at least five minutes of a breathless checklist of everything the child had packed and a recitation of everything that was about to happen. This family had obviously been preparing for this trip for a while. At some point, when it was clear that the five-year-old’s monologue might go on for the whole forty-minute drive we were anticipating, the mother challenged the child to a little competition. ‘Let’s see whether we can be completely quiet for three minutes.” She started a timer, and the child tried holding his breath, then squirmed miserably, then put his hand over his mouth. At about the two minute mark, the child calmed visibly and appeared to be deep in thought.
I love this! And I love the parallel you point out. When we are surprised by our children's wisdom, it DOES make us laugh -- and laughter is a curious response! Sometimes I have been annoyed or disturbed when a child expresses a serious concern or insight and the grown-ups respond with laughter. But this Talmudic story about God laughing (with delight, in my interpretation) gives me a new way to think about the adult inclination to laugh at the wisdom of children. Thanks for sharing this!
there is a story in the Talmud in which God witnesses a debate among great rabbis and then, realizing that they understand the world better than God does, God laughs. (Some translate it as smiling.) Some rich parallels with parenting! https://www.sefaria.org/Bava_Metzia.59b.6?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en
So lovely that he wanted to make God laugh. And I hope there are hundreds of children out there with a desire to tickle God's funny bone. As a child, I was quite sure I had him crying with disappointment on the regular! Pretty sure it would have never occurred to me that he could laugh.
I don't claim any special expertise about the nature of God, but if the mother in that shuttle van was correct that "God is given to mirth," then I know for a fact, that you, dear sister, were a child whho make God laugh -- heartily and frequently.
I love this! And I love the parallel you point out. When we are surprised by our children's wisdom, it DOES make us laugh -- and laughter is a curious response! Sometimes I have been annoyed or disturbed when a child expresses a serious concern or insight and the grown-ups respond with laughter. But this Talmudic story about God laughing (with delight, in my interpretation) gives me a new way to think about the adult inclination to laugh at the wisdom of children. Thanks for sharing this!
there is a story in the Talmud in which God witnesses a debate among great rabbis and then, realizing that they understand the world better than God does, God laughs. (Some translate it as smiling.) Some rich parallels with parenting! https://www.sefaria.org/Bava_Metzia.59b.6?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en
The platypus comes to mind as an example of god’s mirth in action. Platypii likely see humans as a better example.
So lovely that he wanted to make God laugh. And I hope there are hundreds of children out there with a desire to tickle God's funny bone. As a child, I was quite sure I had him crying with disappointment on the regular! Pretty sure it would have never occurred to me that he could laugh.
I don't claim any special expertise about the nature of God, but if the mother in that shuttle van was correct that "God is given to mirth," then I know for a fact, that you, dear sister, were a child whho make God laugh -- heartily and frequently.