The Bellman.
sell-out zone
Saturday, July 09, 2005
Thinking about hummus
A friend and I were talking about hummus and I mentioned that hummus stopped being kosher last week. My friend asked why hummus wasn't kosher and I said, "because some rabbi doesn't like arabs."
An irresponsible remark, of course, since I don't know anything about rabbi Mordechai Eliahu politics, but it got a laugh.1
Small jokes like this one depend upon a philosophical distinction that I've mentioned from time to time in these parts. The distinction I have in mind is between reasons and explanations. My remark purported to identify Eliahu's reason for ruling as he did, but really fixed on an explanation of that ruling which Eliahu wouldn't endorse even if it were true. The humor, such as it is, depends on the audience recognizing the incongruity.
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1 It's all in the delivery.
An irresponsible remark, of course, since I don't know anything about rabbi Mordechai Eliahu politics, but it got a laugh.1
Small jokes like this one depend upon a philosophical distinction that I've mentioned from time to time in these parts. The distinction I have in mind is between reasons and explanations. My remark purported to identify Eliahu's reason for ruling as he did, but really fixed on an explanation of that ruling which Eliahu wouldn't endorse even if it were true. The humor, such as it is, depends on the audience recognizing the incongruity.
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1 It's all in the delivery.
