| Dvar Torah for Parshat Vayera
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Based on Rabbi Nachman's "Rules for Joke Telling" Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian *m'tzachek* (Genesis 21:9). Rebbe Nachman emphasized the importance of being cheerful. Having a good laugh is certainly one way to establish and maintain a good mood. Rule #1: No dirty jokes. This frees our laughter from immorality. Our minds and hearts are both cleaner. Rule #2: No jokes at someone else's expense. This keeps our hands clean of bloodshed: making fun of someone, embarrassing him, is akin to murder. Rule #3: No jokes to gain yourself the spotlight. This hallows our uplifted spirits: we devote even our humor to making it easier and pleasanter to focus on God. agutn Shabbos!
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