Rosh Hashanah 2026: Humor, the shofar, and the ability to accept the absurdity of life

Rosh Hashanah, a serious day for repentance, also presents an inherent absurdity in human ambition and the attempt to crown an incomprehensible God. The article suggests that humor is essential for navigating the gap between our desired lives and reality, allowing us to accept life's continuous absurdity. Humor, described as "conquered sadness," helps us find meaning even when we cannot decipher it, much like some Holocaust victims used dark humor to assert their superiority over horror. Rosh Hashanah, by confronting us with the foolishness of ambitions like honor and money, becomes a day of infinite humor. It asks us to return to a childlike state, embracing the impossible and the yearning for what could be, much like fairy tales. The shofar, in this context, expresses what words cannot, symbolizing our journey towards something we cannot fully grasp, and reminding us that underneath our sophistication, we remain children.