There Will Be No Peace in Gaza While Hamas Roams the Streets
The dangers of phase 2.
January 15, 2026
What Talmudic Puns Reveal
Is a weasel a prophet?
Many scholars of Jewish humor suggest that it is a distinctly modern phenomenon. But Daniel Shlian observes that the Talmud is rich in wordplay and puns that can only be described as comic. For instance, in a discussion of the laws of Passover preparation, one sage suggests that weasels scavenge more assiduously for breadcrumbs on the eve of the holiday, when leaven is already scarce. Rava, another sage, finds this logic laughable: