כִ י בַ דָּ בָּ ר אֲ שֶׁ ר זָּ דוּ עֲ לֵ יהֶׁ ם יח יא
Learn To Laugh and Make Leitzanus of All Types of Yetzer Hara’s
The Rashbam says that Yisro was impressed when he saw how Hashem amused Himself with the Mitzri'im, and made fools out of them for every evil that they did. This is exactly what Hashem said at the beginning of Parshas Bo: אֲ שֶׁ ר הִ תְ עַ לַ לְ תִ י בְ מִ צְ רַ יִ ם בא י ב I made “fun” of the Mitzri'im. Why was making a joke of the Mitzri'im so important to Yisro?
Yisro was a neighbor of Amalek (and an ally against the Jews. Medrash) and: וַׁיָב ֹא עֲ מָ לֵּ ק יז ח the episode of Amalek is mentioned just before Parshas Yisro. Before Shaul HaMelech went to battle against Amalek, he told Yisro’s descendants to move out of the way, since they were neighbors and they were good people, and didn’t deserve to be killed like Amalek.
The greatness of Yisro is that he was potential Amalek, since he was a neighbor, and yet he didn’t follow them. But we can venture to say that Yisro knew them well, and Amalek’s power is in their Leitzanus. They laugh at Mussar, and they are not impressed with all the Nissim of Yetzias Mitzrayim. (Chazal). We can suggest that Yisro knew the true way of fighting evil.
And that is... to use the Yetzer Hara’s own tactics. Like: וְהַ נָחָ שׁ הָ יָה עָ רוּם בראשית ג א the “snake”, who was “cunning”, and Chazal say: הֱ וֵי עָ רוּם בְ יִרְ אָ ה ברכות יז א Be shrewd and cunning in Yiras Shamayim (the same Lashon used by the: נָחָ ש (snake) is used by the Y'rei Shamayim). They say that the Chazon Ish said that if the frum Yidden had used the same tactics of the wicked Haskalah, and made fun of them, we would have destroyed their Koach.
How important it is to learn how to laugh at Kin'ah, Ta'ava, Kavod, Ka'as, etc. This was the Derech of Novardok, and their success was Gevaldig. “Oh! So-and-so doesn’t seem to respect me?? I’m traumatized, and I must see my therapist for a few months!” (They said this with sarcasm, to make fun of silly Kavod.)
And the same with Ta'ava and all kinds of weaknesses. When you make fun, you really destroy the Yetzer Hara. And Eliyahu HaNavi was known for his mockery of Avoda Zara. Learn to make jokes out of your “serious issues”, and you will live longer and happier. See the fallacy of Redifas HaKavod which is deep-down the cause of so much pain in your life, including Ruchaniyus pain. הַ כָבוֹד הֶ בֶ ל הַ בָ לִ ים Kavod is so worthless! (Mesilas Yesharim).
