Elisheva Schoenfeld

INDEX TO DRUYAIW' S COLLECTION

 OF JOKES AND ANECDOTES

 

A

 

Absurd

A. ignorance of child bearing. - 549

A. sanctification of Sabbat. - 1766

A. search for the lost. - 389, 1091

Absurd lack of logic

A good merchant does not die before being declared bankrupt three times. If he died without being bankrupt once he does so before his time is up. - 57

Mother thinks winedealer would prefer elderly daughter to young girl since he prefers old wine to new. – 3048

Oxen are slaughtered and eaten, and horses are not. Yet there are more oxen than horses. Answer: Horses are stolen and oxen are not. - 1005

Sleeping in summer house man was cold, but would have become a pillar of ice if he had slept in winter house. - 1008

Absurd scientific theories

Clouds thought to be like sponges. - 2115

Density of moon population thought to be greatest at new moon. - 2125

Heat expands material, therefore longer days in summer. - 1120

Account book

A. b. of foolish deeds. - 172

Accountant (see also: "Banker(s)")

A. explains the meaning of double entry in book keeping. - 76

The a. Mendelsohn declares: "God's ways are just. The coarse man is only rich, but I have my wisdom and riches are unnecessary." - 159

Actress

A. Karoline Neuber needed money for her theatre. Asking for a loan from Meier the latter flatly refuses because of her arrogance. - 75

Actors

The Georgian a. of the Tiflis theatre made the audience weep whenever they were on stage. In Moscow one Georgian made all Russia weep. - 2819

A group of a. were forbidden to perform in Peterstrurg since they were not craftsmen. - 1929

Aeroplane

German a. drops broom on Russian position for cleaning certain public buildings. - 2767

Age

A. cannot be determined by date of baptism. - 1397

How to tell one's a. - 1993

Agent(s)

A. of insurance firm tries hard to convince a person to buy a policy. - 174

A. of real estate firm offers house near (or far from) river. - 20

A. seeking shelter from rain in a factory whose shares had dropped from 200 to 120 is told by doorman to be off "even at the point of 120." - 3137

Two travelling a. stay in hotel and sleep with maid who later gives birth to twins. - 1817

"Agudat Ha'elef"

A. bought Ein Zeitim which proved to be a failure, (pun). - 2661

Alimony

"A. must be paid until today following Abraham's divorce from Hagar," said after first proposal of division of Palestine in 1937. - 2686

Anarchists

A. and Rothschild. - 260

Angel(s)

A. of Death, the brother-in-law of beggar. - 340

A. of Death never comes to shtetl B. for rich people. – 229

"A. of Death is eruv tavshilim," tax collector's wife so informs her ignorant husband. - 1229

A. of Death and rich man are hated although they give jobs to many people. - 180

A. of Death's attention drawn to Hassidic rabbi's wife by Russian name plate. - 1622      

A. guarding the ram's horn: Shimshiel, Hadraniel, Tartiel. - ­631

Antisemitic (see also: "Officer(s)", "Rabbi and Gentiles")

A. slogans screeched by parrot. - 3066

A. speaker of 19th cent. claims that the thousands think like ­him. - 1944

Antisemitism

"A. the more it spreads the more Jews will turn to Zionism." (T. Herzl) - 3107

Apartment

A. of barber under repair. – 3088

A. not let to Jews. - 3059

A. in Moscow thanks to party membership. - 2833

A. returned to owner with bugs, according to contract. - 2867

"You rented the a. near the house on fire, not I," says fool to wife. - 1090

German Jew asks to rent for him a. in Erets Israel, but not in Jewish Quarter. - 2611

Apology

A. worse than misconduct. - 3005, 3140

D'Acosta's a. of one whom he had hurt: "You said the truth, I am the liar…" - 2578

Equivocal a.. - 365, 366

Application

A. of Germans to Heaven answered after seventeen years. - 3165

A. of maiden to minister. - 1998

Arab

A. leaders came to their ruler and suggested an armistice for five days in order to get a rest. - 2679

A. leaders objected to the Jewish broadcasting announcers naming the country "Erets Israel" and not "Palestine". - 2682

An A. shot at the legal adviser of the government and injured the posterior. - 2674

Archbishop

A. and bishop, both of Jewish descent send gentile beadle for censer. - 2039

Army

Russian a. does not accept anyone who has a hernia. – 2712

Russian a. has reached suburb of Warsaw on the eve of its conquest. - 2765

Ass

A. to Lenin during famine seeking privilege of getting food: "Without the a. you would not be able to exist for one hour". -  2804

Aunt(s)

Old a. visits gentile cemetery in America since Jewish one is out of her reach. - 3073

A. advise mother on whom to call for the cure of sick child. - 951

Author(s)

A. of almanac teaches the secret of his weather forecasts to his son. - 566

A. asks R. Eizel for approval of his treatise and the rabbi's beadle to accompany him in the dark. - 573

A. asks R. Fosbieler for approval of his commentary on the Book of Proverbs. - 568

A. asks R. Gershon for approval of his book. Latter is reluc­tant to do so. - 569

A. asks rabbi for approval of his commentary on Ecclesiastes. Rabbi finds that he has made a fool of King Salomon. - 576

A. comes to R. Eizel asking for approval of his treatise "Hands of Moses". - 570

A. has his commentary to Torah printed with the text. - 572

A. by name of Jacob asks R. Malbim for approval of his treatise. The rabbi does not see any message in it. - 575

A. presents his book to rich man who pays the price but does not keep it. - 579

A. presents his latest work to rich man on eve of Passover hoping to be rewarded. - 578

A. presents his already printed book to R. Rosen. Latter found to his surprise that there is a printing press in Grajewo. ­2404

A. submits his book to R. Eizel for approval claiming to have already got such tram some others. - 2341

A. submits his book to R. Eizel for approval. Latter advises him to guard the manuscript so that it would not fall into the hands of some gentile. - 2343

A. submits his book to R. Eizel for approval. Latter advises him to run away as fast as possible since his wife might get angry. - 2342

A. submits his book to R. Eizel for approval. Latter sends him to offer his book to a man who deals in stolen goods. ­2344

A. submits his book to R. Menashe for approval. Latter shows his criticism by having the author eat soup with a fork. - 2318

A. submits his commentary on Lamentations to R. Eizel asking for his remarks. - 577

A. submits his commentary on Rashi to R. Feivel for approval claiming to have been praised by many. - 567

A. submits his treatise to R. Eizel for approval. Latter leaves a big space between text of approval and signature. - 571

Young a. comes to Spektor asking him for appraisal of his book. While reading Spektor falls asleep. - 3108

Two a. ask R. Melzer for approval of their commentary on Baba Kama Tractate. The rabbi suggests a title. - 574