I was so tempted to write a goofy article about which you’d scratch your head and says, “That rabbi is losing it!” but I couldn’t think of anything to write about.

Every year for Purim my article in my Delaware congregation would be in that vein, and invariably I’d get a call asking me if I was serious. I’m serious on Yom Kippur (as serious as I can get, that is), but as I’ve always announced on Purim, “Today is NOT Yom Kippur!” As I intimated a few days ago, “To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven,” right out of Ecclesiastes.

April Fool’s Day was a big deal in my youth. Every March 31st I would go to bed saying to myself, “She’s NOT going to get me this year,” “She’s NOT going to get me this year,” referring to my mother who every April 1st would, in fact, “get me” as an April Fool. I don’t mean occasionally; I mean I’d always forget, and she’d have figured out some way to fool me.

I did the same with our children. As you can imagine, however, they were and are much smarter than I am. I’d do my shtick and they’d look at me as if they were saying, “You blew it again, but don’t worry, dad, there’s always next year.” And to make me feel even worse, they’d also SAY it! Now as adults, when I call them on that day, they’d beat me to the punch; apparently every March 31st each one of them must go to bed saying, “He’s NOT going to get me,” “He’s NOT going to get me,” and “he” doesn’t.

On this first day of April, I’d be tempted to offer as one of my JOKES FOR THE FOLKS, “April showers bring May flowers,” but what do May flowers bring?” And the answer is…Pilgrims. But I won’t. Here’s a better one…

(When Jacob from Poland applies for a driver’s license, he has to take an eye exam. The optician points to a card on the wall with the letters

C Z W I X N O S T A C Z and says to Jacob, “Can you read this?” Jacob replies, “Read it? The man’s my best friend!”)