Nadav Naveh on Humor and Judaism: "It's a Fine Line, You Must Be Very Careful"

A childhood story that stays with you?

"When I was really little, I think about 5 years old, my family and I went to Mount Hermon. I went on the cable car with my dad, and during the ride, he was filming me with a video camera. He loved filming. Even in that video, it's clear that I was drawn to it. I loved being on camera and talking to it. To this day, my family jokes about that video, showing that I loved performing and being filmed from a young age."

A Jewish aspect you personally connect with?

"All things a person thinks, says, and does should be connected to one root, and that root is the will of Hashem. Everything must connect to fulfilling the will of Hashem. Nothing should be done for no reason. Even when learning Torah, filming a movie, or doing anything at all, there should be attention to that root. We should do things that have value, not just for income or fun. For instance, when a project with value comes to me, I'm much happier to do it."

A figure that serves as a source of inspiration for you?

"Uri Orbach. Mainly because he is a classic example of what I mentioned in the previous answer. He was involved in things seemingly unrelated to the world of Torah. He was a journalist, wrote children's books, and so on, but he tried very much to connect it to the will of Hashem and Torah roots."

A mitzvah particularly close to your heart?

"Charity (tzedakah). It's not that I'm a big philanthropist, but I do try to appreciate being on the giving side and not the receiving side. I feel that my way of thanking Hashem for the place I am in is through the mitzvah of tzedakah, and I try as much as I can. I don't always succeed at the level I think is worthy, but at least I try really hard."

Your favorite holiday?

"I really love Purim. Not only because it's a holiday of joy, but also because it's the holiday where I can easily reach spiritual elevation and closeness to Hashem. I really love the Book of Esther. It's my favorite part of the Tanakh. Besides, in the deep sense of 'ad d'lo yada' (until one cannot distinguish), you can really feel that Hashem is there.

Overall, I really connect to the central message of the Book of Esther. The verse: 'For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?' is the verse I connect to the most in the entire Tanakh.

"Its message is that Hashem guides the world in the way He desires, and we are tools in His hands. If we merit it, He brings good things through us, and if not, not. Knowing I am a tool in Hashem's hands, created at this time with these abilities for a specific mission, is very empowering. It helps you realize there is a reason I'm here. And that has immense value."

Tell us a bit about your new book.

"The book was born from a feeling that writing in this style makes me feel good. Writing from a child's point of view, with a bit of humor. There are lots of books in the 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid' style, but there is no book in this style with a religious protagonist. I felt this was missing and that I wanted to create it.

"Sure, a religious kid can read 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid,' but it will never be the same. I wanted religious children to identify more with the protagonist, and it was also important for me to create a positive hero. There is a lot of criticism of children's books, claiming that often the protagonists behave immorally. It was important to me to create a moral protagonist who does good deeds. A hero whose funny actions don't stem from bad deeds."

Where and how do you see a connection between humor and Judaism?

"Judaism is full of humor. While some people insist that Judaism is only a serious matter and that humor has no place in it, I disagree with that view. Proper and refined humor brings true joy, and this, as we know, is a great value in Judaism. Everyone needs their moments of humor and joy.

"Furthermore, it's written that Elijah the Prophet once saw two people in the market and said they were destined for the World to Come. When asked about their deeds, they said they brought joy to people. True, what I do mainly is make people laugh, but it's also to bring joy. Moreover, many times we hear that, for example, sick children watched our sketches and were greatly strengthened by them, and that is very moving. It gives a great meaning to all our actions."

What are your dreams?

"To continue creating and innovating in a way that the audience appreciates and is happy with. Additionally, of course, that the general public reads the books I have written and will write, and loves the culture we want to convey. Furthermore, the constant dream is to reach new audiences."

Do you encounter difficulties in creating while also adhering to halacha (Jewish law)?

"In a sense, yes. When you deal with satire and comedy, it's a fine line, and you must be very careful. We strive very much to set clear lines concerning things related to pure halachic issues, such as modesty, foul language, and similar matters. Furthermore, we always try to make fun of phenomena and not at the mitzvot. For instance, we might joke about certain things people do in prayer, like typical behaviors of a gabbai (synagogue official), but not about prayer itself."

A moment in life when you felt regretful?

"We had a sketch in our show that made fun of a certain matter, and one day we realized that the person behind it was hurt by that sketch. We really didn't think it could hurt him, but that's what happened. It saddened me greatly that someone was hurt that way. Of course, we changed that part of the show and didn't perform it again, but still, we failed because, in the end, someone was hurt. We always try hard not to hurt anyone, and yet someone was hurt."

An interesting story that happened to you?

"Thank Hashem (B"H), after the shows, people always come and say they enjoyed it and so on. But one day we heard something particularly touching. A woman came and told us that thanks to our sketches, she came out of postnatal depression. Suddenly, in those moments, you truly feel you're doing important things. Many times they tell you that you're funny, and it's nice, but in such moments, you feel you're doing something truly important and significant."

Something people don't know about you?

"In my childhood, I loved sports, especially basketball, and played for Elitzur Bnei Brak. In my first game with the team, I scored 40% of our points. The opposing team beat us 70-5, which is a humiliating result by any standard, but I scored two of our five points, making it 40%, so at least my percentage was good."