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While Pesach cleaning, I found a whole bunch of questions that were sent in at some point that I somehow haven’t gotten to. So I’m going to address them now, in the hopes that doing so will get me out of Pesach cleaning.
Dear Mordechai,
I think my neighbors are beginning to outnumber me. To be honest, I’m afraid they’re going to join forces with my enemies and defeat me. I don’t even remember how these people got here. Seriously. I don’t remember anything. I might be hundreds of years old. What do I do?
Pharaohnoid, Pajamas
Dear Pharaohnoid,
Well, if they do outnumber you, my advice is that you probably shouldn’t get on their bad side. Maybe you should ask your advisors what to do, and by “advisors,” I mean ones who think for themselves and challenge you, and ask questions like, “If you’re a god, why do you need advisors?”
Dear Mordechai,
I’ve been working at a dead-end job for some time now. This organization is ridiculous. They give the women men’s work, such as opening containers of cement, and they give the men women’s work, such as telling the women where to lug the containers of cement. And it’s not just gender flipping. We have big strong jocks designing buildings on quicksand, and weak nerdy Jewish guys such as myself putting everything up crooked. That said, my fellow slaves and I have a disagreement: Some of us say that we should be lifting with our legs, and others say that if anything, we should be lifting with our arms. Maybe this work wouldn’t be so back-breaking if we had any idea what we were doing.
Swamped, Sand Dunes
Dear Swamped,
I know what you mean about the role-reversal thing. Sometimes my wife and her friends say, “If men would only have babies…”
And they just have one at a time.
Dear Mordechai,
My weirdo astrologers tell me that a redeemer will soon be born who will lead out the slaves. But they don’t know if he’s going to be Jewish, or Egyptian, or secretly Jewish but raised by Egyptians. Why do I pay these guys?
Skeptical, Rooftop
Dear Skeptical,
I say you ignore them. Think about it: If you kill all the baby boys, then this “redeemer” won’t grow up to lead the slaves, and your astronomers won’t have seen that he’ll lead the slaves, and they won’t have told you, and you won’t have killed the boys, and he would have grown up to lead the slaves. So your plan is flawed from the get go. And thinking about this further will only give you a headache.
Also, remember that your entire problem is that the Jews are living amongst you, and you’re afraid they’ll join forces with your enemies. Isn’t having someone lead them out what you actually want?
Dear Mordechai,
My daughter brought home a baby the other day. She says she found him. Is this something I should be concerned about? Also, one of her arms is suddenly way longer than the other. That can’t be good for shidduchim.
Sudden Zaidy, Shock
Dear Sudden,
Not since you’ve been throwing boys into the river, no. Talk about creating a shidduch crisis.
Dear Mordechai,
My grandson was sitting on my lap, and he pulled off my crown and put it on his head. Should I have him killed, or what?
Balding, Public
Dear Balding,
Here’s what you do: First you put two bowls in front of him, and then you GET OVER IT! Kids walk around in their parents’ hats all the time. I keep a pile of old hats for just that reason. Do you have any old crowns laying around? Like maybe one from your bar mitzvah?
See, this is why no one really wants to come to your birthday parties.
Dear Mordechai,
A burning bush just told me to talk to Pharaoh, but I have a speech impediment, due to an insane incident which boiled down to my grandfather and all of his advisors vs. a two-year-old. I spent 7 days trying to dissuade the bush, and long story short, I’m going. Any advice?
Nervous Speaker, Midian
Dear Nervous,
Well, you can just speak softly and carry a big stick. Do you have any older brothers you can bring along with you?
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