A Shlemiel is a Yiddish term referring to someone particularly incompetent and clumsy, often paired with the Shlemazel, who is always unlucky.
The Shlemiel is the one who spills the soup, and the Shlemazel is the one it spills on.
These are well-known archetypes of Ashkenazi Jewish humor.
In Shlemiel and Shlemazel, we find the root Shin-Lamed-Mem, which means “Complete.”
The Tikkun / Rectification lies in an apparent disorder: the essence of true Jewish mysticism is to read in imperfection the possibility of the Divine, and in incompleteness the potential for completeness.
It is said: “Ein mazal leIsrael” – “Israel has no mazal.”
A mazal is a constellation, a sign of the zodiac.
When one becomes Israel on the archetypal level — that is, by becoming whole, complete — we are no longer subject to the influence of the stars, for we are connected directly to the Source itself.
But to reach this state, one must go through many trials.
“To become Israel” is to embark on a path of individuation, of Self-realization, and thus of alignment with the Source.
“To become Israel” is to understand that wandering, falls, and persecutions — all of these can be endured with humor, which then becomes a vehicle of transcendence.
Despite the destruction of the Temple and centuries of persecution, Jews never stopped making jokes, laughing at themselves — for God is Amour, God is Humor.
“To become Israel” is to move toward oneself, to build oneself, to build: to build a Temple where the Divine Presence resides.
And this is done in joy.
Shlemiel
שלומיאל
Gematria = 417
= same gematria as Shlemazel
שלימזל
= same gematria as HaBeit (“The House,” meaning the Temple)
הבית
“Bête” means “Stupid” (of “Beast”) in French and sounds like “Beit” (“Home”, “Temple”).
“Je suis Beit.” (New Torah)
Despite their clumsiness or misfortune, the Shlemiel / Shlemazel always manages to overcome obstacles that no one else could have.
Indeed, the Divine is in exile, hidden under grotesque or profane appearances.
Something seemingly negative hides a very high root that has fallen very low.
In this world, to turn away from evil and do good, one must learn to do the Beit.
In Hebrew, the word for “Idiot” is Tembel.
“HaTembel” (“The Idiot”)
הטמבל
Gematria = 86
= same gematria as the Name of God Elohim
אלהים
I am Tembel.
I am Temple.
