One can see some similarity between the badchen and the court jester, a rôle which was common in the courts of the kings of Europe; however, they were essentially different from one another. The court jester was distinguished from the surrounding society by his dress and sometimes by his mental and physical limitations. The badchen, on the other hand, was dressed and looked like the members of the community, as well as well versed in Jewish customs and Talmudic tracts.

By the sixteenth century, the Jewish badchens had become extremely popular amongst the Jewish communities. His entertainment rôle was characterized by sharp wit. By the eighteenth century, the status of the badchen had greatly improved, economically as well as socially, and he had become a new type of social leader whose company was much desired. There were three renowned badchens who became the focus of many tales: Hershel of Ostropol (1757–1811), Motke Chabad (1820–1880), and Eliakum Zunser (1836–1913).

[…]

Many of the jokes attributed to Hershel are witticisms derived from Yiddish. Contrary to expectations, this jester was a very distinguished figure in his community. The jokes he told dealt with his own life story, as well as the familiar Jewish stereotypes,⁹⁷ making him the most popular Jewish jester both in oral stories and in the popular Jewish literature of Eastern Europe.⁹⁸

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