Wine in Pirkei Avot
Introduction: Appearances Wine appears in four statements in Avot – three dealing with wine as a vehicle for metaphors and one dealing with wine in a literal sense. Temporal Appropriateness Rabbi Dosa, son of Hyrcanus (while the Hebrew literally transliterates to Harkinas, it would seem that it is a variant of Hyrcanus)[1] warns against wine-drinking in the afternoon (Avot 3:10): […]
![Some Considerations of Storing Non-Wine Liquids in Containers That Had Previously Contained Gentile Wine [YD 137:4]](http://jewishdrinking.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/containers-for-wine.jpg)
Some Considerations of Storing Non-Wine Liquids in Containers That Had Previously Contained Gentile Wine [YD 137:4]
Rabbi Yosef Karo, in his Set Table, writes straightforwardly (שלחן ערוך יורה דעה קלז:ד): כלים האסורים מחמת יין של עובד כוכבים מותר ליתן לתוכם בין מים בין שכר בין שאר משקים ובלבד שידיח בתחלה לחלוחי היין שעל פני הכלים וכן מותר למלוח בהם It is permissible to place wine, beer, or other beverages in vessels that […]
Initial Considerations on the מסובין Incidents in the Tosefta
There is a curious story in the Passover Haggadah that I wanted to explore: מַעֲשֶׂה בְּרַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר וְרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וְרַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן־עֲזַרְיָה וְרַבִּי עֲקִיבָא וְרַבִּי טַרְפוֹן שֶׁהָיוּ מְסֻבִּין בִּבְנֵי־בְרַק וְהָיוּ מְסַפְּרִים בִּיצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם כָּל־אוֹתוֹ הַלַּיְלָה, עַד שֶׁבָּאוּ תַלְמִידֵיהֶם וְאָמְרוּ לָהֶם רַבּוֹתֵינוּ הִגִּיעַ זְמַן קְרִיאַת שְׁמַע שֶׁל שַׁחֲרִית The incident of Rabbi Eliezer, Rabbi Yehoshua, Rabbi […]
An Initial Consideration of the Drinking Events in Megillat Esther
Over this recent Purim, I was curious to keep track of the drinking parties, since I knew there were multiple such events, but hadn’t quite remembered what each of them were. While tracking them, though, I was fascinated to not only have a sense of what they were, but maybe also somewhat of a pattern. […]
Drinking & Praying? How Do the Rabbis Approach Drunken Prayer?
With Purim upon us this week and the attendant drinking that occurs, it’s fitting to wonder about the appropriateness of praying while intoxicated (or its inappropriateness). So: what do the Talmudic rabbis have to say about it? Tannaitic Exemption One clear tannaitic text that discusses this issue finds that one should not pray while drunk […]
![“והשתיה כדת”: Considering Rabbi Meir’s Reading [Megillah 12a]](http://jewishdrinking.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/drinkin.jpg)
“והשתיה כדת”: Considering Rabbi Meir’s Reading [Megillah 12a]
Recently, someone pointed out to me a curious drinking text related to Purim (Megillah 12a): והשתיה כדת – מאי כדת אמר רבי יוחנן משום רבי מאיר כדת של תורה מה דת של תורה אכילה מרובה משתיה אף סעודתו של אותו רשע אכילה מרובה משתיה “And the drinking was according to law” (Esther 1.8) – What […]
![Abba Shaul’s Bone Forensics Concerning Wine [Niddah 24b]](http://jewishdrinking.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Abba-Shaul-was-a-gravedigger-and-reported-the-effects-of-the-wine-on-bones.jpg)
Abba Shaul’s Bone Forensics Concerning Wine [Niddah 24b]
A rather curious text occurs featuring Abba Shaul discussing his experiences as someone who buried corpses (Niddah 24b): תניא אבא שאול אומר קובר מתים הייתי והייתי מסתכל בעצמות של מתים השותה יין חי עצמותיו שרופין מזוג עצמותיו סכויין כראוי עצמותיו משוחין וכל מי ששתייתו מרובה מאכילתו עצמותיו שרופין אכילתו מרובה משתייתו עצמותיו סכויין כראוי עצמותיו […]
![Drinking on Purim [Megillah 7b]](http://jewishdrinking.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/beer-glasses.jpg)
Drinking on Purim [Megillah 7b]
Introduction One of the more familiar aspects of Purim practices is getting drunk, with Purim being one of the most drinking-heavy days on the Jewish calendar. While neither the Mishnah nor Tosefta mentions any such practice (focussing mostly on reading of Megillat Esther and secondarily on providing financial assistance to the poor), a couple of texts […]
![Storing Beer in Jugs that Had Been Gentile-Owned [AZ 33b]](http://jewishdrinking.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Sasanian-jugs.jpg)
Storing Beer in Jugs that Had Been Gentile-Owned [AZ 33b]
A huge concern for the rabbis was the consumption of gentile wine, as it could be used in libations, which was a problematic issue for the rabbis. In a discussion of using jugs that gentiles had previously owned (beginning on the bottom of AZ 33a (starting with תנו רבנן: קנקנים של עובדי כוכבים)), while the […]
![The Amoraic Prohibition Against Gentile Beer? [AZ 31b]](http://jewishdrinking.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/gentile-beer.jpg)
The Amoraic Prohibition Against Gentile Beer? [AZ 31b]
A curious text emerges on Avodah Zarah 31b: אתמר מפני מה אסרו שכר של גוים רמי בר חמא אמר רבי יצחק משום חתנות רב נחמן אמר משום גילוי It was stated: On account of what did they forbid gentiles’ beer? Rami, son of Hama said from Rabbi Yizhak’s name: “On account of [inter]marriage.” Rav Nahman […]