Exploring Jewish drinking wisdom
Recently, someone pointed out to me a curious drinking text related to Purim (Megillah 12a): 讜讛砖转讬讛 讻讚转 – 诪讗讬 讻讚转 讗诪专 专讘讬 讬讜讞谞谉 诪砖讜诐 专讘讬 诪讗讬专 讻讚转 砖诇 转讜专讛 诪讛 讚转 砖诇 转讜专讛 讗讻讬诇讛 诪专讜讘讛 诪砖转讬讛 讗祝 住注讜讚转讜 砖诇 讗讜转讜 专砖注 讗讻讬诇讛 诪专讜讘讛 诪砖转讬讛 “And the drinking was according to law” (Esther 1.8) – What […]
A rather curious text occurs featuring Abba Shaul discussing his experiences as someone who buried corpses (Niddah 24b): 转谞讬讗 讗讘讗 砖讗讜诇 讗讜诪专 拽讜讘专 诪转讬诐 讛讬讬转讬 讜讛讬讬转讬 诪住转讻诇 讘注爪诪讜转 砖诇 诪转讬诐 讛砖讜转讛 讬讬谉 讞讬 注爪诪讜转讬讜 砖专讜驻讬谉 诪讝讜讙 注爪诪讜转讬讜 住讻讜讬讬谉 讻专讗讜讬 注爪诪讜转讬讜 诪砖讜讞讬谉 讜讻诇 诪讬 砖砖转讬讬转讜 诪专讜讘讛 诪讗讻讬诇转讜 注爪诪讜转讬讜 砖专讜驻讬谉 讗讻讬诇转讜 诪专讜讘讛 诪砖转讬讬转讜 注爪诪讜转讬讜 住讻讜讬讬谉 讻专讗讜讬 注爪诪讜转讬讜 […]
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聽Megillat Esther and secondarily on providing financial assistance to the poor), a couple of texts […]
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 转谞讜 专讘谞谉: 拽谞拽谞讬诐 砖诇 注讜讘讚讬 讻讜讻讘讬诐)), while the […]
A curious text emerges on Avodah Zarah 31b: 讗转诪专 诪驻谞讬 诪讛 讗住专讜 砖讻专 砖诇 讙讜讬诐 专诪讬 讘专 讞诪讗 讗诪专 专讘讬 讬爪讞拽 诪砖讜诐 讞转谞讜转 专讘 谞讞诪谉 讗诪专 诪砖讜诐 讙讬诇讜讬 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 […]
A fascinating wine-related dispute breaks out over Rabbi Yosef Karo鈥檚 (1488-1575) statement (砖讜”注 讬讜”讚 拽诇”讚:讛): 诪讛 讬讛讗 讘诪讬诐 讜讬讛讗 讘讛诐 讻讚讬 诇讘讟诇 讟注诐 讛讬讬谉 砖砖讛 讞诇拽讬诐 讻谞讙讚讜 讜讻诇 砖讬砖 讘诪讬诐 讻砖讬注讜专 讛讝讛 诪讜转专 讗驻讬诇讜 讘砖转讬讬讛 How much of a ratio is there with water to cancel out the taste of [libated] wine? Six parts [of […]
I recently came across a rather curious text in the Shulhan聽Arukh (YD 134:5): 诪讛 讬讛讗 讘诪讬诐 讜讬讛讗 讘讛诐 讻讚讬 诇讘讟诇 讟注诐 讛讬讬谉 砖砖讛 讞诇拽讬诐 讻谞讙讚讜 讜讻诇 砖讬砖 讘诪讬诐 讻砖讬注讜专 讛讝讛 诪讜转专 讗驻讬诇讜 讘砖转讬讬讛 How much of a ratio of water cancels out the taste of wine? Six parts [of water] to one [part of wine]. […]
While there is a well-known tannaitic teaching that one says a blessing – 讘讜专讗 驻专讬 讛讙驻谉 (Creator of the fruits of the vine) – over wine (mBerakhot 6:1), one of the interesting blessings that is created during the period of the amoraim is that over drinking different wine (bBerakhot 59b): 讗诪专 专讘 讬讜住祝 讘专 讗讘讗 […]
Having聽begun a discussion聽of drinking on聽Purim, (and what got me re-interested in this topic), I wanted to do an initial post on which beverage one should drink in order to intoxicate oneself on Purim. 聽 聽聽 Curiously, in neither聽Rabbi Jacob, son of Asher‘s聽Four Divisions1聽nor in聽Rabbi Joseph Karo‘s聽Set Table2聽is any specific beverage mentioned in order to intoxicate, […]
With聽Purim聽occurring two months from today, my mind turned over shabbat towards one of the most well-known aspects of the festival:聽drinking.聽 The amusing thing about drinking being a(n in)famous aspect of the holiday is that it was not initially a main part of the festival – it was not a聽Tannaitic聽element (the primary ones were reading the聽megillah, […]
![“讜讛砖转讬讛 讻讚转”: Considering Rabbi Meir’s Reading [Megillah 12a]](https://jewishdrinking.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/drinkin.jpg)
![Abba Shaul’s Bone Forensics Concerning Wine [Niddah 24b]](https://jewishdrinking.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Abba-Shaul-was-a-gravedigger-and-reported-the-effects-of-the-wine-on-bones.jpg)
![Drinking on Purim [Megillah 7b]](https://jewishdrinking.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/beer-glasses.jpg)
![Storing Beer in Jugs that Had Been Gentile-Owned [AZ 33b]](https://jewishdrinking.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Sasanian-jugs.jpg)
![The Amoraic Prohibition Against Gentile Beer? [AZ 31b]](https://jewishdrinking.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/gentile-beer.jpg)
![The Beginnings of the Post-Shulhan Arukh Debate Over the Ratio of Nullifying Libated Wine [YD 134:5]](https://jewishdrinking.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/wine-to-water-ratios-Copy.jpg)
