Exploring Jewish drinking wisdom
With the holiday of Sukkot approaching in a matter of days, my second video/podcast episode is now live on the topic of drinking on Sukkot with a sneak preview of next week’s video on drinking in the book of Ecclesiastes:
Having imported writings of mine from other blogs on Jewish drinking texts, and with more posts upcoming, I will now also be creating video content as well as my first-ever podcast(!). The introductory video and podcast episode are now available – you can also see them listed on the videos and podcasting page I created. […]
Introduction: Appearances Wine appears in four statements inย Avotย โ three dealing with wine as a vehicle for metaphors and one dealing with wine in a literal sense. Temporal Appropriateness Rabbi Dosa, son of Hyrcanusย (while the Hebrew literally transliterates to Harkinas, it would seem that it is a variant of Hyrcanus)[1]ย warns against wine-drinking in the afternoon (Avotย 3:10): […]
Rabbi Yosef Karo, in hisย Set Table, writes straightforwardly (ืฉืืื ืขืจืื ืืืจื ืืขื ืงืื:ื): ืืืื ืืืกืืจืื ืืืืช ืืื ืฉื ืขืืื ืืืืืื ืืืชืจ ืืืชื ืืชืืื ืืื ืืื ืืื ืฉืืจ ืืื ืฉืืจ ืืฉืงืื ืืืืื ืฉืืืื ืืชืืื ืืืืืื ืืืื ืฉืขื ืคื ื ืืืืื ืืื ืืืชืจ ืืืืื ืืื It is permissible to place wine, beer, or other beverages in vessels that […]
There is a curious story in the Passover Haggadah that I wanted to explore: ืึทืขึฒืฉึถืื ืึฐึผืจึทืึดึผื ืึฑืึดืืขึถืึถืจ ืึฐืจึทืึดึผื ืึฐืืึนืฉึปืืขึท ืึฐืจึทืึดึผื ืึถืึฐืขึธืึธืจ ืึถึผืึพืขึฒืึทืจึฐืึธื ืึฐืจึทืึดึผื ืขึฒืงึดืืึธื ืึฐืจึทืึดึผื ืึทืจึฐืคืึนื ืฉึถืืึธืืึผ ืึฐืกึปืึดึผืื ืึดึผืึฐื ึตืึพืึฐืจึทืง ืึฐืึธืืึผ ืึฐืกึทืคึฐึผืจึดืื ืึดึผืืฆึดืืึทืช ืึดืฆึฐืจึทืึดื ืึธึผืึพืืึนืชืึน ืึทืึทึผืึฐืึธื, ืขึทื ืฉึถืืึธึผืืึผ ืชึทืึฐืึดืืึตืืึถื ืึฐืึธืึฐืจืึผ ืึธืึถื ืจึทืึผืึนืชึตืื ืึผ ืึดืึดึผืืขึท ืึฐืึทื ืงึฐืจึดืืึทืช ืฉึฐืืึทืข ืฉึถืื ืฉึทืืึฒืจึดืืช The incident of Rabbi Eliezer, Rabbi Yehoshua, Rabbi […]
Over this recent Purim, I was curious to keep track of the drinking parties, since I knew there were multiple such events, but hadnโt 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. […]
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 […]
Recently, someone pointed out to me a curious drinking text related to Purim (Megillah 12a): ืืืฉืชืื ืืืช – ืืื ืืืช ืืืจ ืจืื ืืืื ื ืืฉืื ืจืื ืืืืจ ืืืช ืฉื ืชืืจื ืื ืืช ืฉื ืชืืจื ืืืืื ืืจืืื ืืฉืชืื ืืฃ ืกืขืืืชื ืฉื ืืืชื ืจืฉืข ืืืืื ืืจืืื ืืฉืชืื “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): ืชื ืื ืืื ืฉืืื ืืืืจ ืงืืืจ ืืชืื ืืืืชื ืืืืืชื ืืกืชืื ืืขืฆืืืช ืฉื ืืชืื ืืฉืืชื ืืื ืื ืขืฆืืืชืื ืฉืจืืคืื ืืืื ืขืฆืืืชืื ืกืืืืื ืืจืืื ืขืฆืืืชืื ืืฉืืืื ืืื ืื ืฉืฉืชืืืชื ืืจืืื ืืืืืืชื ืขืฆืืืชืื ืฉืจืืคืื ืืืืืชื ืืจืืื ืืฉืชืืืชื ืขืฆืืืชืื ืกืืืืื ืืจืืื ืขืฆืืืชืื […]
An updated and expanded version of this essay may be found as “Ravaโs Innovative Obligating of Getting Drunk on Purim” 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 […]
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