Exploring Jewish drinking wisdom
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 ืชื ื ืจืื ื: ืงื ืงื ืื ืฉื ืขืืืื ืืืืืื)), while the […]
A curious text emerges on Avodah Zarah 31b: ืืชืืจ ืืคื ื ืื ืืกืจื ืฉืืจ ืฉื ืืืื ืจืื ืืจ ืืื ืืืจ ืจืื ืืฆืืง ืืฉืื ืืชื ืืช ืจื ื ืืื ืืืจ ืืฉืื ืืืืื 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 Karoโs (1488-1575) statement (ืฉื”ืข ืื”ื ืงื”ื:ื): ืื ืืื ืืืื ืืืื ืืื ืืื ืืืื ืืขื ืืืื ืฉืฉื ืืืงืื ืื ืืื ืืื ืฉืืฉ ืืืื ืืฉืืขืืจ ืืื ืืืชืจ ืืคืืื ืืฉืชืืื 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 Shulhanย Arukh (YD 134:5): ืื ืืื ืืืื ืืืื ืืื ืืื ืืืื ืืขื ืืืื ืฉืฉื ืืืงืื ืื ืืื ืืื ืฉืืฉ ืืืื ืืฉืืขืืจ ืืื ืืืชืจ ืืคืืื ืืฉืชืืื 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 – ืืืจื ืคืจื ืืืคื (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): ืืืจ ืจื ืืืกืฃ ืืจ ืืื […]
Havingย begun a discussionย of drinking onย 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. ย ย ย Curiously, in neitherย Rabbi Jacob, son of Asher‘sย Four Divisions1ย nor inย Rabbi Joseph Karo‘sย Set Table2ย is any specific beverage mentioned in order to intoxicate, […]
Withย Purimย occurring two months from today, my mind turned over shabbat towards one of the most well-known aspects of the festival:ย drinking.ย 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 aย Tannaiticย element (the primary ones were reading theย megillah, […]
If one were to open theย Shulhan Arukhย on the topic of saying theย ืืจืืช ืืืืืย (grace after meals) with a cup (for instance, see Berakhos 51a), one would find thatย Rabbi Yosef Karoย wrote the following (OH 182.1): ืืฉ ืฉืืืืจืื ืฉืืจืืช ืืืืื ืืขืื ื ืืืก ืืคืืื ืืืืื, ืืฆืจืื ืืืืืจ ืขืืื, ืืื ืืืื ืื ืืื ืื ืืืก ืืืจื ืขืืื ืื ืืื ืืฆืคื […]
![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)
