Why Four Cups in Rabbinic Literature?
Episode Introduction Why did the rabbis institute a minimum of four cups of wine at the Passover Seder? In the 62nd episode of The Jewish Drinking Show, Rabbi David Polsky and Rabbi Drew Kaplan discuss what the rabbis in the Mishnah and both Talmuds have to say about why we have this minimum. Guest Bio Rabbi […]
Angels and Asparagus: Discussing a Curious Talmudic Beverage
Introduction The 57th episode of The Jewish Drinking Show features a discussion on angels and…asparagus. Featuring Prof. Mika Ahuvia, whose research includes her doctoral dissertation, “Israel Among the Angels: A Study of Angels in Jewish Texts from the Fourth to Eighth Century CE” (Princeton, 2014), so she is well-situated to discuss the curious intersection of angels […]
Yalta’s Wine-Destroying
On the newest release amongst the podcast/video episodes, Alieza Salzberg Yizhar joins the show to discuss a particular incident in the Talmud where Yalta destroys 400 jugs of wine (see below for text from the Babylonian Talmud on this incident). She teaches Talmud at the Conservative Yeshiva and courses in Jewish History and Literature at […]
How Beer Became Acceptable for Havdallah in the Babylonian Talmud
You can only use wine for Havdallah, right? That’s what the Talmudic rabbis thought…until a certain story happened. And then beer became legitimate to use for this ritual. Featuring Professor Jordan Rosenblum, the Belzer Professor of Classical Judaism, the Max and Frieda Weinstein-Bascom Professor of Jewish Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Chair of […]
How Many Cups of Wine to Drink at a Mourner’s House – 10 vs 14?
The newest release in JewishDrinking.com’s podcast & video series features Rabbi David Fried discussing with our host the question of how many cups of wine are to be consumed at a mourner’s house. Rabbi Fried currently serves as part of the Judaic Studies faculty at Hebrew High School of New England and graduated from Yeshivat […]
Drinking on Purim in The Talmud
With Purim coming up in just two weeks, this episode is the second in JewishDrinking’s Purim 2020 series, with a third episode to be published next week. This week’s podcast/video episode features Professor Jordan Rosenblum, the Belzer Professor of Classical Judaism, the Max and Frieda Weinstein-Bascom Professor of Jewish Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, […]
Rava, Mordechai, and Purim-Drinking
With Purim right around the corner, it’s time to gear up for “the drinkingest day” on the Jewish calendar. To that end, this week’s podcast/video episode features a discussion with Rabbi Ayalon Eliach on the topic of the most famous statement related to Purim-drinking: “.אמר רבא: מיחייב איניש לבסומי בפוריא עד דלא ידע בין ארור […]
Rav Papa, The Talmud Bavli’s Beer Baron
The newest podcast (& video) episode is now out on “Rav Papa, The Talmud Bavli’s Beer Baron”, featuring Professor Jordan Rosenblum, the Belzer Professor of Classical Judaism at University of Wisconsin, whose book is hitting bookshelves today. The new book, Rabbinic Drinking: What Beverages Teach Us About Rabbinic Literature, is intended to introduce readers to […]
Were Grapes the Fruit that Adam and Eve Ate?
Although I know you’re probably thinking “What does the fruit that Adam and Eve ate have to do with drinking?” And that’s a great question! Wine/Grapevine? It turns out there is a rabbinic text that associates wine with this fruit (bBerakhot 40a & bSanhedrin 70a-b): תניא רבי מאיר אומר אותו אילן שאכל אדם הראשון ממנו […]
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 […]