Drunkenness in the Babylonian Talmud (בסם | שכור)

The Sages taught: “Then I will give your rains in their season” (Leviticus 26:4). This means that the earth will be neither drunk nor thirsty; rather, a moderate amount of rain will fall. For as long as the rains are abundant, they muddy the soil of the land, and it does not give out its produce. Alternatively, ....

the Sages taught: Asparagus is agreeable for the heart and beneficial for the eyes, and all the more so for the intestines. And One who is accustomed to it, it is agreeable for his entire body. One who gets drunk off of it, it is difficult for his whole body.

One who is drunk: his purchase is a purchase and his sale is a sale.

If he transgressed a transgression for which he should be put to death - they kill him; for one that he should be lashed - they lash him.

Here is the general principle: he is like a normally-functioning person in all matters except that he is exempt from prayer.

The Gemara raises an objection from a baraita: With regard to receiving, carrying, or sprinkling blood, if a non-priest, a mourner on his first day of mourning, a drunk priest, and a blemished priest, performed the rite, it is disqualified. And likewise if the priest was sitting, and likewise if he performed one of these rites with his left hand, it is disqualified.

a drunk priest, or a blemished priest performs the rites of collection, conveying or sprinkling the blood, the offering is disqualified. And likewise, it is disqualified if a priest performs any of these rites while sitting. And this is likewise the halakha if a priest performs any of these rites with his left hand.

taught in a baraita: There was an incident involving Rabban Gamliel, who was riding a donkey and traveling from Akko to Keziv, and his student Rabbi Elai was walking behind him. Rabban Gamliel found some fine loaves of bread on the road, and he said to his student: Elai, take the loaves from the road. Further along the way, Rabban Gamliel encountered a certain gentile and said to him: Mavgai, take these loaves from Elai.

Elai joined the gentile and said to him: Where are you from? He said to him: From the nearby towns of guardsmen. He asked: And what is your name? The gentile replied: My name is Mavgai. He then inquired: Has Rabban Gamliel ever met you before, seeing as he knows your name? He said to him: No.

The Gemara interrupts the story in order to comment: At that time we learned that Rabban Gamliel divined the gentile’s name by way of divine inspiration that rested upon him. And at that time we also learned three matters of halakha from Rabban Gamliel’s behavior: We learned that one may not pass by food, i.e., if a person sees food lying on the ground, he must stop and pick it up.

We also learned that we follow the majority of travelers. Since the area was populated mostly by gentiles, Rabban Gamliel assumed that the loaf belonged to a gentile, and was consequently prohibited to be eaten by a Jew. Therefore, he ordered that it be given to a gentile. And we further learned that with regard to leavened bread belonging to a gentile, it is permitted to benefit from this food after Passover.

The Gemara resumes the narrative: When Rabban Gamliel arrived in Keziv, a person came before him to request that he dissolve his vow. Rabban Gamliel said to the one who was with him, i.e., Rabbi Elai: Did we drink a quarter-log of Italian wine earlier? He said to him: Yes. Rabban Gamliel replied: If so, let him journey after us until the effect of our wine is dispelled, after which we may consider his issue.

And that person journeyed after them for three mil, until Rabban Gamliel arrived at the Ladder of Tyre. When he arrived at the Ladder of Tyre, Rabban Gamliel alighted from his donkey and wrapped himself in his shawl in the customary manner of a judge, who wraps himself in a shawl in order to sit in awe at the time of judgment, and he sat and dissolved his vow.

At that time we learned many matters of halakha from Rabban Gamliel’s conduct. We learned that a quarter-log of Italian wine intoxicates, and we learned that one who is intoxicated may not issue a halakhic ruling, and we learned that walking on a path dispels the effect of wine, and lastly we learned that one may not annul vows when he is either mounted on an animal, or walking, or even standing, but only when he is sitting.

With regard to one who performs the following acts, if he performs the six of them consecutively he dies immediately, and they are: If one came back from a journey on the road and was exhausted, let blood, and entered the bathhouse, and drank and became intoxicated, and slept on the ground, and engaged in sexual intercourse, then he will die.
Rabbi Yoḥanan says: "But he will die for certain only in the case where he performs them in this order."

Rabbi Yoḥanan said from the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai:... "'It is not for kings, O Lemoel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes to say: Where is strong drink?' (Prov. 31:4). -'It is not for kings”: Bathsheba said to her son Solomon: "What have you to do with kings who drink wine and become intoxicated and say: 'Why do we need God?'"

'Nor for princes to say: "Where is beer?”' - one to whom all the secrets of the world are revealed, should he drink wine and become intoxicated?
There are those who say: One to whom all the princes of the world rise early to his door, should he drink wine and become intoxicated?"

Ulla said, and some say that it was taught in a baraita: "The Sages instituted ten cups in the house of the mourner:

- Three cups prior to the meal, in order to open his intestines

- three during the meal, to soak the food in his intestines

- and four after the meal:

- One corresponds to the first blessing: Who feeds all;

- one corresponds to the second blessing, the blessing of the land;

- one corresponding to the third blessing: Who builds Jerusalem;

- and one corresponding to the fourth blessing: Who is good and does good.

They added to those four:

- One, noting the attendants of the city [ḥazzanei ha’ir],

- one, noting the actions of the leaders of the city,

- one, noting the Temple,

- and one, noting Rabban Gamliel.They began and they would drink and get drunk.Therefore, the Sages restored the matter to its previous status.

Rabbi Ḥanina said: "They taught this only when one has not reached Lot's intoxication, but one who has reached Lot's intoxication, they are exempt from all of them."

Yehuda and Ḥizkiyya, sons of Rabbi Ḥiyya, were sitting at a meal before Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, and they were not saying anything. He said to his servants: "Add more wine for the young men, so that they will say something."

Once they were inebriated, they loosened their tongues and said: "The son of David, i.e., the Messiah, will not come until two fathers’ houses are destroyed from Israel, and they are the head of the exile who is in Babylonia and the Nasi who is in Eretz Yisrael, as it is stated 'and he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel' (Isaiah 8:14)."

He said to them: "My children, do you throw thorns in my eyes?"

Rabbi Ḥiyya said to him: "My teacher, do not view their behavior in a negative light. Wine [yayin] is given in letters of seventy, and secret [sod ] is given in letters of seventy, wine enters, secrets emerge."

Rav Huna, who departed from the house of Rav, and Rav, who departed from the house of Rabbi Ḥiyya, and Rabbi Ḥiyya, who departed from the house of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, when they were drunk, the rabbi would bring oil and salt and rub them on the palms of their hands and the soles of their feet and say: "Just as this oil is clear, so let the wine of so-and-so, son of so-and-so become clear." And if not, he would bring the sealing clay of a barrel and soak it in water and say: "Just as this sealing clay is clear, so let the wine of so-and-so, son of so-and-so, become clear."

Rav Yehudah said: "Rav said: 'The forty-two-letter Name may be transmitted only to one who is discreet, and humble, and stands at half his life, and does not get angry, and does not get drunk, and does not insist upon his rights. And anyone who knows and is careful with it and guards it in purity is beloved above and treasured below; and fear of him is cast upon the creatures; and he inherits two worlds, this world and the World-to-Come.'"

This pair of Sages got drunk at the wedding of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi’s son They came before Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi He said: "Rabbi Shimon is worthy to rely upon in exigent circumstances."

Rav Hamnuna (A2 (student of Rav)) said: "How many significant halakhot can be derived from these verses of the prayer of Hannah?

From that which is stated here: 'And Hannah spoke in her heart' - one who prays must focus his heart.

And from that which is stated here: 'Only her lips moved' - one who prays must enunciate with his lips.

From here: 'And her voice could not be heard' - one is forbidden to raise his voice in his prayer.

From here: 'So Eli thought her to be drunk' - a drunk person is forbidden to pray."

And Rabba bar bar Ḥanah (A2) said: "Once we were traveling in the desert and we were accompanied by a certain Arab who would take dust and smell it and say: 'This is the road to such and such a place, and that is the road to such and such a place.' We said to him: 'How far are we from water?' And he said to us: 'Bring me dust.' We brought it to him, and he said: 'Eight parasangs.' Later, we said this a second time, and gave him dust, and he said to us that we are at a distance of three parasangs. I switched the type of dust to test him, but I could not confuse him, as he was an expert in this matter. That Arab said to me: 'Come, I will show you the dead of the wilderness.' I went and saw them; and they had the appearance of one who is intoxicated, and they were lying on their backs. And the knee of one of them was elevated, and he was so enormous that the Arab entered under his knee while riding a camel and with his spear upright, and he did not touch him. I cut one corner of the sky-blue garment that contains ritual fringes of one of them, and we were unable to walk. The Arab said to me: 'Perhaps you took something from them? Return it, as we know by tradition that one who takes something from them cannot walk.' I then returned the corner of the garment, and then we were able to walk."

Yet another Sage (3rd century?) began his remarks and said: "There was an incident there involving a man who set his eyes upon his wife to divorce her, but her marriage contract was large and he wished to avoid having to pay it. What did he do? He went and invited his friends, gave them food and drink, made them drunk, and lay his friends and his wife in one bed. He then brought the white of an egg, which has the appearance of semen, and placed it on the sheet between them. He then stood witnesses over them so that they could offer testimony, and went to court."

The Holy One, Blessed be He, loves three people: One who does not get angry; one who does not get drunk; and one who is forgiving.

Rabbah son of Rav Huna (A3) said: "One who has drunk - should not pray; and if he prayed, his prayer is a prayer.

One who is drunk should not pray; and if he prayed, his prayer is an abomination."

“And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and those that transgress against Me” (Ezekiel 20:38). Rabbi Levi (A3) said: "These are children of nine traits, children of the acronym aleph, samekh, nun, tav, mem, shin, gimmel, ayin, ḥet. Children of fear; children of a woman who was raped; children of a hated woman; children of ostracism; children of substitution; children of strife; children of drunkenness; children of a woman who was divorced in the heart; children of mixture; and children of a shameless woman."

What is the reason they did not drink wine?

Rabbi Aḥa bar Ḥanina (A3) says: "The verse states: 'It is not for kings to drink wine, nor for princes to say: Where is beer?' (Prov. 31:4) - those who deal with the secret of the world: Do not get drunk."

“Do not take your maidservant as a wicked woman [bat beliya’al] for out of the abundance of my complaint and anger have I spoken until now” (I Samuel 1:16).

Rabbi Elazar (A3) said: From here the halakha that when a drunk person prays it is as if he engaged in idol worship

Rabbah (A3) and Rabbi Zeira (A3) prepared a Purim feast with each other, and they became intoxicated, Rabba arose and slaughtered Rabbi Zeira. The next day, he asked for mercy, and revived him.

The next year, he said to him: "Let the Master come and let us prepare the Purim feast with each other."

He said to him: "Miracles do not happen all the time."

Rava (A4) said: "A person is obligated to become intoxicated on Purim until he does not know between cursed is Haman and blessed is Mordecai."

From where may it be inferred?

Rav Pappa (A5) said: "Shekhar is an expression of drinking, of satiation, of intoxication."

What is considered "having drunk" and what is considered "drunk"?

It's like that of Rabbi Abba, son of Shoomani (A6), and Rav Menashya, son of Yeermeeyah from Gifti (A6), who were departing from each other at the ford of the Yofti River, they said: "Let each one of us say something that his fellow has not heard, for Mari, son of Rav Huna, said: 'A person must take leave of his fellow only in the midst of a matter of halakha so as to remember him'."

One opened and said: "What is the consideration of one who has drunk and what is the consideration of one who is drunk?

One who has drunk is able to speak before the king.

One who is drunk is unable to speak before the king."

The other opened and said: "One who took possession of a convert’s stuff, what should he do so that it remain in his hands? He should buy a Torah scroll with them.

Conversely, Rabbi Yehuda maintains that with regard to the morning prayer and the additional prayer, when drunkenness is not common on every ordinary day, the Sages did not issue a decree that the Priestly Benediction be omitted during them. However, with regard to the afternoon prayer and ne’ila, when drunkenness is common on every day, the Sages issued a decree that the Priestly Benediction should not be recited during them, despite the fact that intoxication is not a concern on a fast day.

This interpretation is not tenable, as with regard to the same matter the Merciful One states: “That you may make a difference between the sacred and the non-sacred” (Leviticus 10:10), which indicates that the priest must be capable of making these distinctions when he enters the Temple. Rather, just as there, with regard to the prohibition against drinking wine in the Sanctuary, the Torah means that at the time of entry there must be no drunkenness, whether the wine was drunk inside or outside the Sanctuary, here too it means that at the time of threshing there must be no muzzling.

The inhabitants of the city of Meḥoza are different, as drunkenness is common among them.

With regard to what do they disagree?

Rabbi Meir would seem to opine: What is the reason that priests do not spread their hands to bless the people every day in the afternoon prayer? It is due to potential drunkenness. But now, [on a fast day,] there is no drunkenness.

Rabbi Yehudah would seem to opine the morning prayer and the additional prayer, when drunkenness is not common on every ordinary day, the Sages did not issue a decree during them. However, with regard to the afternoon prayer and ne’ila, when drunkenness is common on every day, the Sages issued a decree during them.

Rabbi Yosei maintains the afternoon prayer, which is recited every day, the Sages issued a decree concerning it, whereas with regard to ne’ila, which is not recited every day, the Sages did not issue and apply their decree to it.

There, at the time of the afternoon prayer, drunkenness is uncommon, as it is unusual to drink excessively during the day. However, here, in the case of the evening prayer, drunkenness is common

Rabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, said: Joseph’s brothers too did not sample the taste of wine during the intervening period, due to their remorse, as it is written: “And they drank and became drunk with him” (Genesis 43:34).

[stam]

By inference: Until now there was no drunkenness, as they abstained from drinking.

And the other Sage, Rabbi Mallai, holds: It was drunkenness of which there was none; however, there was drinking on the part of the brothers during the intervening years.

In any event, everyone agrees that it is prohibited for a drunken priest to raise his hands.

From where are these matters?

Rabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, said: "Even they didn't taste the taste of wine, as it is written: 'And they drank and became drunk with him' (Gen. 43:34)."

[stam]

By inference: Until now, there was no drunkenness, and the other: It was drunkenness of which there was none; however, there was drinking.

§ The mishna teaches that the deaf-mute, the imbecile, and the drunk are disqualified. The Gemara challenges: Since one who is drunk profanes the Temple service, the blemish of drunkenness should have been counted in the previous chapter together with those who have blemishes that profane the service.

What is different about Shabbat?
Drunkenness is common.

Rav would not place a disseminator before him from the meal of one Festival day until the other, i.e., the next morning, due to drunkenness.

Rav would not place a disseminator before him from Festival until the other, due to drunkenness.

Rav would not place a disseminator before him from one Festival day until the end of the other, due to drunkenness.

The Gemara asks: With regard to what principle do they disagree?

Rabbi Meir maintains: What is the reason that priests do not spread their hands to bless the people every day in the afternoon prayer? It is due to potential drunkenness, as people occasionally become intoxicated during their lunch, and it is prohibited for an inebriated priest to bless. However, now, on a fast day, there is no concern about drunkenness, and therefore the priests may recite the Priestly Benediction even in the afternoon prayer.

Rav would not place an interpreter before him, i.e., he would not lecture in public, from the time that he drank wine on one Festival day until the other, the second Festival day, due to drunkenness.