What in this text does not sit well with you? What happened to Noah? Try to answer before reading the next commentaries.
(א) בתוך אהלה. באהלה מיבעי. בתוך משמעו באמצע כמו בתוך הגן וכן כ״פ. ואין דרך להעמיד מקום המשכב באמצע האהל אלא באיזה צד. ע״כ נראה שזה גרם לו מעשה בנו הקטן. ששחק עמו בשנתו בשכרותו. לבד הדרש הידוע:
Within his tent - the expression should have been "in his tent"; "within" means in the middle of, just as "within the garden" (Gen. 2:9) and in a few other places. And it is not typical to put one's place of sleeping in the middle of the tent, rather, to one side. And this appears to have been a cause for the deed of his younger son, who "played" with him as he was asleep due to his drunkenness. This is beside the known drash [ed. note: castration].
The Haamek Davar brings the most known two commentaries about what brought the curse on Canaan. What are they? What did Ham do? How is this connected to being drunk?
What is the Radak's point? Why do you think it is important for him to make this particular point?
(א) על שם שומרון וכו'. יראה לי שהכתוב מרמז עיקר הפורענות דבא על ידי היין, והם ב' דברים; האחד - הוא הגנאי הבא לאדם על ידי שכרות - שיתבזה, לכך נאמר "ויתגל בתוך אהלו" - שנתבזה. השני - הוא אבוד החכמה והשכל אשר יש באדם. ודע כי השכל הוא הדבוק בה' יתברך, ועל ידי השכרות יאבד הדבוק ההיא, וכאשר אין האדם דבוק בה' - יבא פירוד וגלות לאדם, כי כל זמן אשר האדם שכלו עליו הוא נטע נאמן, "כי האדם עץ השדה" (דברים כ, יט) הוא, ונטיעותיו בשמים, כי הראש שהוא השורש של (אילן) [אדם] פונה למעלה, וזה כי נקרא האדם "עץ השדה" נטוע בשמים, ועל ידי השכל הוא נטוע במקומו אשר אם כל הרוחות באות ומנשבות בו אין מזיזין אותו ממקומו (ראה אבות פ"ג מי"ז), וכאשר הולך האדם אחר השכרות ושכלו נאבד - אז הוא גולה, וזהו שרמזה התורה באמיתות לשונה "ויתגל", כתב לשון "ויתגל" שהוא לשון גלות:
ותימה מדברי רש"י, שרז"ל בב"ר (לו, ד) לא אמרו שהכתוב מרמז על גלות עשרה שבטים רק בלשון "ויתגל" שהוא לשון גלות, אבל בלשון "אהלה" לא מצאתי בב"ר. והדין עם רז"ל, כי הכתוב מרמז בלשון "ויתגל" הגלות, לפי שאין הפרש בין גלות ובין גלוי, כי מי שהוא גולה ממקומו יצא מהסתרו ונראה במקום אחר, ורמז בו הגלות - כלומר לשון גלוי שנתבזה, וגלוי אחר - גלות ממקומו, ודבר זה נתקיים בגלות עשרת השבטים שגלו על עסקי היין, מפני שהפרידו השכל אשר הוא הנטע הנאמן, כמו שבארנו למעלה. וכך יש בב"ר (לו, ד) - 'ר' שמואל בר נחמני אומר 'ויגל' אין כתיב כאן אלא 'ויתגל', דבר זה גרם לו גלות ולבניו. עשרת השבטים לא גלו רק על עסקי היין וכו'', ומדאמר 'גרם לו גלות' ומאי גלות גרם לו, אלא כמו שאמרנו שהיה לו גלות להיות נגלה ממקום מעלתו ומדריגתו, וכן לבניו גרם גלות. ולא כמו שפירש רש"י שהכתוב מרמז דוקא על עשרת השבטים, שהרי אמר 'לו ולבניו' משמע כל בניו, רק שזה נמצא בעשרת שבטים, ועיין:
Spoken of as Samaria - It seems to me that the text hints at the core of the punishments that come through wine, and they are two: the first is the abasement that comes to a person through drunkenness, that they humiliate themselves, and that's why we read "and he uncovered himself in the middle of his tent". The second is the loss of wisdom and intelligence that a person has. And know that intelligence is the connection with the Holy One of Blessing, and through drunkenness this connection will be lost, and when a person has no connection to Hashem - exile and divisiveness come to a person, since whenever a person has his intelligence on, one is called a faithful seed, one is "a tree on a field" (Deut. 20:19), and one's saplings are in heaven, since the head which is the root of the tree/human turns upwards, and this is why a person is called "tree of the field" planted in heaven, and it is through the rational part one is planted in one's place, and all the winds come and blow, but do not move the person from one's place (see Avot 3:17) and when a person goes after getting drunk and one's rational faculties get lost - then one is in exile, and this is what the Torah truly hints with its word "itgal", the writing is "vaitgal" because it comes from the expression of galut, exile.
And the words of Rashi are surprising, because our sages in Bereshit Rabbah (Bereshit Rabbah 36:4) did not say that the text hints at the exile of the ten tribes using the word "vaitgal", which is an expression of galut, but using the word "his tent", which I did not find in Bereshit Rabbah. And the rabbis of blessed memory are right, because the Text hints to exile (galut) with the word "vayitgal", since there is no difference between exile (galut) and revealed (galuy), since when one is exiled from one's place comes out from one's hiding place and is seen in another place, and the hint is the exile - that comes from the word revelation that humiliates, and a different revelation - the exile from one;s place, and this thing that maintains the exile of the ten tribes that were exile due to drunkenness, since they separated from the rational part that is the faithful seed, as we explained above. And this is what Bereshit Rabbah says (36:4) - Rabbi Shmuek bar Nachmani says it is not written 'and he revealed' (vaigal) rather 'and he uncovered himself', this thing brought about exile for him and his children. The ten tribes were not only exiled due to wine, etc.' And from the fact that he said 'brought about exile for him' and what was the exile that it was brought about if not as we said, that he experienced exile from the place of his [high] stanting and level, and so [also] he brought exile to his children. And this is not like Rashi has explained that the Text hints specifically to the ten tribes, since behold he said 'to him and his children' - meaning, all his children, just what was found in the ten tribes, and see.
What are the points that the Gur Aryeh brings to the table?
How would he classify the excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages, in your opinion?
Think about Lot for a moment. Guilty or not guilty? Why?
And wasn't that man [Lot] forced by circumstances? It is taught [with tannaitic weight] in the name of rabbi Yosi son of rabbi Choni: why is there a dot on the VAV of the word "when she got up" of the older daughter? To teach you that he didn't know of her lying down with him, but he knew of her getting up. What practical difference does it make? That on the second time he shouldn't have drunk.
How does this source understand the limits of Lot's guilt?
How is wine view in this source? How extreme do you think rabbi Meir's views are?
What does this text advocate?
What is the other function of wine?
Would you call wine or alcohol a mind altering substance? Why or why not?
After he finished his prayer, the officer said him: You good for nothing. You endangered yourself; I could have killed you.
Isn’t it written in your Torah: “Take utmost care and guard yourself diligently” (Deuteronomy 4:9)?
And it is also written: “Take therefore good heed unto yourselves” (Deuteronomy 4:15)? Why did you ignore the danger to your life?
When I greeted you, why did you not respond with a greeting?
Were I to sever your head with a sword, who would hold me accountable for your spilled blood?
Our Rabbis taught: When R. Jose b. Kisma was ill, R. Hanina ben Teradion went to visit him. He said to him: 'Brother Hanina, don't you know that it is Heaven that has ordained this [Roman] nation to reign? For though she laid waste His House, burnt His Temple, slew His pious ones and caused His best ones to perish, still is she firmly established! Yet, I have heard about thee that you sit and occupy yourself with the Torah, that you publicly gather assemblies, and that you keep a scroll [of the Law] in your chest! He replied, 'Heaven will show mercy.' — 'I,' he remonstrated, 'am telling thee plain facts, and are saying "Heaven will show mercy"! It will surprise me if they do not burn both you and the scroll of the Law with fire.' 'Rabbi,' said the other, 'How do I stand with regard to the world to come?' — 'Is there any particular act that thou have done?' he asked. He replied: 'I once mistook Purim-money for ordinary charity-money, and I distributed [of my own] to the poor.' 'Well then,' said he, 'would that your portion were my portion and your lot my lot.'
It was said that within but few days R. Yosi ben Kisma died and all the great men of Rome went to his burial and made great lamentation for him. On their return, they found R. Hanina ben Teradion sitting and occupying himself with the Torah, publicly gathering assemblies, and keeping a scroll of the Law in his chest. Straightaway they took hold of him, wrapt him in the Scroll of the Law, placed bundles of branches round him and set them on fire. They then brought tufts of wool, which they had soaked in water, and placed them over his heart, so that he should not expire quickly. His daughter exclaimed, 'Father, that I should see you in this state!' He replied, 'If it were I alone being burnt it would have been a thing hard to bear; but now that I am burning together with the Scroll of the Law, He who will have regard for the plight of the Torah will also have regard for my plight.' His disciples called out, 'Rabbi, what do you see?' He answered them, 'The parchments are being burnt but the letters are soaring on high.' 'Open then your mouth' [said they] 'so that the fire enter into you.' He replied, 'Let Him who gave me [my soul] take it away, but no one should injure oneself.' The Executioner then said to him, 'Rabbi, if I raise the flame and take away the tufts of wool from over your heart, will you cause me to enter into the life to come?' 'Yes,' he replied. 'Then swear to me' [he urged]. He swore to him. He then raised the flame and removed the tufts of wool from over his heart, and his soul departed speedily. The Executioner then jumped and threw himself into the fire. And a bat-kol exclaimed: R. Hanina ben Teradion and the Executioner have been assigned to the world to come. When Rabbi heard it he wept and said: One may acquire eternal life in a single hour, another after many years!
(ג) דָּבָר אַחֵר, וְכִי יָמוּךְ, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (משלי יא, יז): גֹּמֵל נַפְשׁוֹ אִישׁ חָסֶד, זֶה הִלֵּל הַזָּקֵן, שֶׁבְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהָיָה נִפְטַר מִתַּלְמִידָיו הָיָה מְהַלֵּךְ וְהוֹלֵךְ עִמָּם, אָמְרוּ לוֹ תַּלְמִידָיו רַבֵּנוּ לְהֵיכָן אַתָּה הוֹלֵךְ אָמַר לָהֶם לַעֲשׂוֹת מִצְוָה, אָמְרוּ לוֹ וְכִי מַה מִּצְוָה זוֹ, אָמַר לָהֶן לִרְחֹץ בְּבֵית הַמֶּרְחָץ, אָמְרוּ לוֹ וְכִי זוֹ מִצְוָה הִיא, אָמַר לָהֶם, הֵן. מָה אִם אִיקוֹנִין שֶׁל מְלָכִים שֶׁמַּעֲמִידִים אוֹתָן בְּבָתֵּי טַרְטִיאוֹת וּבְבָתֵּי קִרְקָסִיאוֹת, מִי שֶׁנִּתְמַנֶּה עֲלֵיהֶם הוּא מוֹרְקָן וְשׁוֹטְפָן וְהֵן מַעֲלִין לוֹ מְזוֹנוֹת, וְלֹא עוֹד אֶלָּא שֶׁהוּא מִתְגַּדֵּל עִם גְּדוֹלֵי מַלְכוּת, אֲנִי שֶׁנִּבְרֵאתִי בְּצֶלֶם וּבִדְמוּת, דִּכְתִיב (בראשית ט, ו): כִּי בְּצֶלֶם אֱלֹקִים עָשָׂה אֶת הָאָדָם, עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה. ...
(3) Another Thing: 'But if he is impoverished', here it is written, "The merciful man does good to his own soul (Proverbs 11:17)," this [refers to] Hillel the Elder, who, at the time that he was departing from his students, would walk with them. They said to him, "Rabbi, where are you walking to?" He said to them, "To fulfill a commandment!" They said to him, "And what commandment is this?" He said to them, "To bathe in the bathhouse." They said to him: "But is this really a commandment?" He said to them: "Yes. Just like regarding the statues (lit. icons) of kings, that are set up in the theaters and the circuses, the one who is appointed over them bathes them and scrubs them, and they give him sustenance, and furthermore, he attains status with the leaders of the kingdom; I, who was created in the [Divine] Image and Form, as it is written, "For in the Image of G-d He made Man (Genesis 9:6)," even more so!...
(ה) הַרְבֵּה דְּבָרִים אָסְרוּ חֲכָמִים מִפְּנֵי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהֶם סַכָּנַת נְפָשׁוֹת. וְכָל הָעוֹבֵר עֲלֵיהֶן וְאוֹמֵר הֲרֵינִי מְסַכֵּן בְּעַצְמִי וּמַה לַּאֲחֵרִים עָלַי בְּכָךְ אוֹ אֵינִי מַקְפִּיד בְּכָךְ מַכִּין אוֹתוֹ מַכַּת מַרְדּוּת:
(5) Our Sages forbade many matters because they involve a threat to life. Whenever a person transgresses these guidelines, saying: "I will risk my life, what does this matter to others," or "I am not careful about these things," he should be punished by stripes for rebelliousness.
Background for the basic question of Cannabis/Marijuana/Pot
In 1970, the US federal government classified Cannabis as a Schedule I substance, meaning that it has a high potential for abuse and no established medical use. Since 1998, medical marijuana has become legal in twenty-four states and four additional states have legalized recreational use. Israel has established itself as the world leader in medical cannabis research. Currently, over 20,000 Israelis are prescribed cannabis for medical purposes.
Cannabis has long been used for hemp fiber, for hemp oils, for medicinal purposes, and as a recreational drug. Industrial hemp products are made from cannabis plants selected to produce an abundance of fiber. The oldest attested use of Cannabis was found in a 2,700 years old tomb of a shaman in the Gobi desert in China. (http://www.nbcnews.com/id/28034925/ns/technology_and_science-science/t/worlds-oldest-marijuana-stash-totally-busted/#.WVGyO-mQzIU)
Throughout the 19th century, news reports and medical journal articles almost always use the plant's formal name, cannabis. Pharmaceutical companies like Bristol-Myers Squib and Eli Lilly used cannabis in medicines — widely sold in U.S. pharmacies — to treat insomnia, migraines and rheumatism. From 1840 to 1900, U.S. scientific journals published hundreds of articles touting the therapeutic benefits of cannabis. Numerous accounts say that "marijuana" came into popular usage in the U.S. in the early 20th century because anti-cannabis factions wanted to underscore the drug's "Mexican-ness." It was meant to play off of anti-immigrant sentiments.
More on the criminalization of said plant can be found at:
http://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2013/07/14/201981025/the-mysterious-history-of-marijuana
http://www.salon.com/2013/08/06/weed_and_words_the_growth_of_dank_vocabulary_partner/
http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2013/12/14/weed-all-about-ittheoriginsofthewordamarijuanaaintheus.html
"You know, it's a funny thing, Every one of the bastards that are out for legalizing marijuana is Jewish. What the Christ is the matter with the Jews, Bob? What is the matter with them? I suppose it is because most of them are psychiatrists."
—President Richard Milhous Nixon
(כב) וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר ה' אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃ (כג) וְאַתָּ֣ה קַח־לְךָ֮ בְּשָׂמִ֣ים רֹאשׁ֒ מָר־דְּרוֹר֙ חֲמֵ֣שׁ מֵא֔וֹת וְקִנְּמָן־בֶּ֥שֶׂם מַחֲצִית֖וֹ חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים וּמָאתָ֑יִם וּקְנֵה־בֹ֖שֶׂם חֲמִשִּׁ֥ים וּמָאתָֽיִם׃ (כד) וְקִדָּ֕ה חֲמֵ֥שׁ מֵא֖וֹת בְּשֶׁ֣קֶל הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁ וְשֶׁ֥מֶן זַ֖יִת הִֽין׃ (כה) וְעָשִׂ֣יתָ אֹת֗וֹ שֶׁ֚מֶן מִשְׁחַת־קֹ֔דֶשׁ רֹ֥קַח מִרְקַ֖חַת מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה רֹקֵ֑חַ שֶׁ֥מֶן מִשְׁחַת־קֹ֖דֶשׁ יִהְיֶֽה׃ (כו) וּמָשַׁחְתָּ֥ ב֖וֹ אֶת־אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֑ד וְאֵ֖ת אֲר֥וֹן הָעֵדֻֽת׃ (כז) וְאֶת־הַשֻּׁלְחָן֙ וְאֶת־כָּל־כֵּלָ֔יו וְאֶת־הַמְּנֹרָ֖ה וְאֶת־כֵּלֶ֑יהָ וְאֵ֖ת מִזְבַּ֥ח הַקְּטֹֽרֶת׃ (כח) וְאֶת־מִזְבַּ֥ח הָעֹלָ֖ה וְאֶת־כָּל־כֵּלָ֑יו וְאֶת־הַכִּיֹּ֖ר וְאֶת־כַּנּֽוֹ׃ (כט) וְקִדַּשְׁתָּ֣ אֹתָ֔ם וְהָי֖וּ קֹ֣דֶשׁ קָֽדָשִׁ֑ים כָּל־הַנֹּגֵ֥עַ בָּהֶ֖ם יִקְדָּֽשׁ׃ (ל) וְאֶת־אַהֲרֹ֥ן וְאֶת־בָּנָ֖יו תִּמְשָׁ֑ח וְקִדַּשְׁתָּ֥ אֹתָ֖ם לְכַהֵ֥ן לִֽי׃ (לא) וְאֶל־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל תְּדַבֵּ֣ר לֵאמֹ֑ר שֶׁ֠מֶן מִשְׁחַת־קֹ֨דֶשׁ יִהְיֶ֥ה זֶ֛ה לִ֖י לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶֽם׃ (לב) עַל־בְּשַׂ֤ר אָדָם֙ לֹ֣א יִיסָ֔ךְ וּבְמַ֨תְכֻּנְתּ֔וֹ לֹ֥א תַעֲשׂ֖וּ כָּמֹ֑הוּ קֹ֣דֶשׁ ה֔וּא קֹ֖דֶשׁ יִהְיֶ֥ה לָכֶֽם׃ (לג) אִ֚ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִרְקַ֣ח כָּמֹ֔הוּ וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר יִתֵּ֛ן מִמֶּ֖נּוּ עַל־זָ֑ר וְנִכְרַ֖ת מֵעַמָּֽיו׃ (ס)
(22) The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: (23) Next take choice spices: five hundred weight of solidified myrrh, half as much—two hundred and fifty—of fragrant cinnamon, two hundred and fifty of aromatic cane [keneh-vosem], (24) five hundred—by the sanctuary weight—of cassia, and a hin of olive oil. (25) Make of this a sacred anointing oil, a compound of ingredients expertly blended, to serve as sacred anointing oil. (26) With it anoint the Tent of Meeting, the Ark of the Pact, (27) the table and all its utensils, the lampstand and all its fittings, the altar of incense, (28) the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the laver and its stand. (29) Thus you shall consecrate them so that they may be most holy; whatever touches them shall be consecrated. (30) You shall also anoint Aaron and his sons, consecrating them to serve Me as priests. (31) And speak to the Israelite people, as follows: This shall be an anointing oil sacred to Me throughout the ages. (32) It must not be rubbed on any person’s body, and you must not make anything like it in the same proportions; it is sacred, to be held sacred by you. (33) Whoever compounds its like, or puts any of it on a layman, shall be cut off from his kin.
(כד) לֹא־קָנִ֨יתָ לִּ֤י בַכֶּ֙סֶף֙ קָנֶ֔ה וְחֵ֥לֶב זְבָחֶ֖יךָ לֹ֣א הִרְוִיתָ֑נִי אַ֗ךְ הֶעֱבַדְתַּ֙נִי֙ בְּחַטֹּאותֶ֔יךָ הוֹגַעְתַּ֖נִי בַּעֲוֺנֹתֶֽיךָ׃ (ס)
(א) קנה. מין בושם :
Kaneh: From a bosem (sweet/fragrant herb)
(א) אין עושין פתילה לנר של שבת בין נר שעל השלחן בין כל נר שמדליק בבית מדבר שהאור אינו נאחז בו אלא נסרך סביביו והשלהבת קופצת כגון צמר ושער וכיוצא בהם אלא מדבר שהאור נתלה בו כגון פשתן נפוצה ובגד שש וצמר גפן וקנבוס וכיוצא בהן.
"One should not make the wick for a Sabbath lamp, whether it is the lamp on your table or any lamp that you light in the house... from something that the light does not come from the wick itself... for example wool, hair, etc... but rather from that which the light comes from the wick itself for example flax, cotton... or Kanebos."
("It is best to observe the law strictly with Cannabis if this is possible" -Eliyah Rabah)
Benetowa, Sarah. 1936. Tracing one word through different languages. Institute of Anthropological Sciences, Warsaw. Reprinted 1967 in The Book of Grass. George Andrews and Simon Vinkenoog (eds.). Grove Press, New York, pp. 15-18.
"The astonishing resemblance between the Semitic kanbos and the Scythian cannabis lead me to suppose that the Scythian word was of Semitic origin. These etymological discussions run parallel to arguments drawn from history. The Iranian Scythians were probably related to the Medes, who were neighbors of the Semites and could easily have assimilated the word for hemp. The Semites could also have spread the word during their migrations through Asia Minor."
Herodotus. The Histories. Trans. George Rawlinson. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1997. Pg. 334. (Originally 440 BCE, Second Temple period)
"After burial of the dead, those engaged in it have to purify themselves, which they do in the following way....they make a booth by fixing in the ground three sticks inclined towards one another...inside the booth a dish is placed upon the ground, into which they put a number of red-hot stones, and then add some hemp-seed.
Hemp grows in Scythia: it is very like flax; only that it is a much coarser and taller plant: some grows wild about the country, some is produced by cultivation: the Thracians make garments of it which closely resemble linen....
The Scythians take some of this hemp-seed, and, creeping under the felt coverings, throw it upon the red-hot stones; immediately it smokes, and gives out such a vapor as no Grecian vapor-bath can exceed; the Scyths, delighted, shout for joy....”
More on the etymology of the word Cannabis can be found at
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etymology_of_cannabis
“Rabbi Yaakov Yosef of Polnoye said before his departure that he asked God to credit him for all the Torah and mitzvot of his entire life, with the same value he gave to the great Baal Shem Tov's heavenly thoughts (yichudim) when he smoked his pipe.”
- Ibn Mardachya,
Forward Interview With Dr. Yosef Glassman MD in Newton MA
In Israel medical marijuana has been legal since the early 1990s. International cannabis research today is largely based on the 1960s research of Jerusalem-based professors Raphael Mechoulam and Yechiel Gaoni, who isolated the active ingredient of hashish and its psychoactive component, tetrahydrocannabinol, as well as the natural human analog to THC, anandamide, which the body produces. In the past decade, Israeli scientists developed a strain of marijuana without THC. According to Glassman, the Israeli government funds the research on medical marijuana, which today benefits some 12,000 Israeli patients and is grown on eight farms for a state-run medical cannabis distribution center.
“I think that cannabis is a wonderful solution for someone to control pain without the addictive nature of painkillers, and with a much better safety profile. Science aside, the greatest of medications allow the Infinite to penetrate the inner workings of the body and soul,” Dr. Glassman explained. “This is likely the overriding benefit that cannabis provides, and probably why it has so many different healing properties.”
http://forward.com/articles/188881/doctor-cannabis/
Le’Or, founded about a year ago with seed funding from Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap Company, wants to convince American Jews that ending marijuana prohibition belongs on the progressive Jewish communal agenda alongside marriage equality and immigration reform.
“Our goal is to erode the stigma, so that the Jewish community at large can see that supporting marijuana legalization is not just the right thing to do, it’s the Jewish thing to do,” said Roy Kaufmann, who founded Le’Or with his wife, Claire.
The Oregon governor’s speechwriter by day, the Israeli-born Kaufmann, 36, is a staunch opponent of America’s decades-long War on Drugs. Launched by Nixon in the 1970s and expanded during the Reagan era, the ongoing drug war has resulted in an unprecedented number of U.S. citizens — and a disproportionate number of African-American males — being sent to prison for drug-related offenses.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/will-marijuana-legalization-light-up-jewish-advocacy/
Rabbi Moshe Feinstein Teshuvah on Marijuana
“It is obviously forbidden to smoke marijuana, as this violates many basic laws of our Torah. First of all, it physically injures the person. Even if there are people who are not physically affected by this, it mentally affects the person as it destroys his mind, and prevents him from understanding things properly.
This is a terrible thing, since not only can the individual not properly study Torah, he also can not pray and properly perform Mitzvos (commandments), since doing them mindlessly is considered as if they were not done at all.
Furthermore, he is creating within himself a very strong desire (addiction?), which is much stronger than the desire to eat, etc. which are necessary for a person to live.
There are many that can not control and withstand this desire.
This is a very grave prohibition, as we find that a Ben Sorer U’Moreh [is killed] (See Deut. 21:18) for creating within himself a very strong desire, even though it is to eat Kosher food! How much more so it is forbidden for a person to bring upon himself an even greater desire, especially for something that a person does not need at all…
this is one of the grave prohibitions, and everyone must try with all of their strength to remove this impurity (Tuma’ah) from all Children of Israel.”
(Igros Moshe, Yoreh De’ah Vol. 3, Siman 35)
Rabbi Simon Jacobson:
1. “The Torah doesn’t tackle legalization of substances, but the Torah does one simple thing: It shares with us the deepest, highest, most intoxicating and powerful substance out there – the soul (and the mitzvahs that guide its journey in this world). The Torah tells each one of us: “You, you, and you are the most beautiful, handcrafted-by-God, living machine out there. Operate it and drive it as it was meant to be operated and driven. By connecting to the highest, you will become high yourself. Best of all, you can get this drug over the counter. No prescription necessary. You have the deepest deep, the highest high; do not spoil it by getting artificially high or deep… But then, you might ask: What about the mitzvah of drinking on Purim or Passover, or other holidays? ... As Jews we can get high whether or not marijuana is legal. As Jews we can get high by connecting to the highest thing, and by ingesting the most intoxicating substance out there – our own soul, a literal spark of the Divine flame that is God.”
2. “The essential problem with inducing a (spiritual) high through foreign substances is threefold: 1) It is driven by personal desire, and therefore 2) you have not earned your right of entry, and 3) it will not be integrated into daily life. It will be an escape.
And this is precisely the reason why foreign substances are addictive and take control of your life. As their name implies, they and the altered states of consciousness they induce are foreign substances – a “strange fire” – which don’t belong to you. For a brief, but temporary moment they have the power to transport you to another place. But you don’t belong there and you have not earned your way. Having not paid your fare, the “strange fire” will come back to collect the debt: It will take control of your life until it consumes you.
3. “Spirituality, the spiritual high, is a permanent state of being that lies beneath the surface of existence. The “container” can be artificially forced open with a “strange fire” (foreign substances), but only temporarily. No single act can be done to access the spiritual truths within; no magic can open up your soul. When you selflessly dedicate your life to a higher cause, when you transcend your ego and strip away the forces of material self-interest that impedes access to your soul within, then the spiritual will emerge. The operative word is emerge. You don’t create it, you don’t induce it, you don’t import it; you eliminate the weeds and the flower emerges.”
4. “Even when using healthy and natural methods and means to achieve spiritual highs, the key lies in your actual attitude and drive: If transcendence becomes another extension of yourself, and is driven by your need or desire to get high, then even if you use healthy methods, ultimately transcendence will elude you. Only when you realize that you have to let go – let go of your drives, needs and even hunger – then the spiritual high will emerge. And then, its will also be an integrative experience instead of an escape. It will open you up to spiritual freedom, instead of becoming an addictive monkey on your back.”
Benny Kraut – Perspectives on the Drug Issue in:Judaism and Drugs, pp.205-206, 210-211
Because of marijuana’s clear medical benefits, the Orthodox Union, which has rejected kosher certification requests from cigarette and e-cigarette manufacturers on health grounds, “would not have a problem certifying” medical marijuana, Elefant said.
Marijuana is a plant and therefore kosher certification is not necessary for the cannabis itself. But in New York State, where companies are vying for up to five licenses to grow and sell medical marijuana, patients will not be allowed to smoke pot, so they will have to ingest it in other ways — such as capsules, food or drinks, which will require kosher certification for Orthodox patients. http://forward.com/news/215113/medical-marijuana-may-soon-get-kosher-stamp-of-app/#ixzz3dlQC4vbe