וּלְזִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. אָמַר רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא, נִמְשְׁלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְעוֹף. מָה עוֹף זֶה אֵינוֹ יָכֹל לִפְרֹחַ בְּלֹא כְּנָפַיִם, כָּךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֵין יְכוֹלִין לַעֲשׂוֹת דָּבָר בְּלֹא זְקֵנִים. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסִי בַּר חֲלַפְתָּא, גְּדוֹלָה זִקְנָה. שֶׁאִם זְקֵנִים הֵם, חֲבִיבִים הֵם. וְאִם נְעָרִים הֵם, הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מְקַפֵּץ לָהֶם אֶת הַזִּקְנָה. אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַאי, לֹא בְּמָקוֹם אֶחָד וְלֹא בִּשְׁנַיִם וּשְׁלֹשָׁה מְקוֹמוֹת מָצִינוּ שֶׁהַמָּקוֹם חוֹלֵק כָּבוֹד לַזְּקֵנִים. בְּמִצְרַיִם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְשָׁמְעוּ לְקוֹלְךָ וּבָאתָ אַתָּה וְזִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל (שמות ג, יח). בַּסְּנֶה, לֵךְ וְאָסַפְתָּ אֶת זִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל (שמות ג, טז). בְּסִינַי, אַתָּה וְאַהֲרֹן נָדָב וַאֲבִיהוּא וְשִׁבְעִים מִזִּקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל (שם כד, א). בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, לְאַהֲרֹן וּלְבָנָיו וּלְזִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. אַף לֶעָתִיד לָבֹא, הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא חוֹלֵק כָּבוֹד לַזְּקֵנִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְחָפְרָה הַלְבָּנָה וּבוֹשָׁה הַחַמָּה כִּי מָלַךְ ה' צְבָאוֹת בְּהַר צִיּוֹן וּבִירוּשָׁלַיִם וְנֶגֶד זְקֵנָיו כָּבוֹד (ישעיה כד, כג). וְאָמְרוּ חֲכָמֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה, עָתִיד הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לַעֲשׂוֹת לוֹ יְשִׁיבָה שֶׁל זְקֵנִים שֶׁלּוֹ. וְהוּא שֶׁהַכָּתוּב אוֹמֵר, כִּי מָלַךְ ה' צְבָאוֹת בְּהַר צִיּוֹן וּבִירוּשָׁלַיִם וְנֶגֶד זְקֵנָיו כָּבוֹד. וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מְכַבֵּד לַצַּדִּיקִים וְלַחֲסִידִים. אֲבָל בְּכָל עֵת שֶׁנּוֹפֵל שְׁגָגָה מֵהֶם, הוּא מְיַסְּרָן. רְאוּ מַה כְּתִיב בִּבְנֵי אַהֲרֹן, שֶׁהָיוּ סְגָנֵי כְּהֻנָּה וְשָׁגוּ בַּיַּיִן, כִּי כֵן אָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה, כִּי שְׁתוּיֵי יַיִן הָיוּ, וּלְפִיכָךְ צִוָּה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אַחַר מִיתָתָן לְהַזְהִיר עַל הַיַּיִן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: יַיִן וְשֵׁכָר אַל תֵּשְׁתְּ אַתָּה וּבָנֶיךָ אִתָּךְ. אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, הִזָּהֲרוּ עַל הַיַּיִן. רָאוּ מֶה עָשָׂה נֹחַ. שֶׁהוּא הִתְחִיל לִשְׁגּוֹת בּוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיָּחֵל נֹחַ אִישׁ הָאֲדָמָה וַיִּטַּע כֶּרֶם (בראשית ט, כ). וּכְתִיב: וַיֵּשְׁתְּ מִן הַיַּיִן וַיִּשְׁכַּר וַיִּתְגַּל (בראשית ט, כא). מִי גָּרַם לוֹ לְהִתְבַּזּוֹת הַיַּיִן. וְגָרַם לוֹ לְהָבִיא קְלָלָה עַל זַרְעוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיֹּאמֶר אָרוּר כְּנַעַן (בראשית ט, כה). וּלְכָךְ הֻזְהֲרוּ מִן הַיַּיִן, כִּי הַיַּיִן מֵבִיא אֶת הָאָדָם לְכָל עֲבֵרוֹת שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם, לִזְנוּת, וְלִשְׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים, וְלִגְנֵבָה, וּלְכָל עֲבֵרוֹת שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם. וַהֲלֹא מְשַׂמֵּחַ לֵב הָאָדָם, וּמְשַׁבְּחוֹ הַכָּתוּב כְּמוֹ הַקּוֹרֵא בַּתּוֹרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְיַיִן יְשַׂמַּח לְבַב אֱנוֹשׁ (תהלים קד, טו). וְאוֹמֵר: פִּקּוּדֵי ה' יְשָׁרִים מְשַׂמְּחֵי לֵב (שם יט, ט). וְעוֹד, כִּי לָעוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה וּבְפִקּוּדָיו יַנְחִיל גַּן עֵדֶן, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: כִּי הִיא חַיֶּיךָ וְאֹרֶךְ יָמֶיךָ (דברים ל, כ). וְהַשִּׁכּוֹר בְּעוֹד שֶׁהַיַּיִן בּוֹ, הוּא יוֹשֵׁב בְּשִׂמְחָה כְּמוֹ שֶׁהוּא יוֹשֵׁב בְּגַן עֵדֶן. כְּמוֹ הַהוּא תַּלְמִידָא דַּהֲוַה חָסִיד, וַהֲוַה לֵיהּ אַבָּא וְשָׁתִי חַמְרָא טוּבָא. וּבְכָל עִדָּן דַּהֲוַה נָפִיל בְּשׁוּקָא, אַתּוּ עוּלְמַיָּא וּמַכִּין יָתֵיהּ בְּאַבְנֵי וּבִצְרוֹרִין, וְצוֹוְחִין וְקוֹרִין בַּתְרוֹי חֲזוּ שִׁיכְּרָא. וּכְשֶׁרוֹאֶה בְּנוֹ הֶחָסִיד, הוּא מַכְלִים וְשׁוֹאֵל אֶת נַפְשׁוֹ לָמוּת. וּבְכָל יוֹם אוֹמֵר לוֹ: אַבָּא, אֲנִי אֲשַׁגֵּר וְיָבִיאוּ לְךָ לְבֵיתְךָ מִכָּל הַיַּיִן שֶׁמּוֹכְרִין בַּמְּדִינָה, וְלֹא תֵּלֵךְ לִשְׁתּוֹת בְּבֵית הַיַּיִן, שֶׁאַתָּה עוֹשֶׂה חֶרְפָּה מִמֶּנִּי וּמִמְּךָ. וְהוּא אוֹמֵר לוֹ כֵן פַּעַם אַחַת וּשְׁתַּיִם בְּכָל יוֹם, עַד שֶׁאָמַר אָבִיו, שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה כְּמוֹ שֶׁהוּא אוֹמֵר שֶׁלֹּא יֵלֵךְ לִשְׁתּוֹת בְּבֵית הַיַּיִן. וְכֵן עָשָׂה הֶחָסִיד, שֶׁהוּא עוֹשֶׂה לוֹ בְּכָל יוֹם וּבְכָל לַיְלָה מַאֲכַל וּמִשְׁתֶּה, וּמְיַשְּׁנוֹ בְּמִטָּתוֹ וְאַחַר הוֹלֵךְ לוֹ. פַּעַם אַחַת הָיָה יוֹרֵד מָטָר, וְיָצָא הֶחָסִיד לַשּׁוּק וְהָיָה הוֹלֵךְ לְבֵית הַכְּנֶסֶת לַתְּפִלָּה, וְרָאָה שִׁכּוֹר אֶחָד שֶׁהוּא שׁוֹכֵב בַּשּׁוּק וַאֲמַת הַמַּיִם יוֹרֵד עָלָיו, וְהַבַּחוּרִים וְהַנְּעָרִים מַכִּין אוֹתוֹ בָּאֲבָנִים וּבִצְרוֹרִין וּמַשְׁלִיכִין חֹמֶר בְּפָנָיו וּבְתוֹךְ פִּיו. כְּשֶׁרָאָה זֶה הֶחָסִיד, אָמַר בְּלִבּוֹ אֵלֵךְ לְאַבָּא וַאֲבִיאֶנּוּ לְכָאן וְאַרְאֶה לוֹ זֶה הַשִּׁכּוֹר וְהַחֶרְפָּה שֶׁעוֹשִׂין מִמֶּנּוּ הַבַּחוּרִים וְהַנְּעָרִים, אוּלַי יִמְנַע פִּיו מִלִּשְׁתּוֹת בְּבֵית הַיַּיִן וּלְהִשְׁתַּכֵּר. וְכֵן עָשָׂה, הֱבִיאוֹ לְשָׁם וְהֶרְאָהוּ לוֹ. מֶה עָשָׂה אָבִיו הַזָּקֵן. הָלַךְ אֵצֶל הַשִּׁכּוֹר וְשָׁאַל לוֹ, בְּאֵיזֶה בַּיִת שָׁתָה אוֹתוֹ יַיִן שֶׁהָיָה מִשְׁתַּכֵּר בּוֹ. אָמַר לוֹ בְּנוֹ הֶחָסִיד, אַבָּא, בִּשְׁבִיל זֶה קְרָאתִיךָ, אֶלָּא שֶׁתִּרְאֶה הַחֶרְפָּה שֶׁעוֹשִׂים לָזֶה, כִּי כֵן עוֹשִׂים לְךָ בְּעֵת שֶׁאַתָּה שׁוֹתֶה, אוּלַי שֶׁתִּמְנַע פִּיךָ מִלִּשְׁתּוֹת בְּבֵית הַיַּיִן. אָמַר לוֹ: בְּנִי, בְּחַיַּי אֵין לִי תַּעֲנוּג וְגַן עֵדֶן אֶלָּא זֶה. כְּשֶׁשָּׁמַע הֶחָסִיד, הָלַךְ לוֹ בְּמַפַּח נֶפֶשׁ. אֲבָל לֹא שִׂמְחַת הַיַּיִן, הַפִּקּוּדִים וְהַתּוֹרָה, כִּי הַיַּיִן כְּשֶׁיָּצָא מְגוּפוֹ, וְהַיָּגוֹן בָּא בְּלִבּוֹ, זֶה יוֹצֵא וְזֶה בָּא. וְהַתּוֹרָה וְהַמִּצְוָה הוּא הָעֹנֶג וְהַשִּׂמְחָה בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה וּבָעוֹלָם הַבָּא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: כִּי הִיא חַיֶּיךָ וְאֹרֶךְ יָמֶיךָ (דברים ל, כ), בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה וּבָעוֹלָם הַבָּא שֶׁכֻּלּוֹ אָרֹךְ. וְעוֹד תִּמְצָא בַּקָּרְבָּנוֹת שֶׁאוֹמֵר בַּכְּבָשִׂים, שְׁנֵי כְּבָשִׂים בְּנֵי שָׁנָה תְּמִימִים (במדבר כח, ט), וּבַלֶּחֶם שְׁנֵי עֶשְׂרוֹנִים, וּבַיַּיִן רְבִיעִית הַהִין. כָּךְ מְעַט הָיוּ מַקְרִיבִים, לְהוֹדִיעַ דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ, כִּי יַיִן הַרְבֵּה מֵבִיא אֶת הָאָדָם לִידֵי חֵטְא וּלְצָרָה גְּדוֹלָה וּלְחֶסְרוֹן כִּיס, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: אַל תֵּרֶא יַיִן כִּי יִתְאַדֵּם כִּי יִתֵּן בַּכּוֹס עֵינוֹ יִתְהַלֵּךְ בְּמֵישָׁרִים (משלי כג, לא) בְּבֵיתוֹ, שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה בְּבֵיתוֹ בְּמַה לְּבַשֵּׁל, כִּי הַכֹּל מוֹכֵר וְנוֹתֵן בִּשְׁבִיל יַיִן. דָּבָר אַחֵר, כִּי יִתֵּן בַּכּוֹס עֵינוֹ. אֶל תִּקְרֵי בַּכּוֹס אֶלָּא בַּכִּיס, כִּי נוֹתֵן בַּכִּיס עַיִן רָעָה. וְכֵן תִּמְצָא בִּבְנֵי אֶפְרַיִם, שֶׁאוֹמֵר, וַיְהִי אֶפְרַיִם כְּיוֹנָה פּוֹתָה אֵין לֵב (הושע ז, יא). לָמָּה, בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁשּׁוֹתִין יַיִן הַרְבֵּה. וְאוֹמֵר: הוֹי עֲטֶרֶת גֵּאוּת שִׁכּוֹרֵי אֶפְרַיִם (ישעיה כח, א). וְעוֹד מָצָאנוּ, כִּי לָאִישׁ וְלָאִשָּׁה אָמַר הַכָּתוּב לְהוֹצִיא אֶת בְּנָם לִרְגֹּם בָּאֲבָנִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: כִּי יִהְיֶה לְאִישׁ בֵּן סוֹרֵר וּמוֹרֶה (דברים כא, יח). וְאוֹמֵר: וְתָפְשׂוּ בּוֹ אָבִיו וְאִמּוֹ (דברים כא, יט). וְכָל זֶה לָמָּה. בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁיָּצָא לְתַרְבּוּת רָעָה, שֶׁיִּהְיֶה מוֹצִיא מָמוֹנוֹ וְיִגְנֹב וְיַעֲשֶׂה עֲבֵרוֹת וְיִתְחַיֵּב לְמִיתָה. וְקֹדֶם שֶׁיִּתְחַיֵּב בְּמִיתָה, וְתָפְשׂוּ בּוֹ אָבִיו וְאִמּוֹ וְגוֹ', וּרְגָמוּהוּ כָּל אַנְשֵׁי עִירוֹ וְגוֹ' (דברים כא, כא). וּדְעוּ כִּי רָעָה גְּדוֹלָה יֵשׁ לִשְׁתּוֹת יַיִן הַרְבֵּה. וְכַמָּה בָּשָׂר יֹאכַל יוֹתֵר מֵאָדָם אַחֵר בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁהוּא חַיָּב מִיתָה, לִיטְרָא אַחַת. וְכָתוּב אֶחָד אוֹמֵר, אַל תְּהִי בְּסוֹבְאֵי יַיִן בְּזוֹלְלֵי בָּשָׂר לָמוֹ (משלי כג, כ). מַהוּ לָמוֹ. כְּלוֹמַר, לָמוֹ עוֹשִׂין הָרַע, שֶׁמּוֹצִיאִין מָמוֹנָם וְהוֹלְכִים לַחֶרְפָּה, וְסוֹף דָּבָר יִתְחַיְּבוּ מִיתָה בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה וּבָעוֹלָם הַבָּא. And to the elders of Israel: Rabbi Akiva said, "Israel is compared to a bird - just like a bird cannot fly without wings, so [too,] Israel cannot do anything without elders. Rabbi Yose bar Chalafta said, "Great is old age - as if they are elders, they are beloved; and if they are youths, the Holy One, blessed be He, makes old age spring upon them [early]." Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai said, "Not [only] in one place, nor in two or three places do we find that the Omnipresent dispenses honor to the elders: In Egypt, as it is stated (Exodus 3:18), 'And they will listen to your voice and you will come, you and the elders of Israel'; at the [burning] bush, 'Go and collect the elders of Israel' (Exodus 3:16); at Sinai, 'you and Aharon, Nadav and Avihu and seventy of the elders of Isreal' (Exodus 24:10); at the tent of meeting, 'to Aharon and to his sons and to the elders of Israel. So [too,] in the future to come, the Holy One, blessed be He, dispenses honor to the elders, as it is stated (Isaiah 24:23), 'And the moon will be embarrassed and the sun ashamed, since the King, the Lord of hosts [will be] on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem and across from His elders will be honor.'" The Sages, may their memory be blessed, said, "The Holy One, blessed be He, will in the future make an assembly of His elders. And that is what the verse states, 'since the King, the Lord of hosts [will be] on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem and across from His elders will be honor.'" And the Holy One, blessed be He, honors the righteous ones and the pious ones, but any time that a mistake comes from them, He chastises them. See that which is written about the sons of Aharon, as they were assistant priests and erred with wine, as so did they, may their memory be blessed, say - that they were inebriated with wine; and hence the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded after their death, to warn about wine, as it is stated, "Wine and strong drink shall you not drink, you and your sons with you." The Holy One, blessed be He, said, "Be careful with wine. See that which Noach did, as he began to err with it, as it is stated (Genesis 9:20), 'And Noah, the man of the earth, began to plant a vineyard,' and it is written (Genesis 9:21), 'And he drank from the wine and he became drunk and he revealed himself.' What caused him to become disgraced? The wine. And it caused him to bring a curse upon his seed, as it is stated (Genesis 9:25), 'And he said, "Cursed is Canaan."' And hence, be warned about wine, since wine brings a person to all the sins in the world - to licentiousness, to the spilling of blood, to theft and to all the [other] sins in the world." And does it not gladden the heart of man; and the verse praise it like one reading in the Torah? As it is stated, (Psalms 104:15), "And wine gladdens the heart of a man," and it states (Pslams 19:9), "The precepts of the Lord, gladdening the heart." And further, He bequeaths the Garden of Eden to those occupied with Torah and its precepts, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 30:20), "as it is your life and the length of your days"; and a drunk - when the wine is still with him - sits happily, as if he was sitting in the Garden of Eden. [The resolution is] like [the story of] that student who was a pious man, and he had a father that drank heavily. And each time he would fall in the marketplace [from drinking], people would come and hit him with stones and pebbles. And they would yell and call out behind him, "Look at the drunkard." And when his son the pious man saw, he was embarrassed and wished for his soul to die. And every day, he would say to [his father,] "I will order [it] and they will bring you from every wine that they sell in the province to your house, and [just] don't go to drink in the tavern, such that you make a disgrace of yourself and of me." And he [would] say this to him once or twice every day, until his father said that he would do this, as he said, not to go to drink in the tavern. And so did the pious man do, that he would make food and drink for him every day and every night and put him to sleep in his bed, and then leave. One time, rain was falling and that pious man went out to the marketplace and was walking to the synagogue for prayer. And he saw a drunkard laying in the marketplace and a puddle of water was falling on him. And the young men and the youths were hitting him with stones and pebbles and throwing clay in his face and into his mouth. When this pious man saw, he said in his heart, "I will go to father and bring him to here, and I will show him this drunkard and the disgrace that the young men and youths make out of him; maybe he will prevent his mouth from drinking in the tavern and from getting drunk." And so did he do, he brought him to there and showed [the drunkard] to him. What did his old father do? He walked over to the drunkard and asked him in which [tavern] he drank that wine from which he became drunk. His pious son said to him, "Father, for this did I call you? Rather to see the disgrace they make out of him, as so do they do to you at the time that you drink - maybe you will prevent your mouth from drinking in the tavern?" He said to him, "My son, I have no enjoyment and Garden of Eden in my life besides this." When the pious man heard, he left with a bitter spirit. But the precepts and the Torah are not [just like] the joy of wine - since when the wine leaves his body, sorrow comes into his heart, 'this one leaves and that one comes'; but the Torah and the commandments are a delight and joy in this world and in the world to come, as it is stated, "as it is your life and the length of your days" - in this world and in the world to come, which is completely long. And you will find further with the sacrifices that it states about the lambs, "two one-year old unblemished lambs" (Numbers 28:9); about the bread, two issaron; but about the wine, [only] a quarter of a hin. So little would they offer [of the wine] to make known proper action (derekh erets). As much wine brings a person to sin, to great grief and to loss of the purse, as it is stated (Proverbs 23:31), "Do not ogle that red wine, as it lends its color to the cup, as it flows on smoothly" - in his home, such that there not be with what to cook, since he sells and gives everything for the sake of wine. Another [understanding]: Do not read it [as] "to the cup (kos)," but rather "to the purse (kis)," as he puts an evil eye into his purse. And so do you find with the Children of Ephraim, as it states (Hosea 7:11), "But Ephraim was like a silly dove, with no heart." Why? Because they drink much wine; and it states (Isaiah 28:1), "Woe, the crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim." And we have also found with a man and a woman that the verse states to take out their son to pelt him with stones, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 21:18), "And if a man has a son that is wild and rebellious," and it states (Deuteronomy 21:19), "And his father and his mother shall grab him." And why all of this? Because he went out to bad culture, such that he will spend his money, steal and do sins, and become liable for the death penalty. And before he becomes liable for death, "And his father and his mother shall grab him, etc. And all of the people of his city shall pelt him, etc." (Deuteronomy 21:19-21). And know [from this], that there is great evil in drinking much wine. And how much meat does he eat more than another man, for which he is liable for death? One litra. And another verse states, "Do not be of those who guzzle wine, or glut themselves on meat to them" (Proverbs 23:20). What is [the meaning of] "to them?" Meaning to say, to them do they do the evil - as they spend [all] their money and come to disgrace; and in the end, they become liable for death in this world and in the world to come.