Cannabis in the Texts
Marijuana and Judaism "on one foot":
Judaism has much to say about medicinal and recreational marijuana. This source sheet goes through some of the texts on the matter.
(כט) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלֹקִ֗ים הִנֵּה֩ נָתַ֨תִּי לָכֶ֜ם אֶת־כָּל־עֵ֣שֶׂב ׀ זֹרֵ֣עַ זֶ֗רַע אֲשֶׁר֙ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י כָל־הָאָ֔רֶץ וְאֶת־כָּל־הָעֵ֛ץ אֲשֶׁר־בּ֥וֹ פְרִי־עֵ֖ץ זֹרֵ֣עַ זָ֑רַע לָכֶ֥ם יִֽהְיֶ֖ה לְאָכְלָֽה׃
(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׃...(כו) וּמָשַׁחְתָּ֥ ב֖וֹ אֶת־אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֑ד וְאֵ֖ת אֲר֥וֹן הָעֵדֻֽת׃...(כט) וְקִדַּשְׁתָּ֣ אֹתָ֔ם וְהָי֖וּ קֹ֣דֶשׁ קָֽדָשִׁ֑ים כָּל־הַנֹּגֵ֥עַ בָּהֶ֖ם יִקְדָּֽשׁ׃ (ל) וְאֶת־אַהֲרֹ֥ן וְאֶת־בָּנָ֖יו תִּמְשָׁ֑ח וְקִדַּשְׁתָּ֥ אֹתָ֖ם לְכַהֵ֥ן לִֽי׃
(22) God spoke to Moses, saying:
(23) ’Take thou also unto thee the chief spices, of flowing myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty, and of sweet cane (kaneh-bosem) two hundred and fifty....
(26) And thou shalt anoint therewith the tent of meeting, and the ark of the testimony....
(29)And thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be most holy; whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy.
(30) And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto Me in the priest’s office.
לֹא־קָנִ֨יתָ לִּ֤י בַכֶּ֙סֶף֙ קָנֶ֔ה וְחֵ֥לֶב זְבָחֶ֖יךָ לֹ֣א הִרְוִיתָ֑נִי אַ֗ךְ הֶעֱבַדְתַּ֙נִי֙ בְּחַטֹּאותֶ֔יךָ הוֹגַעְתַּ֖נִי בַּעֲוֺנֹתֶֽיךָ׃ (ס)
You have not bought Me fragrant reed with money, nor sated Me with the fat of your sacrifices. Instead, you have burdened Me with your sins, You have wearied Me with your iniquities.
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.
“Cannabis was used in ancient Israelite ceremony, researchers find“, Jerusalem Post, May 31, 2020
The first evidence of cannabis being used by ancient Israelites has been discovered after researchers found well-preserved cannaboid residue on an altar of a shrine in an ancient Israelite temple, according to a study published in the Journal of the Institute of Tel Aviv University.
The cannaboid residue is indicative that Israelites used cannabis for religious ceremonies. Researchers recently discovered this after analyzing "unidentified dark material" found on one of two altars of the Judahite shrine in the ancient temple of Tel Arad in the Negev....
The fortress mound of Tel Arad was originally excavated by Yonahan Ahroni on behalf of the Department of Archaeology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in the early 1960's. Excavations found fortresses that dated from the 9th to the early 6th centuries BCE that guarded the Judahite kingdom's southern border, the era when the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem and destroyed the First Temple. ...
Researchers were surprised to discover the cannabis found on the altars. Arad provides the earliest evidence for the use of cannabis in the Ancient Near East.
https://www.jpost.com/judaism/first-known-evidence-of-cannabis-used-in-early-judaic-ceremony-found-629699
What do the texts say about medical marijuana?
(ה) וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֤ם אֶת־חֻקֹּתַי֙ וְאֶת־מִשְׁפָּטַ֔י אֲשֶׁ֨ר יַעֲשֶׂ֥ה אֹתָ֛ם הָאָדָ֖ם וָחַ֣י בָּהֶ֑ם אֲנִ֖י ה'׃
(5) You shall keep My laws and My rules, and humankind shall do them and live by them: I am Adonai.
Nothing stands before [the duty of] saving life except for idolatry, incest and murder. [AJWS translation]
These are the source texts for the idea of “Pikuach Nefesh”, the idea that you can break any law in Judaism except for 3 in order to save a life.
What is the relevance of these texts for quality of life discussions?
If medical marijuana helps a person have a better experience managing pain, is that considered “healing”?
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
So what about recreational marijuana?
"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
אָמַר שְׁמוּאֵל דִּינָא דְמַלְכוּתָא דִּינָא
Shmuel said: The law of the kingdom is the law, i.e., Jews must obey the laws of the state in which they live.
אֲמַר לֵיהּ רַב לְחִיָּיא בְּרֵיהּ לָא תִּשְׁתֵּי סַמָּא וְלָא תְּשַׁוַּור נִיגְרָא וְלָא תִּעְקַר כַּכָּא וְלָא תְּקַנֵּא בְּחִיוְיָא
Rav said to Ḥiyya, his son: Do not get into the habit of drinking medications, lest you develop an addiction. And do not leap over a ditch, as you might hurt yourself in the process. And do not pull out a tooth, but try to heal it if possible. And do not provoke a snake in your house to try to kill it or chase it away.
What is the relevance of this text to our discussion?
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 אֱלֹהִים עָשָׂה אֶת הָאָדָם, עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה.
A story is told of Hillel that when he finished a lesson with his pupils, he accompanied them from the classroom. They said, "Master, where are you going?" He answered, "To perform a mitzvah." "Which mitzvah is that?" they asked. "To bathe in a bathhouse," replied Hillel. The students asked, "Is this a mitzvah?" Hillel replied, "If somebody is appointed to scrape and clean the statues of the king that are set up in the theaters and circuses and is paid to do the work, and furthermore, associates with the nobility, how much the more so should I, who am created in the divine image and likeness, take care of my body."
And what is the relevance of this text to our discussion?
The Light and Fire of the Baal Shem Tov
After teaching for a short while, the Baal Shem Tov lit his pipe and smoked meditatively to prepare for prayers. Every action and movement of the holy Baal Shem Tov was intentional and for the service of God, blessed be He. Even his pipe-smoking was accompanied by kabbalistic meditations, and the smoke that rose from his pipe was like the smoke of the incense that was burned on the altar in the Temple. Indeed, throughout the day, whenever he wanted to ascend to the higher worlds, he smoked his pipe; and each time he puffed, he went from one world to another. After the prayers that morning, Rabbi Gershon of Kitov said to a fellow disciple, “I wish I would have the paradise that our master acquires from smoking one pipe of tobacco!”
How would the Baal Shem Tov have felt about recreational marijuana, based on this text?
סימן לה
איסור עישון סמים
בע״ה. ב׳ דר״ה אייר תשל״ג
מע״כ מוה״ר ירוהם פראם שליט״א.
הנה בדבר אשר התחילו איזה בחורים מהישיבה לעשן חשיש (מעראוואנא), פשוט שהוא דבר אסור מכמה עיקרי דינים שבתורה, חדא שהוא מקלקל ומכלה את הגוף, ואף אם נמצאו אנשים בריאים שלא מזיק להם כל כך אבל מקלקל הוא את הדעת ואינם יכולים להבין דבר לאשורו, שזה עוד יותר חמור שלבד שמונע עצמו מלמוד התורה כראוי, הוא מניעה גם מתפלה וממצות התורה, שעשיה בלא דעת הראוי הוא כלא קיימם.
ועוד שהוא גורם תאוה גדולה אשר הוא יותר מתאות אכילה וכדומה הצריכים להאדם לחיותו, ויש שלא יוכלו לצמצם ולהעביר תאותם, והוא איסור החמור שנאמר בבן סורר ומורה על תאוה היותר גדולה שיש לו לאכילה אף שהוא לאכילת כשרות, וכ"ש שאסור להביא עצמו לתאוה גדולה
עוד יותר ולדבר שליכא שום צורך להאדם בזה שהוא אסור, ואף שלמלקות נימא שאין עונשין מן הדין מ"מ לאיסורא ודאי עובר על לאו זה ואיכא גם הטעם דאיכא בבן סורר ומורה שסופו שילסטם את הבריות כדאיתא בסנהדרין בפ' בן סורר (ס"ח ע"ב).
ועוד שהאב והאם של אלו שמעשנין זה מצטערים מאד אשר עוברין על מצות כבוד אב ואם. ועוד איכא איסור העשה דקדושים תהיו כפירוש הרמב"ן בחומש. וגם הם גורמים לאיסורים הרבה אחרים לבד זה, סוף דבר הוא פשוט וברור שהוא מאיסורים חמורים וצריך להשתדל בכל היכולת להעביר טומאה זו מכל בני ישראל ובפרט מאלו שלומדין בישיבות. והנני ידידו מוקירו, משה פיינשטיין.
והנני דידו מוקירו,
משה פיינשטיין
Igrot Moshe, Yoreh De’ah Vol. 3, Siman 35
Behold, with regard to certain yeshiva students who have begun smoking hash (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 Mitzvot (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 Wayward and Rebellious Son [is killed] (See Deuteronomy 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...
Additionally, the parents of the person smoking certainly pained by his actions, in which case he is violating the Mitzvah of Kibbud Av V’Em (honoring one's father and mother). He is also violating the Mitzvah of “Kedoshim Ti’Hiyu”(You shall be holy), as explained by the Ramban in his commentary on the Chumash (5 Books of Moses). This also leads him to transgress other prohibitions, besides the actual prohibition of taking drugs. The bottom line is that it is clear and obvious that 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.”
Rabbi Moshe Feinstein wrote this in the 1960s. Which of his arguments makes sense to you?
Which of his arguments would you challenge?
Are there any values here which ought to inform our thinking about recreational marijuana?
Rabbi Elliot Dorff, Marijuana & Judaism
Still, Judaism allows Jews to ingest many things that are not intrinsically holy as part of the effort to fulfill the responsibility to maintain a healthy body, mind and soul, and furthermore, as part of enjoying God's bounty, even when not directly related to matters of health...Whether using marijuana recreationally fits into that Jewish description of the nature and purpose of life depends on what its effects turn out to be. If it decreases pain in dying patients, then one not only may, but must, work to make it legally available to them. Thus, in sum, marijuana in and of itself is not inherently bad or good; it must be judged in terms of its effects in creating a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.
Do you agree with Rabbi Dorff?
What limits, if any, do you think Rabbi Dorff would put on the use of recreational marijuana?
Arthur Kurzweil, citing Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz in “On the Road with Rabbi Steinsaltz”
If you are the master, fine. If you are the slave, then you are in trouble no matter what you’re the slave of, whether it be coffee, exercise or Torah study.
How does this text inform our discussion about recreational marijuana?
With appreciation to Rabbi Heather Altman and AJWS for their source sheets on Sefaria.