זה ינחמנו. יָנַח מִמֶּנּוּ אֶת עִצְּבוֹן יָדֵינוּ. עַד שֶׁלֹּא בָא נֹחַ לֹא הָיָה לָהֶם כְּלֵי מַחֲרֵשָׁה וְהוּא הֵכִין לָהֶם וְהָיְתָה הָאָרֶץ מוֹצִיאָה קוֹצִים וְדַרְדַּרִים כְּשֶׁזּוֹרְעִים חִטִּים, מִקִּלְלָתוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן, וּבִימֵי נֹחַ נָחָה, וְזֶהוּ יְנַחֲמֵנוּ,
זה ינחמנו THIS WILL COMFORT US — He will ease from off us (ינחמנו) the toil of our hands. For until Noah came people had no agricultural instruments and he prepared such for them. The earth had brought forth thorns and thistles when they sowed wheat in consequence of the curse imposed upon Adam Harishon: in the days of Noah, however, this ceased. This is what is meant by the word ינחמנו.
(ז) מָה הָיָה אוֹתוֹ הָאִילָן שֶׁאָכַל מִמֶּנּוּ אָדָם וְחַוָּה, רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר חִטִּים הָיוּ, כַּד לָא הֲוָה בַּר נָשׁ דֵּעָה אִינּוּן אָמְרִין לָא אֲכַל הַהוּא אִינְשָׁא פִּתָּא דְּחִטֵּי מִן יוֹמוֹי. ...
רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בַּר אִלְעָאי אָמַר, עֲנָבִים הָיוּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים לב, לב לג): עֲנָבֵמוֹ עִנְבֵי רוֹשׁ אַשְׁכְּלֹת מְרֹרֹת לָמוֹ, אוֹתָן הָאֶשְׁכּוֹלוֹת הֵבִיאוּ מְרוֹרוֹת לָעוֹלָם.
(7) What was the tree, from which Adam and Eve ate? Rabbi Meir said, it was wheat. When a person lacks knowledge people say "That person has not eaten bread made from wheat even a day." ...
R. Judah b. Ilai: They were grapes, as it is said, "Their grapes are grapes of poison, death-bitter clusters they have" (Deuteronomy 32:32). These clusters brought bitterness to the world.
ת"ר חייב אדם לשמח בניו ובני ביתו ברגל שנא' (דברים טז, יד) ושמחת בחגך במה משמחם ביין רבי יהודה אומר אנשים בראוי להם ונשים בראוי להן אנשים בראוי להם ביין ונשים במאי תני רב יוסף בבבל בבגדי צבעונין בארץ ישראל בבגדי פשתן מגוהצין תניא רבי יהודה בן בתירא אומר בזמן שבית המקדש קיים אין שמחה אלא בבשר שנאמר (דברים כז, ז) וזבחת שלמים ואכלת שם ושמחת לפני ה' אלהיך ועכשיו שאין בית המקדש קיים אין שמחה אלא ביין שנאמר (תהלים קד, טו) ויין ישמח לבב אנוש.
The rabbis taught: A person is obligated to bring joy to their children and family on the pilgrimage festivals, as it says, "Rejoice in your holiday," (Deut. 16:14) And with what does one rejoice? With wine! Rabbi Yehuda said: Men with what is appropriate for them, women with what is appropriate for them. For men, wine is appropriate, and what for women? Rabbi Yosef taught that in Babylon with colored clothes and in the land of Israel with fancy linen clothes. Rabbi Yehuda the son of Biteira taught: In the time of the Temple one did not rejoice except with meat, as it says, "You sacrificed shlamim offerings and ate there and rejoiced before God, your God." (Deut. 27:7) And now that the Temple does not exist, there is no rejoice except with wine, as it says, "Wine rejoices the heart of a person." (Psalms 104:15)
Rather, they issued a decree prohibiting their bread and their oil due to their wine. And they issued the decree prohibiting their wine due to the fact that this leads to familiarity, and Jews will come to marry their daughters. And they issued a decree prohibiting their daughters due to something else, idolatry. And they further issued a decree on something else due to something else
אתמר מפני מה אסרו שכר של עובדי כוכבים רמי בר חמא אמר רבי יצחק משום חתנות רב נחמן אמר משום גילוי...
רב פפא מפיקין ליה לאבבא דחנותא ושתי
רב אחאי מייתו ליה לביתיה ושתי
ותרוייהו משום חתנות רב אחאי עביד הרחקה יתירתא
רב שמואל בר ביסנא איקלע למרגואן אייתו ליה חמרא ולא אשתי אייתו ליה שיכרא ולא אשתי
בשלמא חמרא משום שימצא שיכרא משום מאי משום שימצא דשימצא
It was stated: Why did the Sages prohibit the beer of gentiles? Rami bar Ḥama says that Rabbi Yitzḥak says: For fear that they will marry them.
Rav Naḥman said: Out of fear of exposure...
Rav Pappa had them bring out the beer belonging to gentiles from the store to the entrance of the store, and he would drink it there.
Rav Aḥai had them bring the beer to his house, and he would drink it there.
And both of them did so out of concern for marriage with gentiles. Rav Aḥai established an extreme preventive measure for himself beyond what is required by halakha.
Rav Shmuel bar Bisna happened to come to Marguan, and they brought him wine but he did not drink it. Next they brought him beer but he did not drink it. Granted, he did not drink the wine due to the suspicion of libations, but why did he not drink the beer? It was due to a suspicion of a suspicion, i.e., he did not drink beer due to concern about drinking wine.