Wine and the dangers of drunkeness

(18) The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth—Ham being the father of Canaan. (19) These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the whole world branched out. (20) Noah, the tiller of the soil, was the first to plant a vineyard. (21) He drank of the wine and became drunk, and he uncovered himself within his tent. (22) Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father’s nakedness and told his two brothers outside. (23) But Shem and Japheth took a cloth, placed it against both their backs and, walking backward, they covered their father’s nakedness; their faces were turned the other way, so that they did not see their father’s nakedness. (24) When Noah woke up from his wine and learned what his youngest son had done to him, (25) he said, “Cursed be Canaan; The lowest of slaves Shall he be to his brothers.”

He made himself profane, for he should first have engaged in a different sort of planting.

"At the last it bites like a snake and stings like a viper (Mishlei 23). Just as a viper divides between life and death, so too did wine divide Adam and Chava. As Rabbi Yehuda bar Ilai said: the tree that Adam ate from was a grape vine.Their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter;'" these (grapes) brought bitterness to the world. Another interpretation: "And it stings like a viper," just as a viper divides between life and death, so did wine divide between Noah and his sons in the matter of slavery, as it says "And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered" and as a result of this he said "Cursed is Canaan." Another interpretation: "and it stings like a viper," so too did wine divide Lot and his daughters in the matter of mamzerut, as it says "And they made their father drink wine," as a result of which Lot's two daughters became pregnant by their father. Another interpretation: "and it stings like a viper," just as a viper divides between life and death, so too did wine divide between Aharon and his sons through death. As Rabbi Shimon taught: Aharon's sons died because they entered the Ohel"Moed drunk

The Gemara continues to analyze the passage relating to Noah. The verse states: “And Noah began to be a farmer, and he planted a vineyard.” In explanation of this matter, Rav Ḥisda says that Rav Ukva says, and some say that Mar Ukva says that Rabbi Zakkai says: The Holy One, Blessed be God, said to Noah: Noah, shouldn’t you have learned from Adam the first human, whose banishment from the Garden of Eden was caused only by wine? The Gemara notes: This is in accordance with the opinion of the one who says that the tree from which Adam the first human ate was a grapevine.

Rabbi Elai said: In three matters a person’s [character is] ascertained: in one's cup, in one's pocket, and in one's anger. And some say: also in one's laughter.

Rabbi Channina said: All those who give in to the temptation of wine, they have the mentality of their creator, as it says, "God smell the pleasing smell, etc." (Gen. 8:21) Rabbi Chiyya said: All those who settle down with wine have the mentality of the seventy elders.

Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Three [types of people are] among those who inherit the World-to-Come: One who lives in Eretz Yisrael; one who raises his children to Torah study; and one who recites havdala over wine at the conclusion of Shabbat. What is [of special importance for] that? [This is referring to an individual] who leaves some for havdala.

§ The Gemara’s discussion turns to wine in general. Rav Ḥanan says: Wine was created in the world only to comfort mourners in their distress, and to reward the wicked in this world so that they will have no reward left in the World-to-Come, as it is stated: “Give strong drink to one that is ready to perish, and wine to the bitter of soul” (Proverbs 31:6). “One that is ready to perish” is referring to the wicked, who will perish from this world, while “the bitter of soul” denotes mourners.

(7) For a person is born to [do] mischief, Just as sparks fly upward.

(13) also, that whenever a person does eat and drink and get enjoyment out of all their wealth, it is a gift of God.

(15) And wine that maketh glad the heart of a person, Making the face brighter than oil, And bread that stayeth a person's heart.

(29) Who crieth: ‘Woe’? who: ‘Alas’? Who hath contentions? who hath raving? Who hath wounds without cause? Who hath redness of eyes? (30) They that tarry long at the wine; They that go to try mixed wine. (31) Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, When it giveth its colour in the cup, When it glideth down smoothly; (32) At the last it biteth like a serpent, And stingeth like a basilisk.

Rabbi Yudan said: All those seven years that Shlomo was engaged in the building of the Temple he did not drink wine. Since he had built it and married the daughter of the pharaoh, that very night he drank wine and there were two excessive celebrations: one celebrating the building of the Temple, and one celebrating the Pharaoh's daughter... God said: I had a large house and I did destroyed it solely because of wine. The Holy Blessed One said: Because in this world wine constantly causes curse, in the future to come I will make it cause joy, as it says, "And in that day, the mountains shall drip with wine." (Joel 4:18)

The rabbis taught: One does not make kiddush except over wine!

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)

Rabbi Ḥanina said: Whoever is appeased by his wine, i.e., whoever becomes more relaxed after drinking, has in him an element of the mind-set of his Creator, who acted in a similar fashion, as it is stated: “And the Lord smelled the sweet savor, and the Lord said in His heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for humanity’s sake” (Genesis 8:21). As it were, God acted more favorably toward His creatures after He was appeased with the smell of the burnt offerings. Smell can be as potent as drinking or eating itself. Rabbi Ḥiyya said: Anyone who remains settled of mind after drinking wine, and does not become intoxicated, has an element of the mind-set of seventy Elders. The allusion is: Wine [yayin spelled yod, yod, nun] was given in seventy letters, as the numerological value of the letters comprising the word is seventy, as yod equals ten and nun equals fifty. Similarly, the word secret [sod spelled samekh, vav, dalet] was given in seventy letters, as samekh equals sixty, vav equals six, and dalet equals four. Typically, when wine entered the body, a secret emerged. Whoever does not reveal secrets when he drinks is clearly blessed with a firm mind, like that of seventy Elders. Rabbi Ḥanin said: Wine was created only in order to comfort mourners in their distress, and to reward the wicked in this world so they will have no reward left in the World-to-Come, as it is stated: “Give strong drink to him that is ready to perish, and wine to the bitter of soul. Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more” (Proverbs 31:6). “Him that is ready to perish” refers to the wicked, who will perish from the world, while “the bitter of soul” denotes mourners. Rabbi Ḥanin bar Pappa said: Anyone in whose house wine does not flow like water is not yet included in the Torah’s blessing, as it is stated: “And He shall bless your bread and your water” (Exodus 23:25). The water mentioned in this verse actually refers to wine, as learned in the following manner: Just as bread is something that may be purchased with second-tithe money, i.e., one is permitted to buy bread with money used to redeem second-tithe, so too the word water in the verse is referring to a liquid that may be purchased with second-tithe money. And what is that? It is wine, as one may buy wine with second-tithe money, but one may not buy water; and nevertheless the verse calls it “water.”

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.