The Rabbis Warn Against the Dangers of Wine

[3] (Proverbs 23:29): "Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes?" Rabbi Simon said: Come and see how harsh wine is, for thirteen woes [denoted by the hebrew letter vav in the Genesis verse below] are spoken about it at first impression, and these are: (Genesis 9:20-25): "- Noah began and planted a vineyard, and he drank from the wine and became drunk, and he uncovered himself within his tent, and Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and he told his two brothers outside, and Shem and Japheth took the garment, and they placed it upon both their shoulders, and they walked backward, and they covered the nakedness of their father, and their faces were turned backward, and they did not see their father's nakedness, and Noah awoke from his wine, and he knew what his small son had done to him, and he said, 'Cursed be Canaan; a slave of slaves shall he be to his brothers.'" Solomon came and explained with his wisdom: "Who has woe?" - to one who is drunk; "Who has sorrow?" - woe to this one, woe to his fathers, as it says (Deuteronomy 21:18): "If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son." "Who has strife?" - since he becomes drunk with his wine, he reveals a secret between a man and his friend, and he sends disputes. "Who has complaining?" - since he becomes drunk with his wine, he utters excessive complaints. "Who has wounds without cause?" - since he becomes drunk with his wine, he goes and inflicts a wound and bruise for no reason. Why? Because he has no judgment. "Who has redness of eyes?" - if a person merits and drinks according to his needs, it is sweet to his palate. Rabbi Ishmael expounded: (Genesis 49:12): "Red-eyed from wine" - give him wine, for it is pleasant to his palate. And to whom is it pleasant? Rabbi Eliezer says: to one who drinks according to his needs. Rabbi Joshua says: to an old man, as it is said (Genesis 49:12): "and white-toothed from milk." Rabbi Jeremiah said: Do not read "white-toothed" but "white of years": just as this milk soothes the mind of an infant, so does wine restore the mind of an old man. What is written after it? (Proverbs 23:30): "Those who linger over wine, who go to search for mixed wine." Rabbi Eliezer said: Woe to him who leaves the words of the Torah and rises early for wine, what is written after it? (Proverbs 23:31): "Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup" - Rabbi Yochanan said: "In the pocket" is written, and "in the cup" is read, and why is this? The buyer gives his eyes to the cup, and the seller gives his eyes to the pocket. What is written after it? (Proverbs 23:32): "In the end, it bites like a snake and stings like a viper" - just as the snake bites and kills, so does wine bite and kill, just as the viper distinguishes between death and life, so does wine distinguish between death and life.