Wherever You Find Wine You Find Downfall in Tanchuma Noach

Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Noach 21:5

(Genesis 9:27:) "May God enlarge (yaft) Japheth (Yefet)." And nevertheless (the verse continues): "and let Him dwell in the tents of Shem." Now all these things came about through the wine. Thus, in every place where you find wine, you find a downfall. And so it was with Noah, on account of wine. And likewise with the tribes: when they sat down to eat bread, they sold Joseph their brother. And likewise at Shittim (Numbers 25:2): "And they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods." And likewise in the matter of the calf, it was on account of wine (Exodus 32:6): "And the people sat down to eat and to drink." And the tribes went into exile only out of the wine, as it is said (Isaiah 5:11): "Woe to those who rise early in the morning to pursue strong drink"; "those who drink from the bowls of wine" (Amos 6:6). And even the tribe of Judah and Benjamin went into exile only out of the wine, as it is said (Isaiah 28:7): "And these too have erred through wine." The Holy One said: In this world it is made into a stumbling block, but in the world to come I will make the wine into sweet new wine, as it is said (Joel 4:18): "And it shall come to pass on that day that the mountains shall drip with sweet new wine."

Themes

Biblical References