How Wine Bites Like a Serpent in Midrash Tanchuma Shmini

Another interpretation of It goes down smoothly (Proverbs 23:31): In the end he permits transgressions and makes them [as ownerless as that which is permitted]. He talks with a woman in the marketplace, defiles his mouth, and speaks evil words in his drunkenness, and he is not ashamed, because his mind has been unsettled, and he knows neither what he says nor what he does. In the end it bites like a serpent (Proverbs 23:32): This serpent bites a person and he does not feel it at the moment, but once he goes to his house the blow churns within him. In the end it bites like a serpent — certainly like a serpent. Just as, on account of the serpent, He cursed the ground, as it is said, Cursed is the ground because of you (Genesis 3:17), so too on account of wine a third of the world was cursed, as it is said, And Noah awoke from his wine [and he said: Cursed be Canaan] (Genesis 9:24-25). Thus, In the end it bites like a serpent. Your eyes will see strange things (Proverbs 23:33): See what wine causes to the one who drinks it — it caused him to serve idols, and it says, These also reel with wine and stagger with strong drink (Isaiah 28:7). What did they say? These are your gods, O Israel (Exodus 32:4), as it is said, And the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to make sport (Exodus 32:6) — out of the wine they said, These are your gods, O Israel. And your heart will speak perverse things (Proverbs 23:33): for it causes four things — idolatry, sexual immorality, bloodshed, and evil speech. See how grave wine is, and it is written, And moreover, wine is treacherous (Habakkuk 2:5), and it is written, A scoffer, proud, insolent is his name (Proverbs 21:24). And "insolent" (zed) means nothing but idolatry, as it is said, You rebuke the cursed insolent ones (Psalms 119:21); and "insolent ones" (zedim) means nothing but sexual immorality, as it is said, O God, the insolent have risen against me (Psalms 86:14), and it says, Also keep Your servant from the insolent (Psalms 19:14). And he drinks and errs and sees the whole world as a ship, as it is said, And you will be like one who lies down in the heart of the sea (Proverbs 23:34). When he lies down they strike him and he does not feel it, as it is said, They struck me, but I was not hurt; they beat me, but I did not know it (Proverbs 23:35). And he does not know and is not ashamed, and he uncovers himself, and afterward he returns and seeks it [again], [as it is said], When shall I awake? I will seek it yet again (Proverbs 23:35).