Turns out, it does! And like any good friend, it’s got some warnings mixed in with the… well, potential for celebration. This all comes to light in a fascinating passage from Midrash Mishlei, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Proverbs.
It starts with a verse from 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?" A laundry list of troubles, right? Rabbi Simon sees something deeper here. He connects it to the story of Noah in Genesis (9:20-25).
Remember that story? Noah plants a vineyard, gets drunk, and… well, things go south quickly. Ham sees his father naked, tells his brothers, and then Noah wakes up and curses Canaan. Rabbi Simon points out that embedded in the Genesis text, hidden in the original Hebrew, are thirteen uses of the letter vav – and that these allude to the thirteen woes associated with wine.
So, what’s the connection? Solomon, known for his wisdom, steps in to explain. According to the Midrash, each woe in Proverbs lines up with the consequences of drunkenness. "Who has woe?" – the drunkard. "Who has sorrow?" – woe to him, and woe to his family, like the rebellious son described in Deuteronomy 21:18. "Who has strife?" – because drunken people blab secrets and cause arguments. "Who has complaining?" – because they just can’t stop whining! "Who has wounds without cause?" – because they get into senseless fights. Why? Because, simply put, they lack good judgment.
But is it all doom and gloom? Is wine always the enemy? Not necessarily. The Midrash acknowledges that there's a right way and a wrong way to enjoy it. "Who has redness of eyes?" The passage continues, noting that if someone drinks in moderation, it can be pleasant. Rabbi Ishmael even interprets Genesis 49:12 ("Red-eyed from wine") positively: "Give him wine, for it is pleasant to his palate." But who finds it pleasant?
Here's where we get some different opinions. Rabbi Eliezer says it's pleasant to the one who drinks according to their needs – in moderation. Rabbi Joshua has a different take: he says it's pleasant to an old man. He reads Genesis 49:12 ("and white-toothed from milk") as a reference to age. Rabbi Jeremiah goes even further, suggesting we read "white-toothed" as "white of years." He compares wine to milk for an infant, saying that just as milk soothes a baby, wine can restore the mind of an elderly person.
But the Midrash quickly snaps us back to reality. What comes next in Proverbs? "Those who linger over wine, who go to search for mixed wine." Rabbi Eliezer warns against prioritizing wine over Torah study – woe to those who rise early to drink! And then, Proverbs 23:31: "Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup."
Rabbi Yochanan offers a clever interpretation here. He says that while the verse reads "in the cup," it should be read "in the pocket." Why? Because the buyer's eyes are on the cup, admiring the wine, while the seller's eyes are on the pocket, thinking about the money. It’s a reminder that appearances can be deceiving, and motivations can be hidden.
The final warning is stark: "In the end, it bites like a snake and stings like a viper." The Midrash emphasizes the danger: just as a snake's bite can kill, so too can wine. And just as a viper distinguishes between death and life (perhaps referring to the viper's venom being used for both), wine can also lead to both good and bad outcomes.
So, what’s the takeaway? The Midrash Mishlei isn't saying wine is inherently evil. It's about balance, moderation, and intention. It's about not letting pleasure become destructive, and about prioritizing wisdom and responsibility. Maybe next time you raise a glass, you'll remember this ancient wisdom – a reminder that even the simplest pleasures can have profound consequences.