Noah the alcoholic

B''H

Dear Friends,

In Judaism wine is considered a symbol of joy,and in fact we are commanded to partake of it on the holy Shabbos (Sabbath) and most Chagim (Festivals/Holidays). This has lead to a relatively modern stereotype that Jews are not susceptible to alcoholism.

This stereotype it  immortalized in the popular yiddish folk song Shikur iz a Goy (lit. "The drunkard is a gentile").

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While clearly Jews accepted this stereotype there is evidence that it actually originated with gentiles in the area of Russia and Poland. Far from a positive stereotype, it has roots in a antisemitic myth that tavern owners were often Jews because the Jew was immune to alcoholism, and knowing this he would enslave their fellow gentile countrymen to the bottle. In reality Jews often owned taverns because it was one of the very few professions open to Jews, as they were commonly barred from farming or trades. 

This first week of Chesvan we will be reading the Torah parsha Noach (the story of Noah).  According to the Torah, Noah is the world's first alcoholic. Far from perpetuating the stereotype discussed above, a review of rabbinic literature shows that Our Sages of Blessed Memory (Chazal) were acutely aware of the dangers of drineeking.

The following are some excerpts from midrash. Midrash (sometimes transliterated as Medrash)is a genre of rabbinic literature. To explain midrash is far beyond the scope of this blog, let alone this article. You can get a decent introduction here. On one foot, midrash is rabbinic stories involving biblical characters, which are not actually recorded in the Torah. They may also contain biblical commentary from the rabbis on various subjects. The stories can be humorous, allegorical or even mystical. Over the centuries our sages have hotly debated the veracity of these teachings and stories, and how much weight they should be given. Rashi seems to have accepted them as absolutely literal, factual and authoritative where as the The Rambam seemed to teach they were, at best, allegorical. Nevertheless they remain important insights into the thoughts and wisdom of our greatest sages.

In the Midrash Tanhuma  the rabbis provide a humorous but honest warning about Noah and his vineyard:

When Noah set out to plant the vine, Satan encountered him and asked upon what errand he was bent. "I am going to plant the vine," said Noah. "I will gladly assist you in this good work," said Satan. When the offer of help was accepted Satan brought a sheep and slaughtered it on the plant, then a lion, then a pig, and finally a monkey. He thus explained these symbols to Noah. 

When a man tastes the first few drops of wine he will beeeeee as harmless as a sheep; when he tastes a little more he will become possessed of the courage of a lion and think himself as strong; should he further indulge in the liquid produced by your plant he will become as objectionable as a pig; and by yet further indulgence in it he will become like a monkey.

The Midrash Genesis Rabbah notices an interesting pattern in the Torah:

Every mention of wine-drinking is followed by some record of trouble.

With G-d's help I will be writing more on the subject of Noah and alcoholism before Shabbos comes in, Right now though, the hour is quite late so until next time please accept my warmest regards

-Emmanuel ben Avraham Avinu