The rabbis
rejected the suggestion that one should abstain from wine and meat as a sign
of mourning for the destruction of the Temple, on the grounds that such a
decree would impose unbearable hardship on the public.[1]
They even went so far as to suggest that wine would be served at the eschatalogical
banquet to be held at the End of Times.[2]
The rabbis, known to have enjoyed the pleasures of imbibing,[3]
even claimed that wine drinking was beneficial to one's health and to one's
mental sharpness. At the same time, the rabbis recognized and warned against
the dangers inherent in excessive drinking.
Run
your cursor over the corners and center of the illustration to uncover
various rabbinic utterances on the subject.
The Talmud
teaches that he who drinks a quarter-log cup of wine, lose one-quarter of
his mind.
What happens if he drinks more?
