The Secrets of Jewish Wine

The Secrets of Wine in Judaism

The Positive Aspect of Wine Every joyful occasion—and nearly every mitzvah—among the Jewish people is connected with wine: Holidays: Purim (drinking on Purim until you can no longer distinguish between “Cursed is Haman” and “Blessed is Mordechai”), Pesach (drinking four cups of wine), Shavuot, Rosh Hashanah, and Sukkot—in fact, Kiddush is obligatory on all holidays. Even on Yom Kippur, at the end of the fast, we make Havdalah with wine. Every Shabbat includes two Kiddushim, and on Motzaei Shabbat, Havdalah is made with wine. Joyful occasions—weddings: Kiddushin with wine; a Brit Milah: Kiddush; a Pidyon HaBen: a blessing over wine; and so on. The mekubalim explain that of all beverages, wine has the greatest power to absorb spiritual energy. Wine is especially sensitive and receptive to the spiritual. This is precisely why Jews are forbidden to drink yayin nesekh—wine made by non-Jews. Non-kosher wine has a unique effect on the Jewish soul and has serious negative consequences for the person who drinks it. The mekubalim reveal that one of the reasons Jewish occasions are accompanied by drinking wine is that when we drink wine on such days, the greatest tikkun of the world takes place. The Zohar HaKadosh says: “There are two kinds of wine: spiritual wine—the wine of Torah—and material wine—the earthly beverage. Material wine is evil; there is no good in it. Its beginning is joy, but its end is sorrow.” We must remember that anything possessing a very high level of holiness also faces a very high level of opposition from the forces of impurity.   The Negative Aspect of Wine Adam and Chavah According to one opinion, Etz HaDa'at Tov VeRa (the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil) was a grapevine, as we learn: Rabbi Meir said that the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil from which Adam ate was a grapevine, for nothing causes more harm than wine.” (Talmud, Sanhedrin 70a) Moreover, the midrashim say that Chavah did not give Adam grapes themselves, but made wine. Rav Avin said: Adam’s wife, Chavah, poured wine for her husband, and he drank, as it is written: “And the woman saw that the tree was desirable for food.” The book of the Zohar also says that Adam’s sin was connected with wine. Grapes are directly connected with the angel of death, Samael: “Why did the spies sent by Moshe Rabbeinu to scout the Land of Israel fail? Because they arrived during the grape-ripening season.” (Midrash Pliyah 42) The commentaries on this midrash say: “The letters comprising the word anavim (grapes) are preceded in the alphabet by the letters comprising the word Samael. This means that during the grape-ripening season, he has complete power. Therefore, the Torah emphasizes: ‘And those days were the days of the first ripe grapes.’” Noach The second negative story in the Torah associated with wine happened to Noach. The midrashim say that Noach emerged from the Ark sorrowful (according to one opinion, a lion had injured his leg): “When Noach emerged from the Ark after the Flood, he planted a vineyard. Rav Chisda said in the name of Rav Ukva, who said it in the name of Rabbi Zechaya: ‘G-d then said to Noach: Noach, should you not have learned a lesson from Adam? After all, wine was the cause of everything that happened to him?’ “When Noach emerged from the Ark after the Flood, he planted a vineyard, made wine, and disgraced himself. Our Sages said: On that very day he planted it; on that very day the grapes grew; on that very day he picked them; on that very day he pressed them and made wine; on that very day he drank it; on that very day he became drunk; and on that very day he disgraced himself. Our Sages also said: When Noach was about to plant the vineyard, the angel of death, Samael, approached him and asked: ‘What are you planting?’ Noach answered: ‘A vineyard.’ Samael asked: ‘What is so special about it?’ Noach replied: ‘Its fruit is sweet, whether fresh or dried, and it can be made into wine that gladdens the heart.’ Samael offered to help him, and Noach replied: ‘L’chaim.’ Samael then went and brought a sheep, killed it at the planting site, and watered the site with its blood. Then Samael went and brought a lion, killed it at the planting site, and watered the site with its blood. Then Samael went and brought a pig, killed it at the planting site, and watered the site with its blood. Finally, Samael went and brought a monkey, killed it at the planting site, and watered the site with its blood. By this he hinted that when a person first tastes wine, he becomes simple and guileless like a sheep. When he drinks more, he becomes strong like a lion. When he drinks far too much, he becomes like a pig, rolling in the mud. And when he becomes completely drunk, he becomes like a monkey: dancing and laughing, using vulgar language, and not understanding what he is doing. All this happened to Noach, whom the Torah called a tzadik. And if such a thing happened to him—leading even to the cursing of his descendants (Cham, Noach’s son, mocked his father and was cursed)—what can we say about ourselves?” (Midrash Tanchuma, Noach 13) Lot The third negative story involving wine in the Torah concerns the daughters of Lot, the nephew of Avraham Avinu, who was rescued with his daughters by an angel during the destruction of Sodom. Lot’s daughters, believing that they were the only people left in the world after the destruction of Sodom, gave their father wine to drink in order to continue the human race: “The younger one went in and lay with him; and he did not know when she lay down or when she got up. Thus both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their father. The elder daughter bore a son and named him Moav. He is the father of the Moabites to this day. The younger daughter also bore a son and named him Ben-Ammi. He is the father of the Ammonites to this day.” This is the primary reason these nations may not enter the congregation of Israel. The famous expression “Nichnas yayin (70)—yatzah sod (70)”—“wine enters, a secret emerges”—reveals an important aspect of wine: it exposes a person’s essence. The more spiritual a person is, the higher the levels to which his Divine soul can ascend when he drinks wine; the more materialistic a person is, the lower his animal soul may descend. The Spiritual Aspect of Wine

1. Tikkun for Adam’s sin—wine consumed during mitzvot, holidays, and so on rectifies Adam’s sin, thereby drawing down blessing;
2. Joy —wine brings joy—therefore, wine is drunk during mitzvot;
3. Sustenance—wine sustains—if a person drinks wine (half a cup at a time), it is equivalent to eating bread;
4. Gratitude—the Gemara (Berachot 31) teaches that if you wish to give thanks, do so with wine: “Ein omrim shirah ela al hayayin”;
5. Holiness and blessing—the Zohar HaKadosh says: “Ein kedushah ela beyayin,” “Ein berachah ela beyayin”—both holiness and blessing are where there is wine.
6. Abundance—the Talmud says that for one whose wine flows abundantly in his home like water during mitzvot and holidays (which is why we pour wine out of the Kiddush cup), there will be good parnassah and wealth.
7. Wisdom—the Gemara (Yoma 72) says: “Chamra u’reichanei pakch’in”—wine and pleasant fragrances grant wisdom.

One of wine’s properties is that the longer it is stored, the better it becomes. The wine created on the sixth day of Creation is being preserved for the feast of Mashiach, and whoever drinks it will have wisdom revealed to him. One of the conditions is that only those who were careful to drink kosher wine will be able to drink it. Segulot Involving Wine 1. The Gemara teaches that the remnants of mitzvot protect and guard against danger. The remnants of wine from Kiddush, Havdalah, the Sheva Berachot at a wedding, a Brit Milah, and so on are powerful segulot. After Havdalah (or Kiddush, but not on Shabbat), we touch our fingers, which have been dipped into the remaining wine, to our eyes—for healing; to the luz bone (the upper back)—for resurrection from the dead; and to our pockets—for parnassah, and so on. 2. “Kos shel Berachah”—when three or more men recite Birkat HaMazon, the remaining wine is a very powerful segulah for blessing in the home and for children; it is also a powerful blessing for those struggling with infertility; 3. The remaining wine from Shabbat Kiddush may be used after Shabbat to anoint areas that are in pain. 4. For hamtakat dinim (sweetening judgments). Since wine is red (the symbol of Gevurah), it is beneficial to add white (Chesed)—water—to neutralize the judgments. In Judaism, a woman is called a kos (cup, vessel), and when she (having herself come from the realm of judgment) adds three drops of water, she thereby mitigates the judgments. 5. Rav Mordechai Eliyahu taught that the glass of water to which these three drops were added is a segulah for Refuah Shleimah—it is good to drink it afterward. 6. For epilepsy (machalat hanefilah). Take genuine saffron, place it in a pot, and pour in five cups of wine. When it comes to a boil, turn off the heat and let it steep. Then give it to the patient to drink for four days. 7. For conception: - add three drops of water to the Kiddush cup yourself; - buy wine for a Brit and give it to a family celebrating a Brit, so that they use precisely this wine; - buy wine for Pesach for the needy and distribute it; 8. Rabbi Pinchas of Koretz teaches that wine is very beneficial for those with blood disorders or poor circulation. He derived this from the Torah, from Yaakov’s blessing to Yissachar: “Ba-yayin levusho u-vdam anavim sutoh”—“He washes his garment in wine, and his robe in the blood of grapes.” 11. For cancer—grind the rue plant, add it to wine, mix, and drink a small amount every day. 12. For prolonged hiccups—take nine pieces of bread (each a kezayit—30 grams), pour wine over them so they become soaked, then perform netilat yadayim and eat them with a blessing; the hiccups disappear immediately. (Raphael HaMalach) 13. For shalom bayit, and to restore harmony between spouses—if a husband wants to regain his wife’s affection, he should add three drops of blood (per halachah, this is permitted) from the little finger of his right hand to his wife’s wine (he need not tell her), or vice versa—the wife may add it to her husband’s wine—and give it to him to drink. [Important! This segulah is only for married couples!] 14. For depression—take a stone called shabeh (an Arabic name), grind it into a powder, and drink half a teaspoon mixed into half a glass of wine every day; this relieves depression; 15. For nursing mothers experiencing problems with milk supply, drink wine or grape juice; 16. For ayin hara—read Yaakov’s blessing to Yissachar (Genesis 49:11) over wine, recite the blessing, and drink it; this removes the “ayin hara” (preferably three, seven, or ten times): “Osri la-gefen iro ve-la-sorekah beni atono kibes, ba-yayin levusho u-vdam anavim sutoh”—“He ties his donkey to the vine, his donkey’s foal to the choice vine; he washes his garment in wine, and his robe in the blood of grapes.”   Stories of Tzadikim About Wine Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chananyah was exceptionally learned but, unfortunately, equally unattractive. Children would sometimes even be frightened of him. Nevertheless, his learning, intelligence, and wisdom earned him the respect of the Emperor Trajan himself. Once, when he was invited to the imperial court, one of the princesses began to mock his ugly appearance. “Such brilliant wisdom in such an inferior vessel!” she said. The rabbi was not embarrassed and replied: “Tell me, princess, in what vessels does your father store his fine wines?” “In earthenware, of course,” the princess said. “Everyone keeps wine in earthenware jugs!” “Really?” the rabbi questioned. “Only ordinary people keep wine in such inferior vessels. Royal wines deserve to be stored in more expensive containers.” The princess took his words literally and ordered the precious royal wines to be transferred into gold and silver jugs. To her great surprise, she soon learned what everyone had long known: if wine is stored in a metal vessel, even one made of gold, it quickly turns sour and becomes undrinkable. The next time the princess saw Rabbi Yehoshua, she began to tease him: “What kind of advice did you give me? Do you know what happened to the good wine? It turned sour!” “Well, now you have seen for yourself that wine is best preserved in a simple, unpretentious vessel,” Rabbi Yehoshua said. “The same is true of wisdom and knowledge.” “But allow me to object,” said the princess. “I know many people who do not become any less intelligent merely because they are handsome.” “That may be so,” replied the sage, “but perhaps they would be even wiser if they were not so beautiful.” (Talmud)   (http://nazirut.com/ru/%D0%BE-%D0%B2%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B4%D0%B5-%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B0/)