Rabbi Daniel Siegel – Head of Jewish Life

Wine-indulging, secret-divulging

נכנס יין יצא סוד

We Jews have a rather ambivalent relationship with wine. We sanctify every Shabbat and Chag with the blessing over and drinking of wine, we partake of the prescribed four cups of wine at the Pesach Seder and our every mazal tov, it would seem, is capped off with a “le-chayim” over wine. At the same time, we know that misuse/abuse of wine can lead to pain, addiction, violence and even death.

The Talmud relates the following story:

Rabbah and Rabbi Ze’ira had a Purim feast together. They became intoxicated and Rabbah arose and slit the throat of Rabbi Ze’ira. The following day, becoming sober and realising what he had done, Rabba prayed to God and revived him. The next year, Rabbah said to Rabbi Ze’ira: “Let’s do the Purim feast together (again)”. He said to him: “I cannot afford to rely on miracles”.

Significantly, the above story immediately follows Rava’s statement that “a person is obligated to drink (on Purim) to the point that he does not know how to distinguish between ‘cursed is Haman’ and ‘blessed is Mordecai’”. Though our Jewish tradition maintains that it is a mitzvah to drink wine on Purim, in accordance with Mordechai’s instruction that we celebrate these days as “yemei mishteh ve-simchah, days of drinking and rejoicing”, this cautionary tale reminds us that celebratory ritual is rendered reckless when drinking is taken to excess.

The Rabbinic maxim: נכנס יין יצא סוד/nichnas yayin, yatsah sod -“In comes wine, out go secrets”, reflects both the positive as well as negative effects that wine may elicit. One’s uninhibited and unrestrained self, under the influence of wine, may lead to a side of oneself best kept under wraps. At the same time, unburdening oneself of secrets and/or confronting or allowing others to confront oneself with hard truths may serve a healing purpose. We are reminded of the Latin phrase in vino veritas, “in wine, there is truth”.

During the trial of Eichmann in Jerusalem, the Israeli papers reported that the judges responded to the defence attorney, who wished to dismiss evidence with the contention that Eichmann was under the influence of alcohol when making those statements, with the words “nichnas yayin, yatsah sod”.

As yayin/wine in gematria (alpha-numeric encoding) is equivalent to sod/secret (both totalling 70) the Jewish mystical tradition employed this phrase to speak of deeper truths. Yayin/wine, in the Jewish tradition connotes Torah and sod/secret represents the most profound level of revelation. Thus, “nichnas yayin, yatsah sod”- When Torah enters us in a profound way, supernal secrets are disclosed. The ambivalence of the effects of wine is here overcome by prescribing the mysteries of divine truth, gained by engaging in the study of Torah, over sensory satisfaction sought in a bottle of wine.

Within this reading of “nichnas yayin, yatsah sod”, Rava’s statement that “a person is obligated to drink to the point that he does not know how to distinguish between ‘cursed is Haman’ and ‘blessed is Mordecai’” assumes new meaning. In gematria, ארור המן/ “cursed is Haman” and
ברוך מרדכי/“blessed is Mordechai” are numerically equivalent (both totalling 502). Accordingly, one who imbibes the divine spirits will transcend a world of duality, differentiation and discrimination which can only lead to our demise, and discover the world of truth in which all humanity is one with the divine. 

“Your love is better than wine”/טובים דודיך מיין says the beloved to the lover, in the Song of Songs. The Jewish mystical tradition interpreting, this book as an allegory of God’s love for Israel, reads this verse, “Best is Your love (flowing) from (the secret) wine (of Torah)”. Drunk with the divine (wine)!

Best then that we end with the words of the Zohar, “There is wine, and then there is wine” – Let the drinker beware!