Torah Lectures

Look at the story of Noah. He was the most righteous person of his generation. Yet every year we read about his getting drunk. His reputation is ruined forever. That's why our sages said "A good name is greater than good oil" & "A good name is better than the crown of Torah..."

Lets say you abuse alcohol and thank G-d you're able to stop. You will never get back your reputation of things you said or you did. People are not like G-d that if you change He sees a new you. People never fully forget the old you. Alcohol ruins reputations forever.

If wine and strong drink have such a bad name, why do we drink them for Purim? Btw, for Purim the mitzvah to drink is to drink red wine. B'dieved, according to some Poskim, like Rav Ovadia Yosef, one has fulfilled the mitzvah if he drank strong drink but best to drink red wine.

Ever wonder why people need alcohol to commit grave sins like one night stands, homosexuality, adultery.... Maybe it's because the soul knows one shouldn't be doing it... so one drinks to get over that.

Some say that the verse says in full: Wine makes one a scorner; strong drink makes one riotous, that is, he shouts for his drink to be served.

Accordingly, it is indicated here that one who is worthy becomes a head-man ראש. Otherwise, he becomes a pauper רש,

One who is muddled by wine will never grow wise. That is so, however, only when drinking wine becomes a habit. If taken as needed, it has beneficial effects. As the Sages said: If one has merited wine gladdens him; if one has not merited, it confounds him.

Because wine is so powerful, the scripture says that wine, especially, can deprive a man of his sanity, make him scornful and light headed.

Wine especially is a scorner. For as the sages teach: Wine was not created except to console mourners. Thus it says, "Give strong drink to him who is ready to perish, and wine to the bitter in soul." They also said: Wine and aroma have made me wise.

Consuming strong drink makes one's blood boil. The person is then prone to start quarreling, his intelligence is muddled, and he may also lose his wealth. As his troubles and worries increase, this keeps him from attaining wisdom. He does not grow wise.

He who drinks wine is a scorner. That is also true for one who follows his example and craves strong drink. Not the one nor the other grow wise.

One who talks excessively is led to sin, and he does not grow wise.

I think that technology has made alcohol much more dangerous to oneself. A person can drink and have the 'courage' to flirt and to speak sexually and perverted to friends/strangers. Nothing good can come out of it.https://twitter.com/TorahLectures/status/1103157710122639360 …

By removing constraint from the heart, strong drink loosens the tongue which then speaks with abandon. The person indulges in words of levity, mockery, and abuse.

Wine and strong drink are factors in causing a person to scorn and scoff. For they loosed the yoke of responsibility, and to scorn means to cast off constraints.

"Wine is a scorner, strong drink is riotous; and one who is muddled by them does not grow wise." - Proverbs 20:1

Its 451 am in Israel. Time for mikveh and 30 mins of Gemara before Shacharis.

Erev Rosh Chodesh.

Another case mentioned in Halachic sources is where a parent publicly went up to the child, tore his clothing and humiliated him. The obligation of respecting parents requires the child to remain silent and not cause the parent humiliation in return.