Is it permissible to drink alcohol in any circumstance other than Holidays and Shabbat? Please cite sources.
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3מצוה גדולה להיות בשמחה תמיד?– Seth JCommented Jun 25, 2012 at 13:52
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2@SethJ שמחה גדולה להיות במצווה תמיד and we know a שיכור is patur from mitzvot.– Double AA ♦Commented Jun 25, 2012 at 14:19
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4Why would one think otherwise?– yitznewtonCommented Jun 25, 2012 at 15:16
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2@yitznewton See the linked question about marijuana. Alcohol is a drug too, and perhaps some parallel concerns may apply. They also may not apply, but that's why we have this question.– Double AA ♦Commented Jun 25, 2012 at 15:55
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2@yoel Can you clarify which rebbe?– Double AA ♦Commented Jun 25, 2012 at 16:19
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2 Answers
Rambam Hilchos De'os 5:3
ג. כשהחכם שותה יין אינו שותה אלא כדי לשרות אכילה שבמעיו וכל המשתכר הרי זה חוטא ומגונה ומפסיד חכמתו ואם נשתכר בפני עמי הארץ הרי זה חילל את השם ואסור לשתות יין בצהרים ואפילו מעט אלא אם היה בכלל האכילה שהשתיה שהיא בכלל האכילה אינה משכרת ואין נזהרין אלא מיין שלאחר המזון.
My loose translation:
A Chacham only drinks wine only to digest [soften] food in his stomach. Anyone who gets drunk is a sinner, shameful and loses his wisdom and if one gets drunk in front of amei ha'aretz it is a chillul Hashem. It is forbidden to drink even a little bit of wine in the afternoon unless it is with food, for wine during a meal does not intoxicate, but after the meal is when it should be avoided.
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2This seems like a "medical recommendation" than a Halacha. Looking for maybe an Aharon's Pesak. Commented Jun 26, 2012 at 19:36
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2@HachamGabriel If it were a medical recommendation, it wouldn't say it applies only to a chacham.– b aCommented Jul 4, 2012 at 4:40
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@ba a Chakham , in De'ot 1:9[4], is defined as "man whose traits are intermediate and equally balanced"( translation from here). In 1:11[5] it says that "[walking] in these intermediate paths" is a Mitzvat Aseh of le-hidamot bi-Drakhav ( "To emulate His ways"). So yes, it is a Halakhah , but no, it doesn't apply only to a "chacham". Commented Nov 30, 2012 at 8:59
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This is a nice answer to the question, because Rambam's statement clearly presumes that it is OK to drink wine with normal meals. Commented Oct 20, 2014 at 23:51
See Sefer Marphe Habosem(end of the Sefer) who writes that it's healthy to drink a little wine daily.
