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I heard that there's a gemara either saying or suggesting that the Etz Hadas was alcoholic in nature. I had a hunch before learning of the Gemara it might have been alcoholic fruit.

So if it's true, what's the actual source?

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    – mevaqesh
    Commented Jan 2, 2017 at 5:10

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This is one view presented in Sanhedrin 70a:

אמר רבי זכאי: אמר לו הקדוש ברוך הוא לנח: נח, לא היה לך ללמוד מאדם הראשון, שלא גרם לו אלא יין. כמאן דאמר אותו אילן שאכל ממנו אדם הראשון גפן היה. דתניא, רבי מאיר אומר: אותו אילן שאכל אדם הראשון ממנו גפן היה

The Holy One, blessed be He, said unto Noah: 'Noah, shouldst thou not have taken a warning from Adam, whose transgression was caused by wine?' This agrees with the view that the [forbidden] tree from which Adam ate was a vine. For it has been taught: R. Meir said: That [forbidden] tree from which Adam ate was a vine. (Trans. here)

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  • And did the vine have time to ferment? This doesn't prove it was alcoholic, just that it was grape-based.
    – Double AA ♦
    Commented Nov 7, 2016 at 2:45
  • @DoubleAA I understood that to be the implication of , שלא גרם לו אלא יין
    – mevaqesh
    Commented Nov 7, 2016 at 2:56

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