A Huge Drinking Sugya: Eruvin 64-65

Rav Yehuda said that Shmuel said: If one drank a quarter-log of wine, he may not issue a halakhic ruling

Rav Naḥman said: This halakha is not excellent, as concerning myself, as long as I have not drunk a quarter-log of wine, my mind is not clear.

Rava said to Rav Naḥman: What is the reason that the Master said this?

Didn’t Rabbi Aḥa bar Ḥanina say: What is the meaning of that which is written: “But he who keeps company with prostitutes [zonot] wastes his fortune” (Proverbs 29:3)? Anyone who says: This teaching is pleasant [zo na’a] but this is not pleasant, loses the fortune of Torah.

Rav Naḥman said to him: I retract

What are the circumstances in which a person is considered one who has drunk wine; and what are the circumstances in which a person is considered one who is intoxicated?

the following event: As Rabbi Abba bar Shumni and Rav Menashya bar Yirmeya from Gifti were taking leave of each other at the ford of the Yofti River, they said: Let each one of us say something that his fellow scholar has not yet heard, for Mari bar Rav Huna said: A person must take leave of his fellow only in the midst of a discussion of a matter of halakha, as due to this he will remember him. One of them opened the discussion and said: What are the circumstances where a person is considered one who has drunk wine, and what are the circumstances where a person is considered one who is intoxicated with wine? One who has drunk wine refers to anyone who has drunk wine but whose mind remains clear enough that he is able to talk in the presence of a king. One who is intoxicated refers to anyone who is so disoriented by the wine he has drunk that he is not able to talk in the presence of a king. The other one then opened a different discussion and said: With regard to one who took possession of a convert’s property, what should he do so that it remains in his hands? ...

Rami bar Abba said: Walking a path of a mil, and similarly, sleeping even a minimal amount, will dispel the effect of wine that one has drunk. Rav Naḥman said that Rabba bar Avuh said: They only taught this with regard to one who has drunk a quarter-log of wine, but with regard to one who has drunk more than a quarter-log, this advice is not useful. In that case, walking a path of such a distance will preoccupy and exhaust him all the more, and a small amount of sleep will further intoxicate him.

The Gemara poses a question: Does walking a path of only a mil dispel the effects of wine? Wasn’t it taught

There was an incident involving Rabban Gamliel, who was riding a donkey and traveling from Akko to Keziv, and his student Rabbi Elai was walking behind him.

He found some fine loaves of bread on the road, and he said to his student: Elai, take the loaves from the road. He encountered a certain gentile and said to him: Mavgai, take these loaves from Elai. Elai joined the gentile and said to him: Where are you from? He said to him: From the nearby towns of guardsmen. He asked: And what is your name? The gentile replied: My name is Mavgai. He then inquired: Has Rabban Gamliel ever met you before, seeing as he knows your name? He said to him: No.

At that time we learned that Rabban Gamliel divined by way of divine inspiration, And at that time we also learned three matters: We learned that one may not pass by food, we also learned that we follow the majority of travelers, and we further learned that with regard to leavened bread belonging to a gentile, it is permitted to benefit from this food after Passover.

When Rabban Gamliel arrived in Keziv, a person came before him to request that he dissolve his vow. Rabban Gamliel said to the one who was with him, i.e., Rabbi Elai: Did we drink a quarter-log of Italian wine earlier? He said to him: Yes. Rabban Gamliel replied: If so, let him journey after us until the effect of our wine is dispelled, after which we may consider his issue. And that person journeyed after them for three mil, until Rabban Gamliel arrived at the Ladder of Tyre. When he arrived at the Ladder of Tyre, Rabban Gamliel alighted from his donkey and wrapped himself and he sat and dissolved his vow. The Gemara continues: At that time we learned many matters of halakha from Rabban Gamliel’s conduct. We learned that a quarter-log of Italian wine intoxicates, and we learned that one who is intoxicated may not issue a halakhic ruling, and we learned that walking on a path dispels the effect of wine, and lastly we learned that one may not annul vows when he is either mounted on an animal, or walking, or even standing, but only when he is sitting.

In any event, the baraita is teaching three mil.

Italian wine is different in that it is more intoxicating.

But didn’t Rav Naḥman say that Rabba bar Avuh said: "They taught this only with regard to one who has drunk a quarter-log of wine, but with regard to one who has drunk more than a quarter-log, walking that distance will preoccupy and exhaust him all the more, and a small amount of sleep will further intoxicate him"?
Being mounted on an animal is different Now that you have arrived at this conclusion, according to Rami bar Abba, it is also not difficult, as he too can say that riding is different.

The Gemara relates that Shmuel’s father, when he would return home from his journey, would not pray for three days, as he would have to rest from his journey.

Shmuel himself would not pray in a house that contained an alcoholic beverage, as the scent of the alcohol would disturb his concentration during prayer.

Similarly, Rav Pappa would not pray in a house that contained small fried fish, due to their smell.

Rabbi Ḥanina said: Whoever is appeased by his wine, has in him an element of the mind-set of his Creator, as it is stated: “And the Lord smelled the sweet savor, and the Lord said in His heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake” (Genesis 8:21).

Rabbi Ḥanin said: "Wine was created only in order to comfort mourners and to reward the wicked, as it is stated: 'Give beer to him that is ready to perish, and wine to the bitter of soul. Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more' (Proverbs 31:6)."

Rabbi Ḥanin bar Pappa said: Anyone in whose house wine does not flow like water is not yet included in the Torah’s blessing, as it is stated: “And He shall bless your bread and your water” (Exodus 23:25). The water mentioned in this verse actually refers to wine, as learned in the following manner: Just as bread is something that may be purchased with second-tithe money, i.e., one is permitted to buy bread with money used to redeem second-tithe, so too the word water in the verse is referring to a liquid that may be purchased with second-tithe money. And what is that? It is wine, as one may buy wine with second-tithe money, but one may not buy water; and nevertheless, the verse calls it “water.”

This teaches that if wine flows in a person’s house like water, there is a blessing, but if not, there is no blessing.