Mussar zu Schir haSchirim 7:10

And (Ibid. 96a): "How fortunate is the portion of those who occupy themselves with Torah every day. Woe unto those who do not occupy themselves with Torah, for they have no portion in the holy Name, and they are not intimate with it in this world and the next. And one who merits it in this world merits it in the world to come, as it is written (Song of Songs 7:10): 'He titillates the lips of the sleepers [in the grave].' For though they are in this world, their lips murmur Torah there."

Behold, wine causes one to become a scoffer and a mocker and to be riotous and quarrelsome. And everyone who transgresses through it is not very wise. Our teacher, Moses Maimonides wrote : "A gathering for drinking intoxicating liquor deserves greater shame among you that when naked people gather exposing their nakedness. And drunkenness is an evil deed for it causes one to lose the intelligence which the Lord, may He be Blessed, breathed into man's nostrils." In truth, the drinking of wine is very good if one drinks like an intelligent person, as under the circumstances and in the manner of which Solomon said : "Give strong drink to him that is ready to perish and wine to the bitter in soul. Let him drink and forget his poverty and remember his misery no more" (Prov. 31:6-7). And more is said about wine: "Wine which cheers God and man" (Judges 9:13). And it is written : "And wine that makes glad the heart of man" (Ps. 104:15). Also Scripture says : "For thy love is better than wine" (Ecel. 1:2), and it also is said : "And the roof of thy mouth is like the best wine" (Ibid. 7:10).

Come see what is written in the Zohar regarding this matter (Parashas Shemini 39a-41a): Rabbi Yehudah and Rabbi Yitzchak were walking through the town of Tzippori while a child followed after them leading a donkey laden with containers of honey. Rabbi Yitzchak said to Rabbi Yehudah, “Let us speak words of Torah as we walk.” So he began his discourse. Rabbi Yitzchak interpreted the verse, “And your palate is like fine wine going straight to my beloved, moving the lips of sleepers” (Shir HaShirim 7:10). He explained that the “palate” alludes to words of Torah, which are also likened to fine wine. In fact, they are better than actual wine because the latter is often injurious to body and soul. For example, excessive drink causes a person’s head to hurt and sometimes leads to transgression, Heaven forbid. By contrast, the more a person studies the holy Torah the more removed he is from sin. Moreover, he learns to fear Heaven and inherits both this world and the next. He even merits what is described in the end of the verse, “moving the lips of those who sleep.” That is, even when he lies in the grave his lips will continue uttering words of Torah.