Midrasz do Przysłów 31:6

(Fol. 43) R. Chiya b. R. Ashi in the name of R. Chisda said: "The one who was going to be killed, they used to give a grain of frankincense in a cup of wine to drink in order to benumb his senses, as it is said (Prov. 31, 6) Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those who have an embittered soul." And we are taught in a Baraitha that the wine and the frankincense was donated by the respectable women of Jerusalem.

R. Elazar said: "Whoever comes from the road, should not pray for three days for it is said (Ezra 8, 15.) And I gathered them together to the river that runneth into the Ahava and we encamped there three days; and I looked about among the people. [Only after three days, was he able to look about among the people]." The lather of Samuel upon coming from a journey would not pray for three days [because his mind was not sufficiently clear]. Samuel himself, would not pray within a house where there was beer, [for the smell of it would confuse his mind]. R. Papa would not pray within a house where there was a mess made of a certain fish [that gives forth a liquid smell]. R. Chanina said: "A man who becomes appeased when under the influence of wine, possesses the qualities of his Creator, for it is said (Gen. 8, 21.) And the Lord smelled the sweet flavor," etc. R. Chiya said: "Whoever remains clear-minded when drinking, possesses the qualities of the seventy sages.'" The word Yayin (wine) aggregates the number of seventy and Sod (secret) aggregates also the number seventy, i.e., as soon as wine enters, the secrets escape. R. Chanan said: "Wine was created in this world for no other purpose than to comfort the mounrners, and wherewith to pay the wicked their reward for any good deeds they may have done, as it is said (Pr. 31, 6.) Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those who have an embittered soul." R. Chanina b. Papa said: "Any house where wine is not poured like water, cannot be classed among those that are called blessed houses, for it is said (Ex. 23, 25.) And he will bless thy bread and thy water. Bread and water are placed on a par; just as bread mentioned here can be bought with money belonging to the Tithes, so also the water should be of the same kind that can be bought with money belonging to the Tithes. It must therefore, refer to wine; [for water cannot be bought] yet the passage calls it water (Ib. b) to hint that, if it flows in his house like water, then it may be called a blessed house, otherwise it cannot be called so." R. Ilayi said: "On three occasions a man's character can be recognized; by his wine-cup (when he drinks); by his purse (dealing honestly); and by his anger (seldom getting excited), and according to others, by his laughter also."

(Fol. 70) R. Chanan said: "Wine was created for nothing else than to comfort mourners and to compensate through it the wicked for any good thing they do in this world, as it is said (Pr. 31, 6) Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish and wine to those who have an embittered soul." R. Isaac said: "What does the passage (Ib. 23, 31) Do not look for wine when it looketh red, mean? You shall not look for wine which makes the faces of the wicked in this world red, and makes them pale (puts them to shame) in the world to come." Raba said: "You shall not look for wine because its end is bloodshed." R. Cahana raised the following contradiction: It is written (Pr. 104, 15) Y'shamach (waste), and we read Y'samach (rejoice); i.e., If he merits (takes care) it will cause him to rejoice; if not, it will cause him ruin, and this is meant by Raba who said: "Wine and good odor made me wise." R. Amram, the son of R. Simon b. Abba, said: "What does the passage (Ib., ib. 26, 30) Who hath woe? Who hath sorrow? Who hath quarrels? Who hath complaints? Who hath wounds without cause? Who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry late over the wine; they that become sick for mixed drink, mean? When R. Dimi came from Palestine, he said: "It was said in the West that he who tries to explain the passage above from the beginning to the end is correct, and he who tries to explain it from the end to the beginning is also correct. Eubar the Galilean lectured: Thirteen vavs are enumerated concerning wine. (Gen. 9, 20, 25) And Noah, who was a husbandman, began his work and he planted a vineyard. And he drank of the wine, and became drunken, and he uncovered himself within his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told it to his two brothers without. And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon the shoulders of both of them, and went backwards, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were turned backwards, and they saw not their father's nakedness. And Noah awoke from his wine, and discovered what his younger son had done unto him. And Noah began his work, and planted a vineyard. R. Chisda in the name of Ukba (according to others Mar Ukba in the name of R. Zakkai), said: "The Holy One, praised be He! said to Noah: 'Noah, why didst thou not learn from Adam the First that all the troubles he had were caused by wine?'" This is in accordance with R. Maier, who maintains that the tree of whose fruit Adam partook was a vine; for we are taught in a Baraitha: R. Maier says: "The tree of whose fruit Adam partook was a vine (Ib. b) as there is no other thing which brings lamentation upon man except wine." R. Juda says: "It was wheat, since a child is not able to call mother or father before it has tasted wheat." R. Nechemiah says: "It was a fig tree, for they were mended (restored) by the same thing by which they were impaired (sinned), as it is written (Gen. 3, 7) And they sewed fig leaves together."

The mourners are comforted with bread and wine, as it is said, "Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto the bitter in soul" (Prov. 31:6).