Midrash sa Amos 6:1: Midrash Tanchuma, Vayikra Rabbah, Midrash Tanchuma Buber & Bamidbar Rabbah

(Lev. 10:8-9:) “And the Lord spoke unto Aaron, [saying], ‘Drink no wine or intoxicating liquor.’” Why did He give a commandment concerning wine?¹³Lev. R. 12:1; cf. Numb. R. 10:2; M. Prov. 23. Because anyone who drinks wine will have boils, sores, shame, and reproach come upon him. So the holy spirit cries out (in Prov. 23:29-35), “Who has woe; who has sorrow; who has contentions; who has talk; who has unexplained sores; who has redness of eyes? Those who tarry over wine [….] Do not stare at wine when it is red, [when it gives its color to the cup….] In the end it will bite like a snake; [….] Your eyes will see strange things; [….] You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, [….] They struck me, but I felt no hurt.” (Vs. 29) “Who has woe; who has sorrow” [means,] about whom do they say, “Woe?”; “who has contentions,” [means,] about whom do they say [that he is a master of] quarrels. [(ibid., cont.) “Who has talk, means,] and about whom do they talk? (ibid., cont.) “Who has unexplained sores,” [means,] whom [do they say] has boils on his face? [(ibid., cont.) “Who has redness of eyes ('ayin),” [means,] and about whom do they say that his eyes ('ayin) are bleary and red from wine? About whom do they say all these evils? (Vs. 30) “Those who tarry over wine.” (Vs. 31) “Do not stare at wine when it is red.” Its end is blood. It is fine on the outside and bad on the inside; so never say that it is beautiful on the inside, just as [it appears] on the outside. (According to ibid., cont.,) “When it gives its color ('ayin) to the cup (kos).” [This is the oral text (the qere).] The written text (ketiv) [says] “to the purse (kis).” The drunkard sets his eye on the cup, but the shopkeeper [sets his eye] on the purse. “When it gives its color to the cup.” When one sees his comrade drinking, he says, “Pour one for me to drink.” Then he drinks and defiles himself in dung and urine. (Ibid., cont.) “He/it¹⁴In the Biblical context it is the wine that goes down smoothly. goes down smoothly.” He ends in selling all the objects in his house and all his useful implements. Thus he [is left with] no clothes and no useful implements for the house, so that [he is left] with nothing and the house is empty from [having] everything. “He/it goes down smoothly.” In the end he declares transgressions permissible and makes them something accessible [to all] like a commons. He converses with a woman in the market place where he talks obscenely and says evil things in a drunken state without being ashamed, because he is confused and knows neither what he is saying nor what he is doing. (Prov. 23:32) “In the end it will bite like a snake.” When the snake bites a person, he does not feel it for a time; but after he goes home, [the poison in] the wound permeates him. “In the end it will bite like a snake,” most certainly like a snake. Just as in the case of the snake, [the Holy One, blessed be He,] cursed the land on account of it, as stated (in Gen. 3:17), “cursed is the land because of you”; so in the case of wine, Canaan, who was a third of the world was cursed on account of it, as stated (in Gen. 9:24-25), “Then Noah awoke from his wine…, [And he said, ‘Cursed be Canaan].’”¹⁵As Enoch Zundel explains in his commentary on Tanh., Lev. 3:5, Canaan’s curse comes through his father Ham, upon whom the curse actually fell. Since Ham represented a third of Noah’s sons, a third of the world came from him. So also Numb. R. 10:2. Ergo (in Prov. 23:32), “In the end it will bite like a snake….” (Vs. 33) “Your eyes will see strange things.” See what wine causes one who drinks it! “Your eyes will see strange things” [is a reference to], (Ps. 81:10) “There shall not be a strange god with you.” It causes him to serve idols. So it says (in Is. 28:7), “These also reel with wine and stagger with strong drink.” What is the meaning of these? [These of] which it is spoken (in Exod. 32:4), “These are your gods, O Israel.” Thus it is stated (in Exod. 32:6), “and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to engage in amorous sport.” [It was] because of wine that they said (in Exod. 32:4), “These are your gods, O Israel.” Therefore (in Prov. 23:33), “and your heart will speak deceitful things.” Thus it causes four things: idolatry, uncovering of nakedness, shedding of blood, and evil speech. See how strong wine is! So it is written (in Hab. 2:5), “And moreover, wine betrays an arrogant man.” It is also written (in Prov. 21:24), “An insolent and arrogant one, scorner is his name.” Now “insolent” must mean idolatry. Thus it is stated (in Ps. 119:21), “You rebuke the cursed insolent ones.” Moreover, “insolent ones” must [also] refer to the uncovering of nakedness. Thus it is stated (in Ps. 86:14), “O God, insolent ones have risen up over against me…”; and it says (in Ps. 19:14), “Also keep your servant from insolent ones.” Moreover, when one drinks and transgresses, he sees the whole world as a ship. It is so stated (in Prov. 23:34), “You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea.” When he lies down they smite him, but he does not feel it. Thus it is stated (in vs. 35), “They struck me, but I felt no hurt; they beat me, but I did not know it.” So when he is unknowing and unashamed, he uncovers himself. Then afterwards he returns and seeks it (i.e., wine). [Thus it is stated (ibid.),] “when I wake up, I seek it yet again.” See how evil is the end of those who drink wine. [Isaiah said (in Is. 5:11),] “Woe to those who rise early in the morning to pursue strong drink; who remain behind in the evening for wine to inflame them.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “Inasmuch as wine causes such [evils], it is right for Me to command the priests not to drink wine when they minister before Me. Ergo (in Lev. 10:9:), “Drink no wine or intoxicating liquor.” Solomon said (in Prov. 23:20), “Do not be among those who imbibe wine.” Do not cause yourself to drink [wine (yyn), which implies] seventy. Then you would face seventy [judges of the Sanhedrin] and fall into the hands of death. Y (= 10) plus y (= 10), for a subtotal of 20, plus n (= 50) results in seventy.¹⁶Cf. Sanh. 38a. So you would face seventy [members of] the Sanhedrin¹⁷Gk.: Synedrion. and cause your own death. See what is written (in Deut. 21:18-19), “If one has a defiant and rebellious son…, his father and mother shall take hold of him [and bring him out unto the elders of his town]….” Then the sentence shall be passed over him; and (in vs. 21) “[All the people of his own town] shall stone him [to death] with stones.” Why? Because he is (according to vs. 20) “a glutton and a drunkard.” So Solomon has said (in Prov. 23:20), “Do not be among those who imbibe wine, who gorge themselves on meat,”¹⁸See also Prov. 23:22, which adds an admonition to obey parents. lest you bring stoning upon yourself, the most weighty of the executions.
R. Judah bar Shallum the Levite said, “In the Hebrew language the name [for wine] is yyn, and in the Aramaic language its name is hmr. By gematria¹⁹Gk.: geometria or grammateis. Gematria is an exegetical method in which an interpretation is reached from the sum of the numerical value of the letters in a word. hmr becomes two hundred and forty-eight, corresponding to the [number of] parts in a human being. The wine enters into each and every limb, so that the body becomes weakened and knowledge becomes confounded. When wine enters, knowledge departs.” And so Eleazar Haqappar has taught, “Wine (yyn), with a numerical value of seventy enters; and secrets (swd), with a numerical value of seventy,²⁰S (= 60), W (= 6), and D (= 4) add up to 70. depart.”²¹Cf. Sanh. 38a, which attributes the teaching to R. Hiyya. Therefore, the high priest was commanded not to drink wine during the time of the service, lest it confound his knowledge; for he preserves the Torah (and preserves the service) and the knowledge. Thus it is stated (in Mal. 2:6), “The true Torah was in his mouth, and no injustice was found on his lips.” It also says (in vs. 7), “For the lips of a priest preserve knowledge.” Therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded Aaron (in Lev. 10:9), “Drink no wine or intoxicating liquor, you and your children as well.” And do [not] think that I may have commanded you [only] for the past in the beginning, at a time when the Temple was standing and you were ministering in it, since it is stated (ibid., cont.), “when you come unto the tent of witness….” [Rather,] you shall also keep yourselves from wine forever, as stated (ibid., cont.), “it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations.” Therefore, keep yourselves from wine, because wine is a sign²²Gk.: semeion. of a curse. In the case of Noah, what is written about him? (In Gen. 9:21), “Then he drank of the wine and became drunk.” Cham entered and saw his nakedness. What did [Noah] say to him? He cursed his son (in vs. 25), “And he said, ‘Cursed be Canaan.’” Therefore (in Lev. 10:9), “Drink no wine or intoxicating liquor.” And so you find that the ten tribes went into exile only from wine.²³Cf. Lev. 5:3; Numb. 10:3. See what [scripture] says (in Amos 6:1), “Woe to those who are at ease in Zion,” because they were dwelling at ease in pleasure palaces. (Ibid., cont.) “and who have confidence in the mountain of Samaria,” because they were dwelling confidently in [Sebaste].²⁴The city built by Herod on the site of old Samaria. (Ibid., cont.:) “The notables of the leading nation, the ones to whom the House of Israel comes.” In what sense? The peoples of the world would sit and talk. They would say, “Who is the mightiest in Israel?” And they would answer, “Samson.” Then again they would say, “Who is the mightiest among the gentiles?” And they would answer, “Goliath,” about whom it is written (in I Sam. 17:4), “his height was six cubits and a span.” Ergo (in Amos 6:1), “The notables of the leading nation, the ones to whom the House of Israel comes.” Then again they would say, “Who is the wealthiest among the peoples of the world?” And they would answer, “Hadrian.” Then, “Who is the wealthiest in Israel?” And they would answer, “Solomon.” And these would agree with those that Solomon was the wealthiest, as stated (in I Kings 10:27), “And the king made silver [in Jerusalem as plentiful as stones].” Come and see, each and every tribe had its own May festival.²⁵Gk. Maioumas. When one wanted to go to his May festival, he would take his herd with him, so that he would eat fatlings from his flock. It is so stated (in Amos 6:4, 6), “and they would eat lambs from the flock…. Those who drink [straight] from the wine bowls….” What is their end? (Amos 6:7) “Therefore they shall now go at the head of the exiles.” Why? Because they had a passion for wine. For this reason he warns Aaron (in Lev. 10:9), “Drink no wine or intoxicating liquor.” Blessed is the one who does not have a passion for wine, for you find such to be the case with the children of Jonadab ben Rechab, in that their ancestor had commanded them, “Do not drink wine, you and your children forever” (Jer. 35:6). But what was his reason for saying, “Do not drink wine, you and your children?” It is simply that he had heard Jeremiah prophesying that the Temple would be destroyed. He said to them, “From now on, (Jer. 35:6-7), ‘Do not drink wine… You shall not build a house, sow seed, plant a vineyard, [or own such things]; but you shall dwell in tents all your days.” Now they had mourned and observed the commandments of their ancestor; but when Jeremiah was prophesying to Israel [and] telling them to repent, they were not doing so. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Jeremiah, “You are telling them to repent, and they are not doing so. Now in the case of the children of Jonadab ben Rechab, when their ancestor gave them a simple commandment, they observed it; but when I tell Israel to repent, they do not observe [My commandment].” It is so stated (in Jer. 35:14), “The words of Jonadab ben Rechab have been upheld. He commanded his children not to drink wine, and to this day they have not drunk it…. But I spoke to you from early morning to late evening, [and you did not hearken unto me].” What is written there? The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Jeremiah, “Say to them, ‘By your life, whereas you have heeded this commandment, your lineage shall never disappear from before Me, even as it is written (in vs. 19), “Therefore, thus says the Lord [of hosts, the God of Israel], ‘Someone belonging to Jonadab ben Rechab shall not (ever) be cut off [from standing] before Me for ever.’”’” He therefore enlightens them concerning wine (in Lev. 10:9), “Drink no wine or intoxicating liquor.” Isaiah said (in is. 24:11), “There is a cry over wine in the streets; all gladness is obscured.” What is the meaning of “all gladness is obscured (rt.: 'rb)?”²⁶Above, Exod. 11:8. [That ] all gladness has become dark, just as you say (in Gen. 1:5),²⁷Also Gen. 1:8, 13, 19, 23, 31. “and there was evening ('rb).” (Is. 24:11, cont.:) “The joy of the earth has [departed], because Zion has come to an end.” Thus it is written (in Ps. 48:3), “Beauteous landscape, joy of the whole earth, [even Mount Zion].” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, “In this world wine is a sign of a curse, but in the world to come I will make it into fresh grape juice. Thus it is stated (in Joel 4:18), “And it shall come to pass on that day the mountains shall flow with fresh grape juice….”

Another matter, “When He quiets, who can condemn?” – He granted tranquility to the Ten Tribes; who, then, could come and condemn them? What tranquility did He grant them? “Woe, the tranquil of Zion” (Amos 6:1), this is [referring to] the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. “And the secure of Mount Samaria” (Amos 6:1), these are the Ten Tribes. “They are called the foremost of the nations” (Amos 6:1), as they descend from two heads of nations, Shem and Ever.
When the nations of the world live in peace, they eat, drink, get drunk, and engage in matters of frivolity. What do they say? ‘Who is as wise as Bilam? Who is as wealthy as Haman? Who is as mighty as Goliath?’ Then, the house of Israel will come to them and say to them: ‘Was Aḥitofel not wise? Was Koraḥ not wealthy? Was Samson not mighty?’ “Cross to Kalne and see” (Amos 6:2), this is Katisfon. “And go from there to greater Ḥamat” (Amos 6:2), this is Ḥamat of Antioch. “And descend to Gat of the Philistines” (Amos 6:2), these are the fortifications of Philistia. “Are they better than these kingdoms? Is their border wider than your border?” (Amos 6:2). “Those who deny the evil day” (Amos 6:3), the day of the exile. “And advance [vatagishun] the regime of villainy” (Amos 6:3), you presented [higashtem] yourselves to settle near villainy; this is Esau, just as it says: “For the villainy to your brother Jacob” (Obadiah 1:10).
“Who lie on beds of ivory” (Amos 6:4), on beds of elephant ivory, “and sprawl [usruḥim] on their couches (Amos 6:4), they contaminate their beds with sins. Alternatively, “sprawled on their couches,” these are the curtains stretched over each and every one of them, just as it says: “The overhang that remains” (Exodus 26:12).
“Eating the fattened sheep from the flock” (Amos 6:4). When one of them would seek to eat a kid, he would drag the entire flock before him, choose the fattest one, stand over it, and slaughter it. When he would seek to eat a calf, he would drag all the cattle before him, choose the fattest one, stand over it, and slaughter it. That is what is written: “Eating the fattened sheep from the flock and the calves from inside the stall” (Amos 6:4).
“Who strum on the lute [hanavel]” (Amos 6:5) – they would enunciate offensive [nivlut] matters with their mouths. What would they say: ‘Did David not recite song only with a lute?’ That is what is written: “They consider themselves like David” (Amos 6:5). “Who drink with bowls [mizrekei] of wine” (Amos 6:6); Rav, Rabbi Yoḥanan, and the Rabbis, Rav said: Congealed wine.⁷They were able to toss [lizrok] the wine goblets without concern about spillage. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Small goblets.⁸They would throw the entire contents of the goblet down their throat in one motion. The Rabbis say: Goblets with pipes.⁹These were very large goblets that would have multiple pipes, similar to straws, attached to them. Multiple people could thereby drink from the goblet at the same time. Where was the wine that they would drink produced? Rabbi Abahu said in the name of Rabbi Ḥanina: From Patugta, as their wine would entice the body to engage in licentiousness.¹⁰When one would drink wine from Patguta, one would be more likely to engage in licentious activity. The Rabbis said in the name of Rabbi Ḥanina: From Palugta, as it was with that wine that the Ten Tribes were enticed [nitpatu] and exiled [galu]. “And anoint themselves with virgin oils” (Amos 6:6) – Rabbi Yehuda bar Yeḥezkel said: This is myrrh oil. Rabbi Yanai said: Oil of unripe olives that removes the hair and smooths the body.
After all this bounty, “but they are not distressed over the destruction of Joseph” (Amos 6:6). “Therefore, they will now be exiled at the head of the exiles, and the revelry of the sprawled [mirzaḥ seruḥim] will be discontinued” (Amos 6:7). What is mirzaḥ seruḥim? Rabbi Aivu said: There were thirteen hot springs, one for each and every tribe, and one for all of them. When their iniquities caused [punishment],when they came to perform transgressions and evil deeds, they were all taken. Only this one remained, to inform you of the extent that sin causes [punishment], to realize what is stated: “Your iniquities have diverted these, [and your sins have withheld good from you]” (Jeremiah 5:25).
“When He conceals His face, who can see Him?” (Job 34:29). When he concealed His face from them, who could tell Him that He did not act properly? In what sense did He conceal His face from them? He took Sennacherib up against them, as it is stated: “It was in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, [that Sennacherib, king of Assyria, went up against all the fortified cities of Judah and he seized them]” (Isaiah 36:1). What is “and he seized them”? Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said in the name of Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman: Three sentences were sealed on that day. The sentence of the Ten Tribes to fall at the hand of Sennacherib was sealed. The sentence of Sennacherib to fall at the hand of Hezekiah was sealed. And the sentence of Uzziah to be stricken with leprosy was sealed.
“To nation and man alike” (Job 34:29) – “nation,” this is Sennacherib, in whose regard it is written: “For a nation has ascended against My land” (Joel 1:6). “Man,” this is Israel, in whose regard it is written: “You, My flock, flock of My pasture, you are man” (Ezekiel 34:31). “Alike,” this is King Uzziah, who was stricken with leprosy, as it is stated: “King Uzziah was a leper” (II Chronicles 26:21).¹¹The word alike [yaḥad] is read to imply the unique [meyuḥad] individual of the nation, namely the king (Rabbi David Luria).
The rulings of the Holy One blessed be He are not like the rulings of flesh and blood. A flesh and blood king shows favor to the public but does not show favor to an individual. However, here, the Holy One blessed be He said: “If the anointed priest shall sin…He shall present…an [unblemished young] bull” (Leviticus 4:3). “If the entire congregation of Israel will err unwittingly…they shall sacrifice a young bull” (Leviticus 4:13–14).

And so you find that the ten tribes went into exile only because of wine.²⁹Tanh., Lev. 3:5; cf. Lev. 5:3; Numb. 10:3. See what < Scripture > says (in Amos 6:1): WOE TO THOSE WHO ARE AT EASE IN ZION, because they were dwelling at ease in pleasure palaces. (Ibid., cont.:) AND WHO HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THE MOUNTAIN OF SAMARIA, because they were dwelling confidently in [Sebaste].³⁰The city built by Herod on the site of old Samaria. (Ibid., cont.:) THE NOTABLES OF THE LEADING NATION, THE ONES TO WHOM THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL COMES. In what sense? The peoples of the world would sit and talk. They would say: Who is the mightiest in Israel? and they would answer: Samson. Then again they would say: Who is the mightiest among the gentiles? and they would answer: Goliath, about whom it is written (in I Sam. 17:4: HIS HEIGHT WAS SIX CUBITS AND A SPAN. Now these were agreeing³¹In Buber’s Oxford MSS maskim (“agree”) is spelled with a sin instead of a samekh. [with each other] and saying: Samson was the greatest is Israel. Ergo (in Amos 6:1): THE NOTABLES OF THE LEADING NATION. Then again they would say: Who is the wealthiest among the peoples of the world? and they would answer: Hadrian. Then who is the wealthiest in Israel? and they would answer Solomon, as stated (in 1 Kings 10:27): AND THE KING MADE SILVER [IN JERUSALEM AS PLENTIFUL AS STONES]. Come and see: Each and every tribe had its own May festival.³²Gk. Maioumas. When one wanted to go to his May festival, he would take his herd with him, so that he would eat fatlings from his flock. It is so stated (in Amos 6:4 & 6): AND THEY WOULD EAT LAMBS FROM THE FLOCK…. [THOSE WHO DRINK < STRAIGHT > FROM THE WINE BOWLS.] What is their end? (Amos 6:7:) THEREFORE THEY SHALL NOW GO AT THE HEAD OF THE EXILES. Why? Because they had a passion for wine. For this reason he warns Aaron (in Lev. 10:9): DRINK NO WINE OR INTOXICATING LIQUOR.