There is
a Gemara in Maseches Shabbos 140b (18
lines from the top) that discusses the optimum way of getting drunk. It says, ואמר רב פפא האי מאן דאפשר למישתי שיכרא ושתי חמרא עובר משום
בל תשחית ולאו מילתא היא בל תשחית דגופא עדיף Rav Pappa says if someone can get drunk with beer and drinks
wine he is Oiver Bal Tashchis. This might be because wine is more expensive
than beer so why drink beer? Ai we all drink wine and don’t drink beer? So the
Gemara explains that Rav Pappa’s reasoning is not correct because wine is
healthier than beer so you should drink wine.
The
Marsha in trying to explain why Rav Pappa came out so strong against wine and
was for beer brings a Gemara in Maseches Pesachim 113a (18 lines from the top) that says אמר
רב פפא אי לא דרמאי שכרא לא איעתרי Rav Pappa brewed beer for a living and if not for that I
would not have become rich. This is the reason that he held if someone can get
drunk on beer and gets drunk on wine is Oiver Bal Tashchis.
The
Rashash says on the Marsha that he is not correct. He brings from Maseches
Shabbos 118b (18 lines from the bottom) that says, אמר
רב פפא לדידי חשדן ולא הוה בי
What were they Choished Rav Pappa for? They are Choished that he advised
drinking beer because he owns a brewery and it is not an accurate accusation.
There is
a Michtam Eliyahu in Cheilek 3 page 289 that talks about the significance of
drinking wine. He brings from Maseches Berachos 34b (16 lines from the bottom) מאי עין לא
ראתה אמר רבי יהושע בן לוי זה יין המשומר בענביו מששת ימי בראשית
That L’asid Lavoi we will drink wine that will be served at the Seudas
Livyasan that was made with grapes from the 6 days of creation. So there is
something special about wine.
The
Michtam Eliyahu explains the Soid of wine as follows; wine represents a
Penimiois that is more than its Chitzoiniois. Most drinks do not go up in level
when they are removed from their fruit. Wine is unique in that when it is
removed from the grape it raises its level from a Borei Pri Ha’eitz to a Borei
Pri Hagafen. We know that Ein Oimrim Shira Ela Al Hayayin and Yayin Yesamach
L’vav E’noish, we know that wine makes people rejoice. Therefore, wine
represents Penimiois. The Chashivus L’asid Lavoi of the Ayin Loi Ra’asa refers
to Yidden who have Dargois Penimiois. They have certain things that they are
careful about in Halacha, Zehirois in Mitzvois, Learning that they don’t show
off. They keep these things as their own personal tool in Avoidas Hashem.
Rav
Tzadoik writes that for practical reasons every person should have a certain
Hanhaga Toiva that he doesn’t tell anyone about. Rav Tzadoik warns that if you
tell people about it, it diminishes its value. The reason is, because to you it
may be a Geder, something you do, and it is very Chashuv to you. However, when
you bring it out to the Oilam Hachitzoini the world of Chitzoiniois, it’s
attacked and becomes less Chashuv in the eyes of the person who says it or the
people who hear it. The Michtam Eliyahu calls this the Yayin Hamishumar
B’anavav.
Therefore,
the depth of Rav Pappa’s Vort about someone who can get drunk with beer and
instead drinks wine means, someone who can serve Hashem without revealing his
Penimiois and reveals his Penimiois is Oiver Bal Tashchis.
There is
an exception and that is when someone hopes to influence others then he should
reveal his Penimiois. It says in Devarim 29:28
כח הַנִּסְתָּרֹת--לַי ר וָ ר, אֱלֹ ק ינוּ; וְהַנִּגְלֹת לָנוּ וּלְבָנֵינוּ,
עַד-עוֹלָם--לַעֲשׂוֹת, אֶת-כָּל-דִּבְרֵי הַתּוֹרָה הַזֹּאת Meaning, hidden Penimiois that a person
has, he keeps between himself and Hashem, however, when it comes to influencing
your children and grandchildren, Niglois, then a person should be ready to
forgo keeping these things hidden in his Penimious and to reveal them in the
Chitzoiniois. That is the explanation of the NicnasYayin Yotzo Soid. The
revealing that a person occasionally reveals to give Chizuk to others. The
things that he does, these Hanhagos that he has, which really are Yayin, which
really are Penimiois.
