The Berakha over Wine

Wine, which comes from grapes, is a drink with special qualities: it is both nourishing and gladdening, thanks to the alcohol in it. This is how the Holy One, blessed be He, created grapes: yeasts cling to their skins, and when the grapes are trodden and the grape skins are left with the liquid that came out of them, the yeasts create a fermentation that turns the sugars in the grape liquid into alcohol. Thus wine is formed, with its deep and special taste and its gladdening alcohol. This is the only fruit that naturally, without the need for professional knowledge or special equipment, if trodden and left to ferment, will turn into a nourishing drink that contains alcohol. King David too, in the psalm of thanksgiving for the wonders of creation, mentioned gladdening wine, as it is stated: “And wine that gladdens the heart of man” (Tehillim 104:15).

It is commonly and simplistically thought that it is fitting for a tzaddik who wishes to sanctify himself to be gloomy and sad, and to distance himself as much as possible from real life, so as not to be drawn after evil desires, frivolity and arrogance. However, according to the guidance of the Torah, holiness must be revealed in all areas of life, in spirit and in matter, in spiritual pleasure and in good taste. Not only the satiating food that is necessary for a person’s existence has value, but also gladdening wine.

And although every Jew is filled with spiritual delight when he cleaves to Torah and mitzvot, as long as the body does not share in the joy, not only is his body lacking, but even his spiritual joy is lacking. Therefore, a person must be whole in spirit and body, and when he rejoices over something positive he has done, it is good for him to include his body in the joy. This is why the Sages instituted, at every important event that has spiritual value, to recite a berakha over a cup of wine, so that the spiritual joy will be accompanied by physical joy. Thus they instituted a cup of wine for betrothal and a cup of wine for marriage, a cup of wine for a brit mila and a cup of wine for a pidyon ha-ben, a cup of wine for Kiddush of Shabbat and festivals and a cup of wine for Havdala. And even after a person dines in a group and thanks God in Birkat Ha-mazon, they instituted to recite it over a cup of wine, so that the eating and the thanksgiving that flows from it will be with joy (above 5:13-15).

This is what the Sages said (Berakhot 35a): “Song is recited only over wine.” Song is an expression of wholeness, and wholeness must include spirituality and physicality together (Ein Aya there). Similarly, the Zohar states (III 189b): “There is no sanctity except with wine, and there is no blessing except with wine.”

The Torah too is compared to wine (Ta’anit 7a; Sifrei Devarim 11:22), for it too is intended to repair the entire world, in spirituality and physicality, in pure truth and in vital joy. And the people of Israel, who were created to reveal the word of God in its entirety, are compared to a vine (Yeshayahu 5:1-7; Shemot Rabba 44:1).

Therefore, there is a certain aspect of sin in the vow of a nazir not to drink wine (Ta’anit 11a), since he deprives himself of physical joy that can contribute to his wholeness. Rava said about himself that thanks to the wine he drank and the pleasant fragrance he smelled, his mind was opened to novel Torah insights (see Yoma 76b).