Home -- Content: Series 7 (Laws) -- Translation: English -- Book: 1 (Tora) -- Part: 2 (Negative) -- Prohibition: 195 -- Text
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The Sharia of Moses in the TORA
Part 2 - The 365 Prohibitions of the Tora
195 - EATING AND DRINKING TO EXCESS
In the Gemara of Sanhedrin we read: “Whence do we derive the prohibition directed against a wayward and rebellious son? From the verse, You shall not eat anything with the blood”* ; that is to say, you shall not eat in such a manner as to occasion bloodshed, and that is the manner of eating of the glutton and the drunkard, whose punishment is death. If one eats in this evil and reprehensible manner, he transgresses a negative commandment.**
** Punishable by whipping on the first offence, and by stoning on the second (ibid., 71a (Sonc. ed. p. 485)
“It is well known that it is intemperance in eating, drinking and sexual intercourse that people mostly rave and indulge in; and these very things counteract the ultimate perfection of man, impede at the same time the development of his perfection, and generally disturb the social order of the country and the economy of the family… God in His wisdom has therefore given us such commandments as would counteract that object, and prevent us altogether from directing our attention to it, and has debarred us from everything that leads only to excessive desire and lust. This is an important thing included in the objects of our Law. See how the Law commanded us to slay a person from whose conduct it is evident that he will go too far in seeding the enjoyment of eating and drinking. I mean ‘the rebellious and stubborn son’; he is described as ‘a glutton and drunkard’ (Deut. XXI, 20). The Law commands us to stone him and to remove him from society, lest he grow up in this character, and kill many, and injure the condition of good men by his great lust.”*