אָמַר שְׁמוּאֵל דִּינָא דְמַלְכוּתָא דִּינָא
Shmuel said: The law of the kingdom is the law, i.e., Jews must obey the laws of the state in which they live.
ALCOHOL
21+
(טו) וְיַ֤יִן ׀ יְשַׂמַּ֬ח לְֽבַב־אֱנ֗וֹשׁ לְהַצְהִ֣יל פָּנִ֣ים מִשָּׁ֑מֶן וְ֝לֶ֗חֶם לְֽבַב־אֱנ֥וֹשׁ יִסְעָֽד׃
(15) wine makes human hearts glad, making the face brighter than oil, and bread satiates the human heart.
Wine is used to ritually sanctify - Shabbat, Havdalah, weddings, Passover, Purim, etc.
Alcohol can also be a source of danger and pain:
Berakhot 29b:16:
Elijah the Prophet said: ...do not get drunk and you will not sin.
Elijah the Prophet said: ...do not get drunk and you will not sin.
Ibn Ezra on Leviticus 10:9:1:
Wine destroys the understanding of the one who drinks it, and they become mixed-up. You are the High Priest, and you must be able to distinguish between holy places and unholy places, as well as between holy days and unholy days.
Wine destroys the understanding of the one who drinks it, and they become mixed-up. You are the High Priest, and you must be able to distinguish between holy places and unholy places, as well as between holy days and unholy days.
Bamidbar Rabbah 10:8
When the wine goes in, intelligence takes its leave. Whenever there is wine, there is no intelligence. When the wine enters, the secret (sod) comes out; the numerical total of wine (yayin) is 70 and the total of sod (secret) is 70.
When the wine goes in, intelligence takes its leave. Whenever there is wine, there is no intelligence. When the wine enters, the secret (sod) comes out; the numerical total of wine (yayin) is 70 and the total of sod (secret) is 70.
alcohol can cause others pain:
(לב) לְכָ֨ה נַשְׁקֶ֧ה אֶת־אָבִ֛ינוּ יַ֖יִן וְנִשְׁכְּבָ֣ה עִמּ֑וֹ וּנְחַיֶּ֥ה מֵאָבִ֖ינוּ זָֽרַע׃ (לג) וַתַּשְׁקֶ֧יןָ אֶת־אֲבִיהֶ֛ן יַ֖יִן בַּלַּ֣יְלָה ה֑וּא וַתָּבֹ֤א הַבְּכִירָה֙ וַתִּשְׁכַּ֣ב אֶת־אָבִ֔יהָ וְלֹֽא־יָדַ֥ע בְּשִׁכְבָ֖הּ וּבְקוּׄמָֽהּ
(32) Come, let us make our father drink wine, and let us lie with him, that we may maintain life through our father.” (33) That night they made their father drink wine, and the older one went in and lay with her father; he did not know when she lay down or when she rose.
SMOKING
Tobacco - 21+
R' Shlomo Brody, 'A guide to the complex,' ch. 8 (some parts paraphrased)
When Tobacco was introduced in Europe in the late 1500s, doctors considered it healthful, especially in warding off digestive and (ironically) respiratory diseases. While a few, including King James of England, opposed smoking as sinister behaviour, it became socially acceptable among non-Jews and Jews alike. Hasidic rabbis promoted the use of tobacco and snuff for spiritual purposes (Taame haminhagim pg. 102).
...
While the Chofetz chaim denounced smoking as physically deleterious and a waste of time and money (Likutei amarim 13) the practice remained prevalent.
...
Smoking was historically permitted by halachic decisors. On Yom Tov kindling a flame from an existing fire is permitted, and smoking was considered a permissible use of a flame.
When Tobacco was introduced in Europe in the late 1500s, doctors considered it healthful, especially in warding off digestive and (ironically) respiratory diseases. While a few, including King James of England, opposed smoking as sinister behaviour, it became socially acceptable among non-Jews and Jews alike. Hasidic rabbis promoted the use of tobacco and snuff for spiritual purposes (Taame haminhagim pg. 102).
...
While the Chofetz chaim denounced smoking as physically deleterious and a waste of time and money (Likutei amarim 13) the practice remained prevalent.
...
Smoking was historically permitted by halachic decisors. On Yom Tov kindling a flame from an existing fire is permitted, and smoking was considered a permissible use of a flame.
The Light and Fire of the Baal Shem Tov
After teaching for a short while, the Baal Shem Tov lit his pipe and smoked meditatively to prepare for prayers. Every action and movement of the holy Baal Shem Tov was intentional and for the service of God, blessed be He. Even his pipe-smoking was accompanied by kabbalistic meditations, and the smoke that rose from his pipe was like the smoke of the incense that was burned on the altar in the Temple. Indeed, throughout the day, whenever he wanted to ascent to the higher words, he smoked his pipe; and each time he puffed, he went from one world to another. After the prayers that morning, Rabbi Gershon of Kitov said to a fellow disciple, “I wish I would have the paradise that our master acquires from smoking one pipe of tobacco!”
After teaching for a short while, the Baal Shem Tov lit his pipe and smoked meditatively to prepare for prayers. Every action and movement of the holy Baal Shem Tov was intentional and for the service of God, blessed be He. Even his pipe-smoking was accompanied by kabbalistic meditations, and the smoke that rose from his pipe was like the smoke of the incense that was burned on the altar in the Temple. Indeed, throughout the day, whenever he wanted to ascent to the higher words, he smoked his pipe; and each time he puffed, he went from one world to another. After the prayers that morning, Rabbi Gershon of Kitov said to a fellow disciple, “I wish I would have the paradise that our master acquires from smoking one pipe of tobacco!”
Discouraged:
1. Maimonides rules (Hilkhot Deot Chapter 4) that “a person must distance himself from things which destroy the body and accustom himself to things which heal the body.” In light of what we know about smoking, there is no doubt that it is an activity “which destroys the body” and is therefore forbidden by Maimonides.
2. According to the Mishnah (Bava Kama 8:6), a person is not permitted to injure himself and his principle was codified by the standard codes of Jewish law (Maimonides, Hovel Umazik 5:1; Shulhan Arukh Hoshen Mishpat 420:31). There is no question that smoking is a form of self-inflicted injury and is thereby prohibited by Jewish law.
3. Danger of Addiction
- Mesilat Yesharim 9 - (3) One who habituates himself in these practices is not master over himself to do the opposite of these things when he wishes. For his will is already imprisoned in the prison of habit which has become second nature to him.
- Arthur Kurzweil, citing Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz in “On the Road with Rabbi Steinsaltz” - If you are the master, fine. If you are the slave, then you are in trouble no matter what you’re the slave of, whether it be coffee, exercise or Torah study.
- Mesilat Yesharim 9 - (3) One who habituates himself in these practices is not master over himself to do the opposite of these things when he wishes. For his will is already imprisoned in the prison of habit which has become second nature to him.
- Arthur Kurzweil, citing Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz in “On the Road with Rabbi Steinsaltz” - If you are the master, fine. If you are the slave, then you are in trouble no matter what you’re the slave of, whether it be coffee, exercise or Torah study.
Vaping - 21+
Rabbi Daniel Stein:
Vaping and Juuling -
In January of 2018 The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine published a comprehensive study which concluded that while the use of e-cigarettes appears less harmful than conventional cigarettes, e-cigarettes emit numerous known toxins aside from nicotine. Studies have shown that e-cigarette emissions can include potentially toxic levels of formaldehyde, arsenic, benzene, chromium, manganese, nickel, lead, zinc, and diacetyl, etc. Even though some of the ingredients in e-juice have been designated as safe when consumed at room temperature, when they are heated by a metal coil they produce toxic substances that are potentially dangerous.
Other recent studies published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Society for Research on Nicotine and TobaccoUC San Francisco, American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care MedicineJournal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, American Physiological Society, and Pediatrics have suggested that prolonged inhalation of these toxins can possibly lead to an increased risk of cancer, heart disease, stroke, and respiratory distress. In addition, the NASEM as well as Pediatrics have conclusively shown that the use of e-cigarettes among adolescents has been linked to the eventual use of conventional cigarettes.
Even though the precise long-term effects of regular e-cigarette use remains largely undefined, since it involves the frequent inhalation of known toxins, Rav Hershel Schachter shlit"a and Rav Mordechai Willig shlit"a believe that there is already ample basis to assert that the use of e-cigarettes by non-smokers should provisionally be forbidden by virtue of the prohibition against self-endangerment found in the pasuk "And you shall watch yourselves very well," (Gemara (Chullin 10a) pending the collection of definitive data.
Vaping and Juuling -
In January of 2018 The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine published a comprehensive study which concluded that while the use of e-cigarettes appears less harmful than conventional cigarettes, e-cigarettes emit numerous known toxins aside from nicotine. Studies have shown that e-cigarette emissions can include potentially toxic levels of formaldehyde, arsenic, benzene, chromium, manganese, nickel, lead, zinc, and diacetyl, etc. Even though some of the ingredients in e-juice have been designated as safe when consumed at room temperature, when they are heated by a metal coil they produce toxic substances that are potentially dangerous.
Other recent studies published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Society for Research on Nicotine and TobaccoUC San Francisco, American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care MedicineJournal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, American Physiological Society, and Pediatrics have suggested that prolonged inhalation of these toxins can possibly lead to an increased risk of cancer, heart disease, stroke, and respiratory distress. In addition, the NASEM as well as Pediatrics have conclusively shown that the use of e-cigarettes among adolescents has been linked to the eventual use of conventional cigarettes.
Even though the precise long-term effects of regular e-cigarette use remains largely undefined, since it involves the frequent inhalation of known toxins, Rav Hershel Schachter shlit"a and Rav Mordechai Willig shlit"a believe that there is already ample basis to assert that the use of e-cigarettes by non-smokers should provisionally be forbidden by virtue of the prohibition against self-endangerment found in the pasuk "And you shall watch yourselves very well," (Gemara (Chullin 10a) pending the collection of definitive data.
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321006#Concentration-higher-than-safe-limits
**See dangers of smoking
Marijuana - 21+
(כט) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֗ים הִנֵּה֩ נָתַ֨תִּי לָכֶ֜ם אֶת־כׇּל־עֵ֣שֶׂב ׀ זֹרֵ֣עַ זֶ֗רַע אֲשֶׁר֙ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י כׇל־הָאָ֔רֶץ וְאֶת־כׇּל־הָעֵ֛ץ אֲשֶׁר־בּ֥וֹ פְרִי־עֵ֖ץ זֹרֵ֣עַ זָ֑רַע לָכֶ֥ם יִֽהְיֶ֖ה לְאׇכְלָֽה׃
(29) God said, “See, I give you every seed-bearing plant that is upon all the earth, and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit; they shall be yours for food.
Exodus 30:22-30
(22) God spoke to Moses, saying:
(23) ’Take thou also unto thee the chief spices, of flowing myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty, and of sweet cane (kaneh-bosem) two hundred and fifty....
(26) And thou shalt anoint therewith the tent of meeting, and the ark of the testimony....
(29)And thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be most holy; whatsoever touches them shall be holy.
(30) And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto Me in the priest’s office.
(22) God spoke to Moses, saying:
(23) ’Take thou also unto thee the chief spices, of flowing myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty, and of sweet cane (kaneh-bosem) two hundred and fifty....
(26) And thou shalt anoint therewith the tent of meeting, and the ark of the testimony....
(29)And thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be most holy; whatsoever touches them shall be holy.
(30) And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto Me in the priest’s office.
Isaiah 43:24
You have not bought Me fragrant reed with money, nor sated Me with the fat of your sacrifices. Instead, you have burdened Me with your sins, You have wearied Me with your iniquities.
You have not bought Me fragrant reed with money, nor sated Me with the fat of your sacrifices. Instead, you have burdened Me with your sins, You have wearied Me with your iniquities.
(א) דיני הפתילה והשמן ובו י סעיפים:
אין עושין פתילה לנר של שבת בין נר שעל השלחן בין כל נר שמדליק בבית מדבר שהאור אינו נאחז בו אלא נסרך סביביו והשלהבת קופצת כגון צמר ושער וכיוצא בהם אלא מדבר שהאור נתלה בו כגון פשתה נפוצה ובגד שש וצמר גפן וקנבוס וכיוצא בהן
(1) 1. Laws of the wick and the oil, 10 Seifim: We do not make a wick for the Sabbath lamp, neither for the table lamp nor any lamp lit in the house, from a material whose light does not cling to it but rather moves around and whose flame jumps -- like wool or hair etc. Rather, from a material whose light attaches to it, like ripe flax or linen fiber or cotton or hemp (kane-bos - cannabis) etc.
Benetowa, Sarah. 1936. Tracing one word through different languages. Institute of Anthropological Sciences, Warsaw. Reprinted 1967 in The Book of Grass. George Andrews and Simon Vinkenoog (eds.). Grove Press, New York, pp. 15-18.
The astonishing resemblance between the Semitic kanbos and the Scythian cannabis lead me to suppose that the Scythian word was of Semitic origin. These etymological discussions run parallel to arguments drawn from history. The Iranian Scythians were probably related to the Medes, who were neighbors of the Semites and could easily have assimilated the word for hemp. The Semites could also have spread the word during their migrations through Asia Minor.
The astonishing resemblance between the Semitic kanbos and the Scythian cannabis lead me to suppose that the Scythian word was of Semitic origin. These etymological discussions run parallel to arguments drawn from history. The Iranian Scythians were probably related to the Medes, who were neighbors of the Semites and could easily have assimilated the word for hemp. The Semites could also have spread the word during their migrations through Asia Minor.
“Cannabis was used in ancient Israelite ceremony, researchers find“, Jerusalem Post, May 31, 2020
The first evidence of cannabis being used by ancient Israelites has been discovered after researchers found well-preserved cannaboid residue on an altar of a shrine in an ancient Israelite temple, according to a study published in the Journal of the Institute of Tel Aviv University.
The cannaboid residue is indicative that Israelites used cannabis for religious ceremonies. Researchers recently discovered this after analyzing "unidentified dark material" found on one of two altars of the Judahite shrine in the ancient temple of Tel Arad in the Negev....
The fortress mound of Tel Arad was originally excavated by Yonahan Ahroni on behalf of the Department of Archaeology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in the early 1960's. Excavations found fortresses that dated from the 9th to the early 6th centuries BCE that guarded the Judahite kingdom's southern border, the era when the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem and destroyed the First Temple. ...
Researchers were surprised to discover the cannabis found on the altars. Arad provides the earliest evidence for the use of cannabis in the Ancient Near East.
https://www.jpost.com/judaism/first-known-evidence-of-cannabis-used-in-early-judaic-ceremony-found-629699
The first evidence of cannabis being used by ancient Israelites has been discovered after researchers found well-preserved cannaboid residue on an altar of a shrine in an ancient Israelite temple, according to a study published in the Journal of the Institute of Tel Aviv University.
The cannaboid residue is indicative that Israelites used cannabis for religious ceremonies. Researchers recently discovered this after analyzing "unidentified dark material" found on one of two altars of the Judahite shrine in the ancient temple of Tel Arad in the Negev....
The fortress mound of Tel Arad was originally excavated by Yonahan Ahroni on behalf of the Department of Archaeology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in the early 1960's. Excavations found fortresses that dated from the 9th to the early 6th centuries BCE that guarded the Judahite kingdom's southern border, the era when the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem and destroyed the First Temple. ...
Researchers were surprised to discover the cannabis found on the altars. Arad provides the earliest evidence for the use of cannabis in the Ancient Near East.
https://www.jpost.com/judaism/first-known-evidence-of-cannabis-used-in-early-judaic-ceremony-found-629699
Difference between recreational (which can cloud the judgment) and medicinal:
Rabbi Elliot Dorff, Marijuana & Judaism
Still, Judaism allows Jews to ingest many things that are not intrinsically holy as part of the effort to fulfill the responsibility to maintain a healthy body, mind and soul, and furthermore, as part of enjoying God's bounty, even when not directly related to matters of health...Whether using marijuana recreationally fits into that Jewish description of the nature and purpose of life depends on what its effects turn out to be. If it decreases pain in dying patients, then one not only may, but must, work to make it legally available to them. Thus, in sum, marijuana in and of itself is not inherently bad or good; it must be judged in terms of its effects in creating a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.
Still, Judaism allows Jews to ingest many things that are not intrinsically holy as part of the effort to fulfill the responsibility to maintain a healthy body, mind and soul, and furthermore, as part of enjoying God's bounty, even when not directly related to matters of health...Whether using marijuana recreationally fits into that Jewish description of the nature and purpose of life depends on what its effects turn out to be. If it decreases pain in dying patients, then one not only may, but must, work to make it legally available to them. Thus, in sum, marijuana in and of itself is not inherently bad or good; it must be judged in terms of its effects in creating a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.
Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi
The only thing I want to add is that just as the use of wine has been sacralized in Judaism for Kiddush (and in the sacrificial offering on the altar)...powerful substances like cannabis also need to be sacralized. By contrast it is clear that alcohol...lacking the dimension of the sacred leads to abuse. Likewise the use of mind altering substances where not sacralized are bound to be leading to abuse.
The only thing I want to add is that just as the use of wine has been sacralized in Judaism for Kiddush (and in the sacrificial offering on the altar)...powerful substances like cannabis also need to be sacralized. By contrast it is clear that alcohol...lacking the dimension of the sacred leads to abuse. Likewise the use of mind altering substances where not sacralized are bound to be leading to abuse.
