Tinyana 26 · תנינא כ״ו

A person has to avoid drunkenness and take care not to drink more than he can handle, so as not to become intoxicated. Yet a bit of drink, when called for, is good for expanding one’s daat.

And know! daat is garbed in the chasadim (benevolences). When a person drinks in measure, commensurate with his ability, his daat expands and his mind is elevated. Then, the chasadim increase tremendously on account of the drinking. This is because when daat is elevated, the chasadim are elevated and increase, because daat is garbed in the chasadim.

This is the meaning of what the Sages, of blessed memory, taught: “Anyone who can be appeased by his wine possesses the daat of his Creator” (Eruvin 65a). Specifically “appeased”—which is the aspect of chasadim, because the wine causes the chasadim to increase. This is the meaning of “appeased,” that on account of the increase of the chasadim he is appeased and pacified. Although ordinary chasadim would not appease him, and can possibly become rage, the increased chasadim on account of the wine appease him.

But when someone drinks more than he should and becomes drunk, then, on the contrary, the ferocity of the gevurot increases, creating anger and rage. Occasionally, the gevurot of the Other Side increase, and this can lead to misfortune, etc., God forbid.

2. And know! drunkenness causes one to forget all the mitzvot and prohibitions commanded by Moshe Rabbeinu, of blessed memory. This is because Moshe is embodied in every single Jew, in each and every limb. He reminds each limb to fulfill the mitzvah particular to it.

For the 248 mitzvot correspond to the 248 limbs. This is the reason Moshe is called M’ChoKeK (lawgiver) (Deuteronomy 33:21), which has a numerical value of 248, for he reminds about the 248 mitzvot. But drunkenness causes one to forget them, as in “lest he drink and forget M’ChuKaK (what has been ordained)” (Proverbs 31:5). Drinking and drunkenness cause one to forget the 248 mitzvot of Moshe.

And Moshe’s embodiment in the limbs is the very same concept as the garbing of daat in the chasadim, as mentioned above. This is because Moshe is daat, and the limbs are 248, corresponding to “Avraham is a man of chesed (lovingkindness),” whose numerical value is equal to the 248 limbs.