After his emergence from the Ark we are told that Noah builds an altar to Hashem. He proceeds to offer sacrifices which are considered an appeasing fragrance by the Lord. Undoubtedly this connotes that the Divine Anger aroused from previous generations which anthropomorphically emanate from the Divine nose were mitigated.

As the smoke of the sacrifice is said to ascend in the form of a pleasing fragrance sweetening all judgement that were descending from the אף above. This is evidenced by what Hashem then says (8:21) - "Never again will I curse the soil because of man." The Torah later (9:20) records that Noah began to be a man of the soil -  apparently setting his sights to correct the curse of the earth caused by the sin of Adam.

He proceeds to plant a vineyard - apparently re-establishing the tree of knowledge which according to R. Me'ir (Ber 40) was also a tree of the vine. Unfortunately he - as Adam his ascendent who improperly partook of the tree and lost his spiritual clothing - so did Noah squeeze the grapes - drinking of the tree improperly - causing his own parallel disrobing.

It behooves us to understand the mystical property of wine and why the use of this drink plays such a particular role in religious ceremony. We must also explore when and under what conditions it should be consumed. This might allow us to pier into the window and more fully appreciate the sin of Adam and the attempt rectification of Noah.

The Transgression to Drink from the Es Hada'at Before Partaking of Es Hahayim

According to the Zohar (Beresheet ) the sin of Es Hadaat consisted of the fact that Adam and Hava had eaten (or better drank) initially from this tree. Apparently if they would have "consumed" from the Es HaHayyim in advance of the Es HaDaat they would not have caused any cosmic blemish.

The damage included their spiritual disrobing, the descent of the celestial worlds and access given of holy soil in which the tree was planted over to the evil husks. To appreciate this view of the Zohar we will need to expose ourselves to the secret of the spiritual properties of wine - its association with the Es Hadaat and the particular way it is prescribed to be used in religious ceremonies.

The Spiritual Property of Wine

Everything in this physical universe has its spiritual association with aspects in the celestial world. Only when one becomes familiar with the spiritual parallel of things found in this world can he begin to appreciate the divine law which is based upon the rules of the celestial world. All of the divine commandments are based upon the rules of the pathways found in the highest world of Asilut. We know that wine is associated with the spiritual channel of Binah.

This is one of the three upper channels known by the acronym חב״ד - Hokhma Binah and Daat. They represent as a composite - an almost unadulterated Divine force. It should be pointed out that it is essential that certain rules are followed in this world to insure that Da'at or the central column of the three - remains above as the unifying force fusing the other two lofty channels.

If one attempts to attach to the channel of Binah without the intent of advancing towards Hokhma - the result would be the descent of Da'at from its lofty central position above - down below to a lower spiritual level - which can be accessed by the negative spiritual husks found there. So in the narrative in Beresheet -according to (some interpretations of) the Zohar -  Adam is enticed to attach himself to Binah or the Es HaDaat without having intent of prior attaching himself to Hokhma or the Es HaHayyim - the result was the descent of Daat causing the disrobing of his holy garments, the curse of the earth and the descent of the spiritual worlds.

Hence the name of the tree - The Es Hadaat good and evil. The good or טוב is when דעת remains in its lofty state above between חכמה and בינה. The bad or רע is when  דעת descends and is accessed by the negative forces below.

Noah Attempts to Rectify the Sin of Es Hadaat

As noted earlier Noah's initial move was to offer sacrifices. This was a spiritual act not unlike our formal tefilot to re-unify the worlds. He received a promise that the Creator will not again curse the ground. Noah rectified the cursed soil. We are taught this by the Midrash (Tanh 11) in a coded form that it is he who introduced farming instruments to the world - or in spiritual terms - actively elevated the Tikun of the earth. 

According to the Shelah - Noah then planted a vineyard with the intent to repair the damage done by Adam. In this he was apparently unsuccessful as he over indulged from the vineyard he had planted - an action not unlike Adam who squeezed the grapes of the tree. Apparently the Torah wants to tell us that this represented his attempt to replant the Tree of the vine similar to that of the Es Hadaat. This I believe is also hinted at in two Talmudic teachings  of our Sages.

In Berakhot (40) when R. Meir asserts that it was a grapevine that Adam consumed - he relates the downfall to the verse (21) about Noah "And he drank the wine and became drunk". In Sanhedrin (70) we are taught that Hashem said to Noah "should you not have learned not to drink wine from Adam whose undoing was caused by wine?"

Our Sages were clear to advise that Noah prior to the flood had succeeded in a personal level to at least halt the decline of Mankind that resulted from sin-However it is obvious that he did not succeeded to rectify it - as he like Adam over indulged in the vineyard he replanted. Furthermore the Midrash (BR 36) notes that the attempt by Noah was fraught with danger - In that he put himself at the mercy of negative forces who promised to harm him if he used the wine profanely.

The Proper Approach is to Traverse Towards the Es Hahayim

It is obvious that the proper approach would be to attach oneself to the Es HaHayyim and only then to revert back to the Es Hadaat. This would thereby keep himself and the unifying force of דעת in the realm of good טוב above without giving access to the negative רע husks. It is important to note that not only is it permitted - but it is preferable that one traverse through the Es Hadaat on the way to the Es HaHayyim as long as the former is not the one initially consumed.

Let me explain this concept through a rabbinic ruling concerning wine. We sanctify the Shabbat via the Kiddush which is rabbinically mandated to be said over wine. Holiness קודש is associated with the spiritual channel of חכמה - So in order to tap into the holiness of Shabbat or the channel of Hokhma we must make use of or traverse via the wine which is associated with the channel of Binah. We need to keep the rule that Binah - Wine - Es Hadaat - should only be thought of as the pathway to Hokhmah but is not to be consumed of in itself until after attaching oneself to חכמה - Only then can one revert back to Binah and consume the Wine or Es Hadaat.

Kiddush begins with the blessing on wine but one is not to consume it until after the blessing מקדש השבת - and only then drink the wine. Similarly the berakha that is initially recited over wine which precedes Kiddushin - legal engagement is only the pathway to חכמה or קודש - Hence it is only subsequent to reciting the blessing מקדש עמו ישראל is the wine to be used for consumption.

The Application of the Rule

It is beyond the scope of this short essay to cite and expand on all the applications of this rule. What we have seen is that our attitude towards wine at least in ceremony - is to be used to combat the mistakes of Adam and Noah. Even the Holy ones נדב ואביהוא were not immune to this mishap.

Amongst the proposed mishaps that the Sages suggest that they perhaps transgressed was their over consumption of wine prior to entering the Kodesh. (Vayikra 10:9) - This of course is parallel to the faults noted above - Namely attaching to בינה or wine prior to that of חכמה -or the Holy sanctuary -  What does this all mean? Are all of these transgressions (Adam - Noah and Bene Aharon) merely founded on their drinking of wine?

Our sages teach that this rule not to over indulge in areas associated with בינה without a focus on חכמה - has other applications as well. These are hinted at in the other expressions of faults of נדב ואביהוא - such as rendering a law associated with בינה in front of Moshe - associated with חכמה - their Rabbi. R. Hayim Vital provides us with another code when he teaches that the sin of Adam was that he preferred to associate himself with the analytics of Torah - associated with בינה - while neglecting the secrets of Torah associated with חכמה - There are numerous Torah laws that reflect this spiritual rule.

We must always strive towards holiness חכמה while realizing that בינה is only the pathway and not an end in itself. With this may the words of the Navi Amos 9:14 come speedily in our days "and I will return the captivity of my people Israel - and they shall plant the vineyards and drink the wine thereof...

Victor Bibi