85. “And Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard.” He was called “man of the earth” because the earth was settled from him, meaning master of the earth. “Man of the earth, since for him, the earth stood in its power and nature, as it is written, “This one will comfort us concerning our work and the toil of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord has cursed.” When Adam sinned, the earth was cursed, as it is written, “Cursed is the earth because of you,” and stood in its curses until Noah came and revoked the curse.
86. When the Creator said to Noah, “Come out from the ark,” he said to Him, “Lord of the world, where will I go? I will go to a ground that has been cursed, and because it has been cursed, its dwellers have perished, and everyone were cursed and diminished.” The Creator replied, “You are not so, but rather swarm in the earth and multiply in it. The others have perished in it, but you, be fruitful and multiply, and swarm in it.”
87. Nevertheless, he was not appeased in his heart, and he burned offerings, as it is written, “and he burned offerings at the altar.” This is the altar on which Adam HaRishon sacrificed. The Creator said to him, “Here is what you asked for, ‘I will not curse the earth because of man any more.” At that time, he settled in his heart, and this is why he is called “man of the earth,” for he gave his soul and heart to it, to bring it out of the curse, meaning he engaged in matters of the earth.”
88. “And planted a vineyard,” “And he drank of the wine and became drunk, and was uncovered in his tent.” He found an expelled vineyard, which was expelled from the Garden of Eden, and in his day, it was planted and thrived, as it is written, “On the day of your planting, you will thrive. It was vineyard that was expelled from the Garden of Eden, and her grapes were with her. He squeezed them, drank from the wine, and was uncovered.
89. And God spoke to Moses saying, “Do not drink wine or intoxicating drink, you, nor your sons with you when you go into the Tent of Meeting, lest you die. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations. In the whole world, there is nothing that makes a man’s heart proud but wine, and that was the punishment of Nadav and Avihu, who ate and drank, and their hearts became haughty, and this is the foreign fire that He did not command them.
90. Their sentence was decreed before, and the quality of judgment came to lay its hand on them, as it is written, “and to the nobles of the children of Israel He did not lay His hand,” although their sentence was to lay His hand on them. And why was their punishment? It is because it is written, “They beheld God, and ate and drank.” They went into the Tent of Meeting when they ate and drank, and their punishment was determined.
91. After they saw that He did not lay a hand against them the first time, they did a second time, as well, and a flame emerged from between the two Cherubim and they were burned, since this is what the Cherubim were aimed for, corresponding to those Cherubim in the Garden of Eden.
92. After they died, He commanded Aaron and the priests after him to abstain from wine when they come to the Tent of Meeting so they would not enter with their heart in pride and crassness of spirit.
93. The two matters do not settle together: wine and the work of heaven.
94. A drunk who prays is as one who commits idol-worship. From where is this? From Hannah, as it is written, “Therefore, Eli thought she was drunk,” and she replied and said, “Do not consider your maidservant a wicked woman,” committing idolatry.
95. No people are called holy besides those who abstain from wine, as it is written, “All the days that he separates himself to the Lord,” he will be holy.
96. There is no wine that is considered a good wine like the wine of the Land of Israel, and more than all of them, the wine of Upper Galilee, from which no one can drink half a log (approx. 17 oz).
97. Rabbi Elazar son of Rabbi Shimon went to see Rabbi Yosi, his father-in-law. He let him eat a soft, three-year-old calf, and opened for him a barrel of wine. His father-in-law poured, and he drank; he poured, and he drank. Rabbi Yosi said to him, “Perhaps you heard from your father what is the measure of a cup that is permitted to drink?”
He said to him, “The measure of the cup is as it is. He should drink one cup if the drink is hot, and one cup if the drink is cold. But the sages did not estimate regarding your cup, which is small, and regarding your wine, which is good, and regarding my stomach, which is broad.
98. Noah’s mind was confused when he came out of the ark, in his abode with the animals and insects and vermin, and because he drank little, he became drunk and was uncovered.
99. Canaan came and castrated him; he woke from his wine and found himself castrated, as it is written, “And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done to him.”
It is not written that he saw, but “had done to him,” that he castrated him. This is why he cursed him, as it is written, “And he said, ‘Cursed be Canaan; A servant of servants He shall be to his brethren.’”