Introduction
The documents presented here are three texts authored by prominent sixteenth-century kabbalists in the Galilean town of Safed, all dealing with wine.
The first is a lengthy passage from Moses Cordovero’s commentary on the Zohar, Or Yaqar (on parashah Shemini, and more specifically on Lev. 10:9) in which the author expounds on the kabbalistic reasons for keeping wine kosher. Cordovero emphasizes how, in light of this liquid’s connection to the supernal world of the sefirot, a Jew’s stringency and attention in preserving kosher wine from Gentile contact impacts the amount of holiness of this world, determining one’s state of purity or sinfulness in it as well as their portion in the World-to-Come.
The second and third short passages are culled from Hayyim’s Vital writings on the reasons behind the mitzwot (both commenting on parashah Lekh Lekha) about the kabbalistic meaning of practices involved in the circumcision ritual, with a special attention to the metzizah—a custom which involves juxtaposing and swapping wine and blood.
These texts highlight the inherent connection between wine and the divine, and inspire questions about the usage of this (kosher) beverage as a marker of Jewish identity, in both ritual and non-ritual, social practices. What is more, they invite us to inquire about the use of symbolic foodstuffs to echo and respond to Christian doctrines—specifically those surrounding the Eucharist—that Jewish sages with an audience largely consisting of returning conversos may have made in a deliberate manner, particularly at a time when those same doctrines were a matter of contention among Christian reformers and counter-reformers.
Bibliography:
Cordovero, Moses. Perush ha-Zohar: Sefer Or ha-Yaqar. Jerusalem, 1940.
Vital, Hayyim. Sefer ha-Liqqutim. Jerusalem, 1913.
Vital, Hayyim. Ta’amei ha-Mitzwot. Jerusalem, 1972.
The Zohar: Pritzker Edition. Edited by Daniel Matt. Stanford: Stanford UP, 2004-2017.
Biale, David. Blood and Belief: The Circulation of a Symbol between Jews and Christians. Oakland: University of California Press, 2007.
Hoffman, Lawrence. Covenant of Blood: Circumcision & Gender in Rabbinic Judaism. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996.
Idel, Moshe. Messianic Mystics. New Haven: Yale UP, 1998.
Magid, Shaul. From Metaphysics to Midrash: Myth, History, and the Interpretation of Scripture in Lurianic Kabbala. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 2008.
Putzu, Vadim. “Tasting Heaven: Wine and the World-to-Come from the Talmud to Safed.” In Olam ha-zeh v’olam ha-ba: This World and the World to Come in Jewish Belief and Practice. Studies in Jewish Civilization, vol. 28, edited by Leonard Greenspoon, 151-170. West Lafayette: Purdue University Press, 2017.
Silman, Neomi. Wine as a Symbol in Jewish Culture. [In Hebrew.] Tel Aviv: Ha‐ Kibbutz ha‐Me’uhad, 2014.
Source 1 Translation
Moses Cordovero, Perush ha-Zohar: Sefer Or ha-Yaqar (Jerusalem, 1940). Par. Shemini, p. 166
Zohar 3:40a-b
So holy Israel must guard this above all, since it is linked to the place of the World-to-Come. Thus, the blessed Holy One is to be blessed with wine more than anything, for it rejoices the left side, which through that joy is included in the right, and all becomes right, and when all becomes right the Holy Name is in bliss and blessings spread throughout all worlds. By an action below is aroused an action above; so Israel prepares wine corresponding to wine.
“Since it is preserved above, it must be preserved below, and all its preservation brings holiness to Israel. Whoever spoils it below on the side of impurity is defiled in this world and has no share in the World-to-Come, the place where that preserved wine abides. He has not preserved it—he will not be preserved in the World-to-Come. [40b] He has defiled it—he will be defiled in that world; he will have no share in that wine constituting the World-to-Come. Happy are Israel, who preserve what is preserved, who sanctify the King by this supernal preservation! Happy are they in this world and in the World-to-Come!”
Cordovero’s commentary
“Must guard this above all:” The prohibition of wine is more stringent than all other prohibitions; [it is] forbidden upon contact, by force[^1] and so on, and forbidden for enjoyment, and its prohibition in all its forms is more stringent than all other prohibitions because it [= wine] is linked to a supernal place; therefore its observance is stricter, insofar as it ascends, there is more care in its matter so that it does not become tainted. […]
“The blessed Holy One is to be blessed with wine,” such as kiddush, and blessing, and nuptials, the seven blessings, circumcision, and havdalah—all over wine.
“For it rejoices”—from the emanation of Binah; “on the left side,” namely, Gevurah, Hod, and Malkut; “which through that joy” means that Din is the law of joy awakening love, namely in His left being included in the right, ‘under my head, etc.’
After this, the right prevails in them until all of them are kindness (Hesed); and this is as it says: “And all becomes right, according to the law (Din) of the Holy Name”—namely, the middle line; “in bliss”—from the left; “and blessings”—from the right;
“spread throughout all worlds,” in the secret of the outpouring of the blessing from the [world of] Emanation to the [world of] Creation, and from there to the [world of] Formation work, and from there to the [world of] Action.
“By an action below:” The blessing by wine includes the right and the left; “is aroused an action above:” Through the wine of Binah that pleases the left blessings will be awakened from the right.
“Since it is preserved above,” as the externals do not rule in Binah; “it must be preserved below,” insofar as, upon Gentile contact, [wine] is spoiled because of his (= the Gentile’s) desire to cling to a supernal place. “And all its preservation” etc.: As there is no reason why the supernal wine needs to be preserved, since it is indeed preserved. Rather, preserving it adds holiness below in Tiferet.
“Whoever spoils it below,” since above no blemish controls it. But the wine is spoiled by its being drunk without taste/reason, and also because the tasting/reason is blemishing for kiddush and blessing. With all this, drinking it (= wine) does not harm the body, but it damages, as it says “through the side of impurity”—meaning by Gentile touch and so on.
“Is defiled in this world:” As he has blemished himself by drinking libation wine, and not as he will spoil the supernal wine, since blemish has no control on it; rather, “has no share in the World-to-Come”, that is, he is rejected from the place of the wine, measure against measure.
“He has not preserved” etc. The matter is that there are two issues with wine: one is preservation; the second is being actually defiled by the hands. And behold, the one who guards the wine and is stringent about it—how good is his portion as he is preserved for the World-to-Come, meaning that no evil will befall him, that he will not have to enter Gehenna, but he will immediately be destined for the World-to-Come.
And this is as it says: “He has not preserved it,” because he did not practice piously the excellent/supernal preservation, but rather disregarded its preservation/observance; so “he will not be preserved in the World-to-Come,” but they leave him to the occurrences of his evil inclination.
And the wine is defiled by drinking it in the company of a Gentile or by actually tainting it and drinking it. And even more so if one drinks the wine of the Gentiles—behold, it is measure against measure: “he will be defiled in that world,” and he will not enter the World-to-Come and will not be, etc.
Indeed, if he did not sin in this [occasion], even if he did sin in the past, he will enter Gehenna and be purified from his sin, and will later enter the World-to-Come, but he is not destined for the World-to-Come.
And now we find that there are two divisions: a person destined for the life of the World-to-Come, or a person [who] has a share in the World-to-Come.
[One who has] a share in the World-to-Come may first enter Gehenna and then consume his portion that is in the World-to-Come. [Being] destined for the World-to-Come means that one will immediately enter the World-to-Come and will not have to go through the purification of Gehenna, and that is, the blessed Holy One will protect him from all sin.
“Happy are Israel”—more than the two previous divisions; “who preserve what is preserved,” which is in Binah; it is preserved as it cannot be touched above. “Who sanctify the King”—Tiferet; “by this supernal preservation”—preserved wine; and it is the most high in Hokmah, where Binah is channeled; and that is the secret of the kiddush by preserved wine. “In this world,” as they sanctify themselves from the supernal holy place. “In the World-to-Come,” as there they enjoy the supernal Eden which is by Binah.
[1] Or, in a variant reading, “according to Halakhah.”
Source 2 Translation
Hayyim Vital, Ta’amei ha-Mitzwot (Jerusalem, 1972). Par. Lekh Lekhah, p. 17
Know too that “circumcision” (MYLH = 85) is by gematriah ”mouth” (PH = 85), and with the inclusion it is by gematriah “Elohim” (’LHYM = 86). Therefore, we perform the metzitzah by mouth, that is to say, we draw by mouth the force (KḤ = 28 = 10 = 1) of the judging powers and the husks, which is also Eloqim (181 = 10 = 1). Then, we also draw by wine, since wine too is Power (GBWRH = 216) like the circumcision/word “wine” (YYN = 70) with the inclusion (YOD YOD NUN = 146): kind by kind, power by power, to let it out from his 248 limbs in a way that the one who sucks may intend that the blood is the attribute of Judgment and red wine, too, is the attribute of Judgment. A kind has found its kind, and it is awakened. Therefore, we throw wine into the mouth over circumcision to say that we want to sweeten the Judgment from the inside with the wine.
Hayyim Vital, Sefer ha-Liqqutim (Jerusalem, 1913). Par. Lekh Lekhah, ch. 13
Know too that the word “mouth” has the numerical value of Elohim with the inclusion. Therefore, we perform the metzizah by mouth with wine, which is Gevurah. And the one who sucks must intend that the blood is red in Din (64 = 10 = 1), and the wine is red too—a kind finds its kind. Therefore, we throw there wine into the mouth over circumcision, to draw the force of blood from within the force of the husk, with the wine; and it remains sweetened – the name Shadday with the yod and Adonai, which is in the secret of the circumcision when one blesses.