OCTOBER 7 • 2021 | 37

SPIRIT

Moderation & Responsibility 
W

hat a great Torah 
portion for meat 
eaters, like me. And 
a great portion for those who 
enjoy a l’
chaim at kiddush. 
However, this is also a por-
tion which warns us of some 
of the consequences of 
drinking to excess and 
of the importance of 
eating meat in a moral 
and ethical way.
In Bereshit, God 
only permitted Adam 
and Eve to eat from 
vegetables and fruit of 
the trees (Genesis 1:29); 
in Noach, God permits 
human beings to eat 
“every living thing that 
roams” (Genesis 9:3). 
This is the portion 
also where wine from 
a vineyard is introduced, and 
Noah certainly indulges.
Meat eaters should not get 
too indulgent; let us remember 
that we have plenty of tradi-
tions which tell us that in the 
Messianic era we will go back 
to being the vegetarians that 
we were before Noah and the 
flood. Thinking of having that 
extra glass of wine? Noah’s 
experience with wine led to 
embarrassment and cursing 
(Genesis 9:18-25) pointing out 
the dangers of drinking and 
losing control. 
So should we, perhaps, see 
eating meat and drinking as 
something that is not approved 
of in the first instance, but is 
tolerated if we happen to slip 
up? Actually, it does not seem 
to be the attitude our law has 
toward meat and even wine: 
“There is no joy without meat 
and wine” (Tractate Pesachim 
109a) — particularly if that is 
what one enjoys. Even when 
the Torah talks about how to 

slaughter meat, it celebrates 
our desires: “You will say, ‘I 
want to eat meat’ because you 
will desire it. [Well then], to 
your heart’s desire may you eat 
meat!” (Deuteronomy 12:20). If 
you prefer to refrain from wine 
and meat, that is totally 
fine; but if you enjoy them, 
the Torah and our tradi-
tion are clearly happy for 
you to do so.
However, the Torah 
needs us to understand the 
gravity of taking the life of 
a living being or drinking 
something that can cause 
us harm: Later verses tell 
Noah: “Eat, and enjoy, but 
do not eat a limb from an 
animal still alive” (Genesis 
9:4). For Jews, the Torah 
limits meat even more — 
“slaughter the [kosher animal] 
… only as I have commanded 
… and be careful not to eat the 
blood …
” (Deuteronomy 12:21-
25). Eat meat, but with limits, 
with moderation, with morality. 
Likewise, drinking can be posi-
tive, but only within limits; after 
that it becomes destructive.
Meat eaters and kiddush 
lovers like me have to pay 
attention to both sides of our 
tradition: respecting our desires 
and what makes us happy while 
taking on the Torah’s clear mes-
sage of responsibility. 
The world is filled with 
delicacies and delights, but we 
must enjoy them with utmost 
respect, moderation and 
thoughtfulness. 
Let us think before we take 
our next bite and our next sip 
and enjoy God’s world respon-
sibly. 

Rabbi Asher Lopatin is rabbi of 

Kehillat Etz Chaim in Huntington 

Woods and Oak Park and the 

executive director of the JCRC/AJC.

TORAH PORTION

Rabbi Asher 
Lopatin

Parshat 

Noach: 

Genesis 

6:9-11:32; 

Isaiah 

54:1-55-5.

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