Today’s daf TB Eruvin 64 discusses when wine impairs a person’s decision process and how to dissipate the wines effect. “Rav Yehuda said that Shmuel said: If one drank a quarter-log of wine, he may not issue a halakhic ruling, as the wine is liable to confuse his thinking.” (Sefaria.org translation) A quarter-log of wine is only 4 ounces. Many people need that cup of coffee to get them going in the morning, Rav Naḥman began his day with a glass of wine. “Rav Naḥman said: This halakha is not excellent, as concerning myself, as long as I have not drunk a quarter-log of wine, my mind is not clear. It is only after drinking wine that I can issue appropriate rulings.” (Sefaria.org translation) Unfortunately, Rava taught Rav Naḥman he can’t just pick and choose rulings according to his likings which he was doing because he liked the immediate previous decision made by Rav Yehuda said in the name of Shmuel. Rav Naḥman must have given up his morning glass of wine before going to work and deciding Jewish law.
The Gemara makes a distinction between being intoxicated and being drunk. “On the topic of drinking wine, Rabba bar Rav Huna said: One who has drunk wine must not pray, but if he nonetheless prayed, his prayer is a prayer, i.e., he has fulfilled his obligation. On the other hand, one who is intoxicated with wine must not pray, and if he prayed, his prayer is an abomination.
“What are the circumstances where a person is considered one who has drunk wine, and what are the circumstances where a person is considered one who is intoxicated with wine? One who has drunk wine refers to anyone who has drunk wine but whose mind remains clear enough that he is able to talk in the presence of a king. One who is intoxicated refers to anyone who is so disoriented by the wine he has drunk that he is not able to talk in the presence of a king.”
Today we have a more accurate way of deciding whether person is legally impaired by alcohol. When your blood alcohol content (BAC) is 0.08% or higher, you're considered legally impaired in the U.S. While you are certain to be arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence (DUI) when your BAC is at or over 0.08%, you can still be charged if your BAC is at any level above 0.00%. According to conventional wisdom, your BAC level will remain within safe limits if you consume only one standard drink per hour. As defined by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), a standard drink is half an ounce of alcohol. That means one 12-ounce beer, one five-ounce glass of wine, and one 1.5-ounce shot of distilled spirits each count as one standard drink. Even though the rabbis were stricter when comes to drinking wine and making legal decisions, one should never drink and drive. A bad decision can always be reversed. A death caused by DUI cannot.
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