Noach 9:21 · unit 1

TT #59 · Parashas Noach · Fifth Aliyah · Passuk 9:21

The Complete Passuk

וַיֵּ֥שְׁתְּ מִן־הַיַּ֖יִן וַיִּשְׁכָּ֑ר וַיִּתְגַּ֖ל בְּת֥וֹךְ אָהֳלֹֽה׃

He drank of the wine and became drunk, and he uncovered himself within his tent.

Chabad.org — 9:21

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to R’ Meir (Sanhedrin 70a) — the Tree of Knowledge was a vine.

Sefaria — Sanhedrin 70a

E-Daf image — Sanhedrin 70a (size=3)

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
וַיִּשְׁכָּר — תַּנְיָא, רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר: אִילָן שֶׁאָכַל מִמֶּנּוּ אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן גֶּפֶן הָיָה, שֶׁאֵין לְךָ דָּבָר שֶׁמֵּבִיא יְלָלָה עַל הָאָדָם אֶלָּא יַיִן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וַיֵּשְׁתְּ מִן הַיַּיִן וַיִּשְׁכָּר.

English: “And he became drunk” — It was taught: R’ Meir says: The tree from which Adam ate was a vine, for nothing brings wailing upon a person except wine, as it is said “he drank of the wine and became drunk.”

Type of Learning

Custom (identification of the Tree of Knowledge with the vine).

What Is Learned

According to R’ Meir the Tree of Knowledge was a grapevine; wine is uniquely capable of bringing ruin.