JEWS DON’T DRINK! GOOD ONE!
Here’s an article on substance abuse that you have never read. The perspective of your Local Lekker Liquor Service.
Over the past 5 years that Glennies has been around, I have noticed certain trends in Alcohol consumption in the community. Jewish drinking is seasonal. The obvious times we drink are on Purim and Pesach. Next up is Sukkot and Simchas Torah. Now Jews generally don’t drink Monday to Friday. We have work to do and no time to waste during the week. But come Shabbos, well that could be a mitzvah depending on who you ask. Oh, and don’t forget Simchas. How can any Bris, Barmi or wedding be complete without a few shots to go around. Yes, Jewish drinking is seasonal but not like the seasons of the year.
One thing is for sure; Alcohol is part of Jewish life. A substance that brings warriors to their knees and destroys lives daily, is part and parcel of Jewish life. The mandates are clear. We need to get drunk on Purim. We must drink four cups on Pesach. We make kiddush on wine weekly and use wine under the Chuppah. Because Judaism doesn’t fear the physical world. The Torah is a guide to live in a physical world as a spiritual being. We uplift the physical by making kiddush on a cup of wine.
The challenge lies in the undeniable fact that, Jews are people too and can also end up being alcoholics and addicts. So how do shuls manage the alcohol problems that they face. Well, I can tell you quite simply what I see, when attendance is low, increase the alcohol order and make shul cool. When consumption is high decrease the alcohol order to not enable the alcoholics, God forbid. And no this is not true for Chabad shuls only. This is true of all shuls because there doesn’t seem to be any other way to deal with the problem.
Well let’s say, someone finds himself to be an alcoholic or an addict, where does he go? If he is lucky, he finds himself in an AA or NA meeting, probably held in a Church Brocha Room and he joins a community of like-minded people there to support each other, and his life gets exponentially better on all fronts.
Rabbi Abraham Twerski of Blessed memory wrote, “Some people mistakenly believe that programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous have a Christian orientation and are “off limits” to Jews. But anyone familiar with AA, NA, or PA knows that this is simply not true. The 12 Steps of the “anonymous” fellowships are very compatible with Judaism, and those Jews familiar with the concepts of mussar (Jewish ethics) will recognize the similarities.”
When asked about the fact that Meetings were in Churches, he responded that, “this is only because until recently no one had made any effort to hold them in synagogues, or because synagogues did not welcome them.”
The truth is that after studying the 12 steps, alongside the laws of Teshuvah (repentance) of the Rambam, I can’t help but think that the best translation of Teshuvah is in fact ‘Recovery.’ The process of return to oneself, is an act of healing.
To be an addict is to embrace one’s animal soul alone. To be in recovery is to return to one’s Godly soul. To live with both of your souls but knowing that the Godly soul must always be in control is called integration.