Friday, March 17, 2017

purim torah in jest - Why does wine need to be kosher lepesah?



All grape products, including and especially wine, are toxic to canines. Even a small amount is not fit to be eaten by a dog. The halakha is that things which are not fit to be consumed by a dog do not need a kosher lepesah hekhsher. Why then does wine, which is not fit to be consumed by a dog, need a kosher lepesah hekhsher?






Answer




During the Exodus from Egypt, it says that "Lo Yecheratz kelev leshono." This cannot refer to barking, as barking is performed with the mouth and throat, not the tongue. Rather, this is stating that the dogs in Egypt refrained from drinking things that are sharp on the tongue i.e.: alcohol.


In order to reward them for this tee-totaling behavior, Hashem gave them the basar treifah, since "ayn simcha elah bibasar viyayin" and the dogs abstained from wine. This was important because "mitzvah gedolah lihiyos bisimcha tamid," and Hashem wanted to ensure that the dogs were not inadvertently being mevatel an aseh. Obviously this worked, since dogs are nearly always happy.


To return to the original question, canine inability to imbibe alcohol stems from their choice to be Prohibitionists and not due to physiological phenomena. But since it is theoretically possible for them to drink, alcohol still requires certification for Pesach.


Due to generations of abstention (and a lack of thumbs), they're just REALLY BAD at holding their liquor.


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