Should a L’Chaim Be Prohibited?

A good friend of mine, Lou D’Angelo, shared an interesting article titled “L’Chaim” by Leibel Kahan, which reports that when Sonoma Valley’s shaliach, Chabad Rabbi Mendel Wenger, discovered there was no local boutique winery producing kosher wine, he decided to do something about it. According to the article, he encouraged establishing R. Degen Wines, a kosher-certified winery that has since produced two wines, a Pinot Noir and a Chardonnay, scheduled for release in 2027, with additional offerings planned.

This raises the question: given the health risks associated with alcohol and Judaism’s obligation to safeguard one’s body, is it appropriate for a Jew to drink at all? More broadly, it highlights a recurring tension in Jewish law between permitted enjoyment and the duty to preserve health.

Judaism does not forbid alcohol. On the contrary, wine is deeply integrated into ritual life, most notably in Kiddush on Shabbat and festivals, and in Havdalah, where it marks the transition between sacred and ordinary times. It also features in communal celebrations such as Purim, where drinking is traditionally associated with joy, though always within the bounds of responsibility.

At the same time, Jewish law places strong emphasis on safeguarding health and avoiding self-harm. This obligation does not amount to a blanket prohibition on any substance that carries risk. Rather, it distinguishes between reasonable, socially normative use and behavior that causes clear harm.

On that basis, moderate and responsible drinking is permitted, particularly in ritual or celebratory contexts. What is discouraged, and can become religiously problematic, is intoxication, dependency, or any pattern of consumption that predictably impairs judgment or endangers well-being.

In short, Judaism does not prohibit alcohol simply because it carries risk; it permits it within a framework of restraint, balance, and responsibility toward one’s health and conduct.