Eruvin 65A

יכול אני לפטור את כל העולם כולו מן הדין מיום שחרב בית המקדש ועד עכשיו, שנאמר: ״לכן שמעי נא זאת ענייה ושכורת ולא מיין״.

I can make an argument that exempts the entire world from judgment, from the day that the Temple was destroyed until now. As it is stated: “Therefore, hear now this, you afflicted and drunken, but not from wine” (Isaiah 51:21), which teaches that in the wake of the destruction of the Temple, all Jews are considered intoxicated and are not responsible for any sins they commit.

מיתיבי: שיכור מקחו מקח, וממכרו ממכר. עבר עבירה שיש בה מיתה ⁠— ממיתין אותו, מלקות ⁠— מלקין אותו. כללו של דבר: הרי הוא כפיקח לכל דבריו, אלא שפטור מן התפלה.

The Talmud raises an objection to this argument from the following baraita: With regard to one who is intoxicated, his acquisition is a binding acquisition; that is, he cannot retract the transaction when he is sober, and similarly, his sale is a binding sale. Moreover, if he committed a transgression for which he is liable to receive the death penalty, he is executed; and if the offense is punishable by lashes, he is flogged. The principle is that he is like a sober person in all matters, except that he is exempt from prayer. Therefore, even if the people of Israel are considered drunk, they are nonetheless responsible for their actions.

מאי ״יכולני לפטור״ דקאמר נמי ⁠— מדין תפלה.

The Talmud answers that even R' Elazar ben Azarya did not mean that they should be exempt from liability for all their sins. Rather, what is the meaning of his statement: I can exempt? He, too, meant that he could exempt them from the judgment of prayer, i.e., Jews cannot be held liable for praying without the proper intentions.

אמר רבי חנינא: לא שנו אלא שלא הגיע לשכרותו של לוט, אבל הגיע לשכרותו של לוט ⁠— פטור מכולם.

R' Ḥanina said: They taught that an intoxicated person is responsible for all his actions only in a case where he did not reach the state of intoxication of Lot; however, if he reached the state of intoxication of Lot, so that he is altogether unaware of his actions, he is exempt from all liability.