Study Taanit folio 17B with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
כרבי, מכלל דרבנן אסרי! מאי טעמא: מהרה יבנה בית המקדש, ובעינן כהן הראוי לעבודה וליכא, הכא אפשר דמספר ועייל.
It is in accordance with the opinion of R' Yehuda HaNasi. From the fact that R' Yehuda HaNasi permits priests to drink wine, it may be inferred that the Rabbis prohibit it even nowadays. Why, then, isn’t it prohibited for priests to grow their hair as well? The Talmud explains: What is the reason for the prohibition? It is due to the hope: May the Temple be speedily rebuilt, and we will require a priest who is fit for the Temple service, and there will be none available, as they have all imbibed wine. The time that it will take for the effects of the wine to wear off will delay the Temple service considerably. Here, however, with regard to hair, it is possible for a priest to cut his hair and be ready to enter and perform the Temple service with minimal delay.
אי הכי, שתוי יין נמי — אפשר דגני פורתא ועייל, כדרמי בר אבא. דאמר רמי בר אבא: דרך מיל, ושינה כל שהוא — מפיגין את היין! לאו מי איתמר עלה, אמר רב נחמן אמר רבה בר אבוה: לא שנו אלא בששתה שיעור רביעית, אבל שתה יותר מרביעית — כל שכן שדרך מטרידתו ושינה משכרתו.
The Talmud asks: If so, with regard to those who have drunk wine too, it is possible for him to sleep a little and then enter, in accordance with the opinion of Rami bar Abba, as Rami bar Abba said: Walking a distance of a mil, and similarly, sleeping even a minimal amount, will dispel the effect of wine that one has drunk. The Talmud rejects this proof: Wasn’t it stated about this halakha that Rav Naḥman said that Rabba bar Avuh said: They taught this only with regard to one who has drunk the measure of 1/4th-log of wine, but with regard to one who has drunk more than 1/4th-log, walking this distance will preoccupy and exhaust him all the more, and a small amount of sleep will further intoxicate him. For this reason, it is prohibited for priests to drink wine, lest no suitable priest will be ready for the Temple service.