Wine Removing Whine
Rava is found in many places in shas engaged in matters connected to wine drinking. Here are some of them:
- Rava would drink wine all day long on Erev Pesach so that he would whet his appetite in order to eat matza with more relish.11
- Rava said that a person is obligated to become intoxicated with wine on Purim until he cannot distinguish between ארור המן and ברוך מרדכי.12
- Rava was an expert in the mixing of wine, as is explained in several places in the gemara. Rava said that any wine that does not contain three parts water for each one part wine is not good wine.13
What is the connection between Rava and wine?
R' Avraham Chizkuni in his sefer Shtei Yados14 explains that since Lot's root caused damage through wine and sinning with his two daughters,15 it was therefore necessary for Rava, whose root came from Lot,16 to repair this. Therefore he was always occupied with matters of wine wherever possible, in order to elevate the idea of drinking wine to holiness, thereby bringing rectification for that flaw.
The Kabbalist R' Chai Taib17 added that Lot's incident occurred during the days of Pesach.18 Rava rectified this by making sure that on every Erev Pesach, he drank wine.
11 Pesachim 107b.
12 Megillah 7b.
13 Shabbos 77a. Other places we see Rava connected to wine is Zevachim 96b and Yoma 76b.
14 Vayera, p. 12a. The sefer Shtei Yados was brought to publication in the year 1726 by his son R' Yaakov.
15 See Breishis 19:32-35.
16 The Arizal (Shaar Hagilgulim, Hakdama 36, p. 48a) says that within Lot's soul was contained Rus Ha'moaviyah and Naamah Ha'amonis who came about through his two daughters. The soul of Rava was contained within Naamah Ha'amonis.
17 In his sefer Cheilev Chitim Megillah 7b.
18 see Breishis 19:3 and Midrash Seichel Tov there.