Wine: Double Edged

On the one hand we are taught that joy can come only through wine, as it says in Mishle, "One who has a good heart, drinks constantly." Wine draws people closer, and, if one merits, wine can bring joy to God and man. On the other hand, wine can be destructive. There are people who try to enjoy a spiritual experience by intoxicating their senses, and engaging in all sorts of physical pleasures. This exists throughout the entire world and leads to people doing frightening things in their drug induced frenzy: murder, idol worship and licentious behavior. The tragedy is that the same path that leads to divine service also leads to the worship of the Golden Calf. The true test of any path is to see if it leads to increased love and brotherhood within a group, does it connect people, does it improve relations between man and wife, does it lead to love for God. If it does all these things, then it is a holy path. But if it creates a storm of hatred, an angry experience, then it is coming from an impure source it confuses the senses and is dangerous. It removes a person from the world, even though its goal would appear to be connecting to God
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