Posted to Op-Ed, Videos on

Op-Ed: It’s Not Chasidic to Drink, It’s Against Chasidus

by RabbI Chaim Dalfin

The drinking problem in Judaism including Chabad needs to stop. Too many people are hurt because of it. I don’t come as a Mussar Magid, rather, out of genuine concern.

I received a call from a seasoned Mashpia who spoke to me about the drinking in Yeshivas, including by some Mashpiim, that must stop. The new drinking before kabalas Shabbos known as “Bein” is part of the problem, and kiddushim, ufrufs and other simchos also aren’t a drinking party.

One way to stop this is by the leaders standing up and saying so. They need to do this because people are being hurt by this drinking.

It’s against the Rebbe, Chasidus and Torah to drink. Having one little L’Chaim in the right setting is fine. Any Mashpia under 40 according to the Rebbe isn’t allowed to drink. If the Mashpia tells you otherwise he is lying. The yeshiva Administration must tell such a Mashpia to stop or lose his position. Period. There’s no room for negotiation.

Too many students are hurt from drinking at Chasidic Farbrengens. It’s not Chasidic to drink. It’s against Chasidus.

Chasidim would have an empty bottle on the table while farbrenging for hours. In Russia, drinking was a way to alleviate one’s fears when having to disseminate Torah. We are in a free world.

The Rebbe writes in Igros that today we have the Frierdiker Rebbe’s teachings which gives us everything we need as a Chasid. It substitutes for drinking.

Please view the attached video for more details:

Wishing you kabalas haTirah bsincha ubpnimius.

Related Articles

27 Comments

  • Agree

    I was once with a friend and suggested let’s have a fabregen. He said to me you don’t really want to fabreg, you just want to drink. So at least say what it is. You want to have some drinks. That’s not a fabregen. Afabregen is deep and meaningfull. Drinking is the kiddish on shabbos day.

  • Andrea Karshan

    I am an ex Muslim Jewish convert. And one thing that was good about Islam is no drinking. Drinking benefits no one. Use grape juice instead. Drinking is bad for your physical and mental health. We as a Jewish community should be doing a lot less of it.

  • Rabbi Chaim Dalfin

    Even at Shabbos kiddush, one shouldn’t drink! You say lchaim on small cup, and it need not be full. We made to make a paradigm shift Abt the whole idea. Chasidim of old had a very different idea…read the Frierdiker Rebbe’s sichos and you’ll see.

    • Tomim

      There is a long-standing tradition to have an alcoholic drink on shabbos after the fish course. It is mentioned in numerous seforim. There is also a long-standing tradition among all yidden to make kiddush shabbos day on “bronfin” (mashkeh), contrary to official halacha. Others, outside Chabad make it on a kalishke (a shot glass), but we use a full reviis. The advantages of saying l’chaim -contin

    • Tomim

      The advantages of saying l’chaim: In many yeshivos outside CHabad, bochurim indulge in narcotics (marijuana, pills, etc) as a form of “escape’ to release pressures etc. In Chabad, we are much less infected by this phenomenon. A chassidic bochur can “escape” by simply saying a few l’chaim in a chassidish farbrengen. No need for drugs or visiting c”cv bars, clubs etc which happens in other yeshivos.

    • Fears

      Chasidim would have an empty bottle on the table while farbrenging for hours. In Russia, drinking was a way to alleviate one’s fears when having to disseminate Torah. We are in a free world.

      I have many fears to alleviate …..

  • Anonymous

    WADR, R. Dalfin, that request is going to have a hard time competing with a long-standing tradition that, for better or worse, includes an alarming number of references to severe alcohol abuse.

    Stav Ya Pitu and Nye Zhuritse Khlopsi are some of the better known examples.

    • Rabbi Chaim Dalfin

      Ms. Karshan PL email me info@rabbidalfin com

      Re the old Chabad culture sanctioning drinking, the songs you quote mean something entirely different…look at the Rebbe’s explanation of those nigunim

  • P. McDonald

    To say that drinking is not an old Lubavitch tradition is a lie. To tell lies is the worst sin

    • Okay...

      At engagement partys.. many bouchrim will get blackout drunk. Smashing glass. Saying foul language. Breaking furniture. And disrespecting each other. Its a major problem.

  • curious

    “Any Mashpia under 40 according to the Rebbe isn’t allowed to drink.” What is the source for this?

    • Rabbi Chaim Dalfin

      The Rebbe when issuing the decree didn’t say, a Mashpia is allowed even if younger than 40. There were Mashpiim who were younger and told the Rebbe they need Mashke to farbreng. The Rebbe said no, rather, use other means like learning more Chasidus to help get inspired to farbreng.

  • Vodka

    Vodka, you’re feeling stronger
    Vodka, no more feeling bad
    Vodka, your eyes are shining
    Vodka, you are the real man
    Vodka, wipes away your tears
    Vodka, removes your fears
    Vodka, everyone is gorgeous
    Vodka, yeah vodka

  • Mark

    I thought the rebbe said anyone under 40 is only allowed to have up to 4 lchaims not no lchaims

  • Yisroel

    The writings we have available from R’ Groinem and R’ Shilaim seem to differ with the approach you lay out.

  • Polarized

    Why are the two options either being a drunk pirate chosid who is against the Rebbe and drinking two sips from half a shot over the course of 5 hours? I agree, alcoholism is absolutely hurting our community, mesivta bochrim should not be drinking without parental supervision. With that said, can we have a balanced article that doesnt have an infantilizing overtone?

  • Lamdon

    In Darkei Tzion, a sefer/diary of sorts, written by the Batenura about his observations of communities he passed while travelling to Eretz Yisroel. Therein, he writes of Sefard communities that the men would have a meal before shabbos and drink heavily before going to shul, very inebriated, singing heartily kabolos shabbos and l’cha dodi with great energy, for a long time. Like our modern BEIN.

    • Sefardi, you say?

      Yeah, then they’d come home and beat their wives… what’s your point?

    • Lamdon

      The point is obvious for anyone with an above single-digit IQ, that this “bein” custom is ancient, going back to communities of yesteryear. In Darkeiu Tzion it says that when they came home, they made kiddush, had a kzayis of lechem mishne and that was their meal (since they ate a large meal prior to shabbos). “Bein” has been happening for centuries!

    • a bit of sechel

      What a wonderful story – the only tiny little problem is that the Bartenura – was niftar before the birth of the Arizal who started the minhag of kablals Shabbos was born and before the birth of or R Shlomo Alkabetz the author of Lecha dodi – so someone must be really drunk heavily to believe that they sang kabalas Shabbos and lecha dodi

  • Anonymous

    With all respect it might be time to deal with the pain and emotional issues that are people are trying to escape by drinking
    I am sick and tired of reading op-ed about mashke with out dealing with the underlying issues behind it

Add your comment

The comment must be no longer than 400 characters 0/400