Milk: A Potent Nectar

In Judges 4:19, Sisera requests that Yael give him some water. Yael gives him milk to drink. Rashi explains that milk makes the body sluggish and induces sleep (machbid et haguf lehiyot nirdam).¹ Rabbeinu Yishaya to Judges 4:19 similarly explains that milk intoxicates. In Judges 4:19, Yael gives Sisera milk which apparently makes him sleepy and tired (Judges 4:21). Radak in his commentary to Judges 5:25 explains that Yael gave Sisera buttermilk, because this makes one sluggish and diminishes one’s capacity (machbid halev vetoref hada’at). Ralbag to Judges 5:25 writes that this buttermilk had a high fat content and is highly intoxicating. The soporific (sleep inducing) qualities of milk helped Yael overcome the enemy and save the day.

Today we know that milk contains tryptophan, which when released into the brain produces serotonin, a serenity-boosting neurotransmitter. However, tryptophan-containing foods don’t produce the hypnotic effects that pure tryptophan does, because other amino acids in those foods compete to get into the brain.² In the body, tryptophan is converted to the sleep-inducing hormones serotonin and melatonin. But the amount of tryptophan in any food, including both milk and turkey, is not large enough to boost hormone levels to the high levels that would induce sleep.³ So did milk really play an important role in enabling Yael to vanquish Sisera?⁴

Milk Is Intoxicating

TB Kritot 13b, quoting a braita, tells us that a person who is intoxicated with wine is not allowed to give halachic instruction (asurim behora’ah). TB Eruvin 64a further informs us that a person who consumed a revi’it (2.5-5.1 oz.) of wine is prohibited from giving a halachic ruling (al yoreh). Rambam (Hilchot Bi’at Mikdash, 1:3) codifies this law and explains that just as it is prohibited for a kohen to enter the Temple while intoxicated, no person, kohen or otherwise, may give instruction while he is intoxicated. Even if he ate dates (temarim) or drank milk (chalav), and his mind became less sharp (nishtabsha da’ato), he may not render a halachic ruling. If a kohen enters the Temple and performs service while intoxicated from other beverages, even from milk (chalav) or figs (devailah), he is subject to lashes (lokeh).⁵ Rambam’s source that even eating figs or drinking milk is included in the prohibition is from the Tosefta:⁶

If one consumed figs from Ke’ila (name of a place) or drank milk or honey, he incurs lashes and violates a negative commandment (you shall not drink wine or other intoxicating beverages),⁷ just as a kohen becomes unfit for service and is subject to death, so too, a sage is prohibited to teach or render a halachic ruling.

Commenting on Rema’s admonishment that no one is permitted to render a halachic decision when intoxicated, the Shach cites the Rambam’s language verbatim.⁸

We see from the above that a kohen who drank milk is prohibited from performing the Temple service and a sage (chacham) may not render a halachic ruling because milk intoxicates like wine. But are there indeed cases where milk causes intoxication?

Is Milk Intoxicating?

While one must drink a revi’it of wine to be considered intoxicated, the Talmud and Rambam do not define the amount of milk needed to intoxicate. It appears that milk has no minimum amount. Rashba explains that as long as one feels somewhat impaired (nishtabsha da’ato), he may not render a halachic opinion.⁹

On the other hand, there is also evidence from many medieval sages that milk does not intoxicate. Ra’avya wrote that a person may not eat or drink anything intoxicating prior to davening.¹⁰ Or Zarua explains that this refers to wine, honey and beer because they are associated with arrogance.¹¹ Milk is not mentioned among the intoxicating beverages even though milk is listed in TB Kreitot 13b along with wine and honey. Milk is a beverage that is consumed daily.¹² Thus it would seem that TB Kreitot 13b cannot be talking about normal animal milk.¹³

Based on this we can understand that when the Tosefta mentions milk (chalav) in conjunction with figs from Ke’ila and honey, it is not referring to animal milk but to white wine made from dates which the Sages referred to as chalav. We see this from Bereishit Rabbah (98:9) that explains he launders his garment in wine (Genesis 49:11), as referring to chalav (white wine). Similarly, Matnot Kehunah wrote that chalav refers to white wine.¹⁴

Rabbi David Luria cites Ezekiel 27:18, bringing wine from Chelbon as referring to white wine. Rashi explains that chelbon (which is similar to the word chalav, milk) refers to cooked white wine. Matnot Kehunah points out that in Arabic, white wine is called chelbon. Song of Songs 5:1 states I drank my wine with my milk which Targum Yerushalmi translates as red and white wine. We see that the chalav that is mentioned in Scripture is not milk but white wine.¹⁵

We also see from TJ Shabbat 19:5 that chalav doesn’t refer to something that comes from an animal source but comes from fruit. There we find that it is permitted to feed a newborn child with chalav terumah and anoint him with shemen terumah. It is clear that the discussion is about chalav peirot (fruit juice) subject to terumah just like wine from grapes.¹⁶

We see from the above discussion that white wine is also referred to as chalav. Accordingly, the chalav that is mentioned in the above quoted Tosefta refers not to animal milk but to white date wine. That is why the braita mentions it together with figs from Ke’ila and date honey which only carry a penalty of lashes. A kohen who drinks white grape wine, which is considered like red grape wine, is subject to the death penalty if he performs a Temple service. There are many references in the Talmud to date wine.¹⁷ Tur (Yoreh Deah 114) also refers to sheichar temarim, a commonly available beverage. It is even available today and is kosher for Passover, alcohol content is 13.5%.¹⁸

A Land Flowing Milk and Honey

The Torah describes the Land of Israel as a land flowing milk and honey (Exodus 3:7). Mechilta DeRav Shimon Bar Yochai (23:5) records a dispute between R. Eliezer and R. Akiva as to what this exactly means. R. Eliezer says that chalav refers to fruit nectar (chalav peirot) and devash refers to date honey (as opposed to bee honey). R. Akiva says chalav refers to actual milk (vadai chalav) and devash refers to cane sugar (devash haya’arot).

In a similar vein, TB Ketubot 112a informs us that when Eretz Yisrael is praised as a land flowing milk and honey it means more succulent and fatter than milk (shmeinim michalav) and sweeter than honey (metukim midevash). Maharsha (Chidushei Aggadot) explains that chalav doesn’t refer to actual milk, but rather to produce from the land. Milk is not produce from the land. When the Torah speaks of milk in this context it is referring to the fruits of the land which are fatter than milk (shmeinim michalav).

R. Reuven Margaliot wrote that the chalav mentioned in Exodus 3:7 refers to fruit nectar. When the Torah praises the Land of Israel, it praises its produce. Therefore it is odd that the Torah would not mention wine in its praise but would mention milk instead. For example, the spies brought back the fruit of the land. The narrative continues: And they reported, we came to the land to which you sent us and it is flowing milk and honey and here are its fruit (Number 13:27). Nowhere is there any mention that the spies brought back a container of milk. Rabbi Margaliot concludes that “milk” mentioned in the praise of Israel is not animal milk, it is referring to its fruit.¹⁹ Chalav is mentioned prior to devash because chalav refers to white wine which is the healthiest and most superior among the wines.²⁰

Conclusion

Current scientific evidence does not support the idea that milk is a soporific. The amount of tryptophan is too small to induce sleep. It is, therefore, difficult to understand how milk or its products would be powerful enough to intoxicate someone and put them to sleep. We have presented many sources supporting the concept that chalav in Scripture and rabbinic literature does not refer to lacteal fluid. There is also a school of thought that the Torah’s celebrating the Land of Israel as a land flowing milk (chalav) and honey does not refer to animal milk. An alternative explanation of chalav has been offered based upon these sources. It seems reasonable and plausible that the “milk” (chalav) referred to in the Yael/Sisera narrative is also white date wine.²¹