יבמות צח

A תלמיד חכם was asked why we have the מנהג to drink alcohol after eating fish, which we don’t do after eating meat.  He explained: the fish once came with a complaint to the בית דין של מעלה.  “It’s not fair,” they said. “The last time a fish swallowed a man, namely יונה הנביא, he prayed until the fish spit him out.  We too should be able to pray when men swallow us and they should be required to spit us out.”  The בית דין של מעלה agreed that this was a reasonable request and granted them permission to pray that they be spit out.  Therefore, we drink alcohol, so that the fish get drunk and, as is known, a drunk is not permitted to daven.

05/10/2021