[Avodah] Looking Jewish

[Micha Berger via Avodah]

On Tue, May 02, 2017 at 02:39:34PM +1000, Rabbi Meir G. Rabi via Avodah wrote:
:  Gemara AZara 58a ...
: the Gemarah 58b explains ...

: So he thought - they MUST be drinking mead
: [which he may handle and mix for them]
: so even though he was actually handling wine,
: thinking it was mead, he would not make his usual pagan worship
: and so it did not become disqualified.
...
: could this happen today?

Their wine was this thick syrup that required dilution (mezigas hakos)
to be drinkable. They also often had to add spices and/or honey to make
it palatable. Inomlin / yinomlin (spelled with a leading alef or yud,
depending on girsa; Shabbos 20:2, AZ 30a) was wine mixed with honey and
pepper (Shabbos 140a).

So, if the grapes were particularly sour, and more honey was added,
perhaps it wasn't that easy to determine that it was wine (enomlin)
and not meade.

A problem 2 millenia of vintners eliminated through breeding better
grapes.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Today is the 21st day, which is
micha at aishdas.org        3 weeks in/toward the omer.
http://www.aishdas.org   Malchus sheb'Tifferes: What is the unifying
Fax: (270) 514-1507                             factor in harmony?