View Categories

Siman 99 – Drinking wine before Tefilla

  • If you drink a small amount of an alcoholic beverage and you understand that it did not affect the clarity of your thought, you may daaven l’chatchila. (MB 1,3)
  • If you drank a reviis or more, even though it did not affect the clarity of your kavana (you aren’t shikkor at all), do not daaven until the effect wears off. If you did daaven, you have fulfilled your obligation. (ShA 1 – MB 4)
  • If the time of tefilla will pass, do not wait for the effect of the wine to wear off. (MB 3)
  • If you drink more than a revi’is and you are not able to speak before a king (speech is slurred?) it is forbidden to daaven. If you did, the tefilla didn’t count. (ShA 1)
  • The above applies l’chatchila to Krias Shema, its berachos, benching and any other berachos as well. If you are already shikkor and the time of Krias Shema or benching will pass, do not wait for the effect of the wine to wear off. (Rama 1 – MB 8, 11)
  • If you can’t speak before a king, you do not combine for a minyan of 10. Perhaps you can be lenient to be one of the 3 for a zimmun. (MB 10)
  • A person who becomes very drunk like Lot was, is like an insane person and is pottur from all mitzvos. Any berachos etc. said during that state must be repeated later when he becomes sober. (MB 11)