Are these "sins" in Judaism?

lamplighter

Mon, Jan 10 2022, 6:17 pm

I have a Catholic friend and she talks about gluttony and indulgence as sins? Like overeating or getting drunk or pleasuring oneself.
Are any of these wrong according to Torah and halacha? Curious how this stuff compares.

sequoia

Mon, Jan 10 2022, 6:19 pm

Drunkenness is not encouraged.

1231

Mon, Jan 10 2022, 6:21 pm

There’s a concept of nuvel b’reshus hatorah. Basically doing something disgusting but it’s not specifically not allowed in the Torah.

ahuva06

Mon, Jan 10 2022, 6:23 pm

I think in Judaism there is a time and place for everything.

Hashem created a beautiful world for us to enjoy. We are able to take gashmiyus and elevate it by using it for ruchniyus.

Food - we make a blessing before eating and not only is it not a sin, but it becomes a holy act. Cooking and eating l'kvod shabbos. Sending over food to someone in need or someone sick. etc etc

Getting drunk - on purim it's a mitzvah to get drunk (NOT weekly at a kiddush etc lol)

S-x - can be the holiest act when done within the confines of halacha.

Not only that, but a nazir has to bring a korbon chatas because of his restraint from enjoying wine and other things during his nezirus.

Flip Flops

Mon, Jan 10 2022, 6:30 pm

In Judiasm we believe that Hashem created the world and it's pleasure for us to enjoy.
More so, when we use the mundane for holiness, we actually elevate it and turn it into kedusha!

But we also know that there is a time and place for everything. For example, the torah says to eat bread and water. However, when it comes to Shabbos we are supposed to eat a lavish meal.

Thisisnotmyreal

Mon, Jan 10 2022, 6:53 pm

pretty much. There's tumah and kedush or in English, useful and useless. So if it's a healthy and good then it's holy. If it's unhealthy then it's tumah and while not an aveira, it is damaging in a physical and spiritual way.

We are supposed to be mindful and in control of ourselves all the time.

Mermaidinexile

Mon, Jan 10 2022, 6:57 pm

1231 wrote:

There’s a concept of nuvel b’reshus hatorah. Basically doing something disgusting but it’s not specifically not allowed in the Torah.

Yes. And Ramban specifically brings the examples of indulging in meat and wine as examples of naval birshus hatorah. Learned from the phrase "kedoshim ti'hiyu".

miami85

Mon, Jan 10 2022, 7:16 pm

Gluttony/over indulgence is called "Achila gasa" which I don't know the exact classification whether it's a lav or just a "bad middah" but definitely not welcomed in Judaism.

Self-pleasuring is only an issue for men with regard to spilling seed.

estherj

Mon, Jan 10 2022, 7:33 pm

Essentially overindulgence is a sin in Judaism but the concept is very different. The Catholics view the Satan or the Devil as a rogue angel and a sharp split between good and evil. The ultimate level is to be celibate and ascetic because that is how one fights Satan. One who enjoys food, relations, and family cannot achieve the highest levels of closeness to G-d.

Judaism teaches that everything has a purpose and can be used to serve Hashem and all the pleasures of this world were created to use them to come closer to Hashem. The gemara says one is supposed to serve Hashem with the yetzer Tov as well as with the yetzer hora - “bishnei yitzrecha”.The ultimate level is someone who is married, eats normal foods, has normal conversations, enjoys his family, and uses it all to come closer to Hashem.

A Nazir is censured by Chazal for denying himself pleasures that Hashem intended him to enjoy. One is supposed to enjoy good foods on shabbos and yom tov. One is supposed to taste beautiful fruits and look at blossoming trees- and make a brocho on them to use them to bring himself closer to Hashem. Marital relations are considered oneg shabbos. One is supposed to partake of all of the pleasures in this world to use them to come closer to Hashem.

However, when someone’s whole focus is on obtaining pleasure for the sake of pleasure, even if it is with his wife, glatt kosher food, exotic vacations with minyanim, but if pleasure is his end goal and not a vehicle to help him become a better person and serve Hashem, that is called a “naval birshus Hatorah”, and is a sin.

There is clearly a place for asceticism in Judaism- the sefarim talk about prishus extensively- when one fears he will not be able to resist illicit pleasures so he restricts himself from some permitted ones. However that is not the ultimate level and is not a prerequisite for serving Hashem.

I can’t resist repeating the story of the old Catholic priest who is seen looking at an ancient book deep in the Vatican, tears streaming down his face. A young member of the clergy asks him “what’s the matter, father?”

“Look!” exclaims the priest. “I found the original text! It says celebrate. C-e-l-e-b-r-a-t-e!”