Torah for the Totally Wasted: Potheads from a Jewish Perspective by Menashe Bleiweiss

Once seen as a sign of social dysfunction, today in most parts of the world smoking marijuana is perceived as a benign, amusing, and even mainstream past-time. Bong-loads are as acceptable as attending college, going to ball games, or munching Haagan Daas, although of these only the ice cream makers have acquired an OU seal of kashrus, a feat pot dealers (to date) have been unable to match. The Jewish establishment is characteristically on top of the situation, of course. Articles and pamphlets with slogans like just say asur (forbidden) have been published, professionals are increasingly sensitized, and theres an internet support group for the cured and the regressive, complete with rabbinic advice and a haimishe new age chat-room (http://www.jacsweb.org/share.html). Unfortunately, few of these well-intended gestures offer a lot of depth or insight. The more reefer madness has captured Jewish imaginations, the more the Jewish communitys response has been ineffectual and shrill. The best of the lot is a 12-step recovery program by Rabbi Dr. Avraham Twersky based on the classic Alcoholics Anonymous approach. But even Rabbi Twersky would fail to persuade the average pothead to give up the bong. Statistics and scare tactics feature prominently in the literature, as if somehow shock treatment will get through to the cerebrally fried. True, according to one survey, marijuana use amongst eighth graders in the previous year has more than doubled since 1991 from 11 percent to 24 percent; amongst 10th graders, it has risen from 20 percent to 38 percent; and for 12 graders it has risen from 27 percent to 40 percent. And although most scientists concur that marijuana has few residual health effects, prolonged usage doesnt bode well for brain cell lifespan. But most self-respecting stoners are too laid back to be fazed by stats. Lighten up, dudes, is their most likely response. Traditional Jewish sources are unambiguous in prohibiting the use of marijuana. One of the great Torah scholars of the age, Rav Moshe Feinstein (1895-1985), itemizes the main reasons for the isur in his pointedly brief 1973 responsum (Igros Moshe, YD:35): marijuana corrodes the body and the mind, which is forbidden even in temporary increments; it takes time and intensity away from spiritual activities like learning Torah, praying, and keeping other mitzvos; it creates bestial desires for the physical, especially for food; it may cause the users parents grief, an implicit violation of the fifth commandmant; and it is a direct violation of the Torah commandment for Jews to be refined and holy. For many loyal adherents of Jewish law, Rav Moshes words are the first and last on the

subject. For the majority of modern Jews, they may be a point of intellectual concern, but rabbinic authority doesnt mean much to a generation preoccupied with sensual pursuits. Beyond Rav Moshes 25-line blast, pot doesnt figure as a subject of interest in most Jewish texts. No overt marijuana injunction seems to have been mentioned at Sinai. As comprehensive as the Talmud tends to be in legislating and analyzing most other areas of life, the rabbis never so much as allude to the likes of dry mouth, induced paranoia, midnight convenience store runs, or other stoner novelties. In one isolated instance, Rabbi Chiya tells his son not to take any drugs (Psachim 113a). The commentator Rashbam explains that drugs create dependency and sometimes addiction, and that they may cause the squandering of money. This source is not adapted in Jewish legal codes, although it remains as excellent and presciently accurate advice. Elsewhere the Talmud compares human-made drugs, which benefit one part of the body at the expense of another, with HaShems drug (the Torah), which benefits the entire body (Eruvin 54a). Rav Saadia Gaon links the prohibited practices of the ovos (necromancers) with the use of hallucinatory drugs (Vayikra 19:31), but thats about it as far as overt references in major commentaries. In kabbalistic practices, Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan reports fringe instances of experimentation with grasses, which may have been psychedelic drugs (Meditation and Kabbalah, p. 156). But the exception in this case proves the rule, as these non-normative elements were roundly condemned by serious kabbalists. Substance abuse was just never a major Jewish issue in the past. So whats there to do about Jewish potheads in the present? One yeshiva in the Jerusalem area has developed a terrific approach in getting through to stoners. Without being preachy or sounding alarms, teachers address the issue with refreshing candor, warmth, and savvy. The yeshiva is known to attract students with troubled backgrounds: young men out of high school (if they graduated) with dysfunctional families, emotional disorders, authority problems, and a couple of jail records. A certain percentage of the students have been or continue to be cannabis users. On any given day, as students appear to be pouring over Talmudic texts, several of them may well be under the influence. Teachers passionately explicate the dramatic exposition of Talmud to young men who appear to be rapt. In fact, the gritty focus of their facial expressions often has more to do with the tang of the mint mouthwash on their tongues, meant to disguise their leafy breath, than with any Talmudic passage. The teachers keep teaching, patiently, affectionately. The subject will be dealt with, in its time. Shabbos descends with a deep orange sunset reflecting off of the yeshivas Jerusalem stone walls. Teachers and students settle into their seats around the spacious Beis Midrash, home of Torah study and prayer. Small tables face a large ark containing Torah scrolls, and are lined with neat rows of books and shtenders (book rests). The chazan

begins a ballad-like version of Lecha Dodi, which catches on infectiously until melody fills the room. Two of the students, one-time graduates of a boys choir, weave in a smooth, effortless harmony. Two young boys with side-curls tucked behind their ears, sons of one of the teachers, sit reverently near their father the Rav. The boys, ordinarily serious and sweetly shy, are swept along in the moment and squint their eyes to increase the fervor of their song. A long-haired student in the back, with a barely visible nostril-pierce that has almost filled-in, coughs as he shifts in his seat. A friend pats him gently on the back and smiles. The coughing spell subsides. The chazan sits down and a few seasoned students stand respectfully anticipating a lecture on the weekly Torah portion. The yeshivas spiritual advisor approaches the lectern, the rabbis sons dart out of the room discretely, the cougher has a couple last bouts, and the Beis Midrash grows quiet. The talk should last about fifteen minutes, short enough for students to sustain their attention. Gut Shabbos. The Torah subjects we study here deals with all aspects of life, and I want to discuss a topic of importance tonight that we dont always get to during the week. I thought wed take a few minutes to talk about getting high. The speaker suddenly commands most of the students attention. Heads that had been resting comfortably a few seconds ago are now up and alert. Some of the rabbis have opened books on the tables in front of them and start to immerse themselves in study. Theyve heard this talk before. So many people seem to enjoy weed. It really must be amazing. It takes up so much time and energy. Whats the attraction? If its so pleasurable, why wouldnt HaShem make it a regular feature of Jewish life? A former student here who used to smoke a lot was also intrigued by these questions. There came a time when he tried to stop, but found it very difficult. He felt he could not succeed unless he understood his motivations on a deeper level. This is a letter he wrote for a friend during that period. He gave me a copy to convey what he was going through. I thought it would be worthwhile reading tonight. The rabbi takes out several yellowed pieces of paper with what appears to be totally illegible writing in the center of the page, and minuscule scrawls in the margins and between the lines. His reading is flawless, like an accomplished Torah reader chanting the weekly portion from parchment. It usually starts by going out one night with a few friends who have already tried it, and they tell you how awesome it feels. Youre a little worried, maybe even scared, but everyone knows that pot isnt going to kill you. What do you have to lose? So you smoke,

probably coughing up each hit. If youre honest, you will admit to your friends that you really feel no difference, except maybe a little lightheaded. Nobody gets high the first time smoking. Grins and knowing looks flash around the Beis Midrash. The cougher starts to chuckle, which sends him into another coughing spasm he tries in vain to suppress. Later that night, an inner battle goes on in your head about whether or not you did the right thing by smoking. Pretty stupid question. Youre proud of the fact you smoked. Now you can finally say that you have tried marijuana. You remember what a good time you had with your friends when they were high. You wonder how unbelievable it might feel if you had the same feeling. So you decide to smoke again, and this time it hits you. Its as if a complete numbness has taken over your body. Your eyes have suddenly become red. Youre not sure what to say or how to act. You begin to get paranoid. You think that everyone who looks at you knows that youre stoned. You think how remarkable it is that your friends can actually do everyday things while stoned, such as driving a car or even just carrying on a conversation. How do they act normal? At the same time all these anxieties come, however, you begin to notice all the positive things associated with weed. You feel so mellow; its like you havent a care in the world. Its an escape from everyday life, a new sensation thats like nothing youve ever felt. You can relate to your friends in ways you never could before. Soon you start to smoke on weekends. You look forward all week to that Saturday night when you and your friends get completely wasted. By now you can handle yourself under pots influence. You are no longer afraid to go out in public, and you feel less paranoid every time you smoke. You start to wonder why you only smoke on weekends. Theres really nothing wrong with it. It doesnt have any effect on your brain like all the articles say. As far as youre concerned, all weed does is make you feel good. By this time you have become aware of the term that smokers describe as crashing. You feel tired, and you have no desire to do anything. All you want to do is lay down and go to sleep. This usually happens to you about an hour after you smoke. Before you started toking this much, you didnt really notice when you crashed. Usually youd smoked late at night, and by the time your high ended, you were ready to go to sleep anyway. But now its different. You start to feel tired at times when youre usually wide awake. You become a lot more irritable towards people. Theres only one way to feel more alive, and thats by smoking again. You now go through your daily routine stoned most of the time. The length of your high also goes down, and chances are its not even as enjoyable as it used to be. There are occasions when you decide to smoke simply out of boredom. Weed becomes a way to pass the time. You dont even realize when youre burned out, because youre so used to it. Its

as if thats your natural state. Never mind all the money its costing you, the lack of energy, and the mood swings. Pot has now taken complete control of you as a person. You are a stoner, and everything else in your life now revolves around that fact. It is probably around this time that the lectures start. Whether its your parents, teachers, or even your friends, nothing anybody says is going to make a difference. You smoke because you choose to, bottom line. You are not addicted, if you felt like stopping, you could do it easily. Although its true that youre not physically addicted, there is a mental addiction. Deny this as much as you want, but its true. Youve become dependent on pot as part of your lifestyle. Why do you smoke? You certainly dont do it for the same reasons you did when you started. The answer most people say is, I smoke because I like it, it feels good. But is that all? You smoke before you go see a movie. You smoke before you go out with your friends. You smoke before family occasions. Youve lost the ability to achieve happiness without weeds help. And the real reason you smoke, whether youre willing to admit it or not, is to escape... The rabbi folds the papers and puts them away. Bezras Hashem, there will be a class tomorrow on living bsimcha. Gut Shabbos. The rabbi takes his seat, the chazan approaches the front of the room to resume prayers, and the entire assembly stands. The letter is an well drawn piece of expository writing. It captures many of the familiar nuances of physical and mental addiction. Its self-effacing honesty must have reached many of the students in the room. But more important than the letter, the rabbis medium was his message. The contrast of Lecha Dodi on the holiest day of the week in the holiest place in the world with a potheads crashing left a stark impression. The image of a dignified Rav describing stoner grunge was sobering. Whats the fun of tripping in your own world when the rabbi can look into your red eyes and understand exactly whats going on in your mind? What once passed as rebellion suddenly feels strange and idiotic. The underlying message was clear. Torah and pot have a lot in common. Both create feelings of transcendence and escape from the mundane. Both get you high. But pot remains artificial, its promises temporal. As the stoner takes more hits each time around to achieve parity with previous highs, Torah highs become broader and more sustained over time. Pot generates illusion. Torah impacts reality, creating positive self-esteem, purpose in life, spiritual fulfillment. Where pot may foster peer acceptance, respite from loneliness, physical release, Torah provides the context for an intimate and eternal connection with HaShem.

Marijuana use today is more a symptom than a problem. The inexperienced therapist may cure an addiction, but if the true point of crisis is not identified, the client will resort to even more self-destructive behavior. The stoned yeshiva boys and their modern counterparts feel empty, puzzled, questing to fulfill themselves spiritually, frustrated when their quests fail. Of course they want to escape banal lives that lack eternal significance. How ironic that their escape only deepens the void. Smoking pot is neither benign nor amusing, however mainstream it may have become. But the true underlying calamity confronting many Jews today is their own shallow spirituality. To address potheads effectively, the Jewish community would do well to stop quoting statistics, and start pushing a holier, ultimate, and more enduring high.

________ This article was originally published in the Spring, 1997, edition of Jewish Spectator.