Q&A: Alcohol
Alcohol
Question
I spoke with someone who said that alcohol is not a negative thing, because Jewish law recognizes it as legitimate (in addition to all the sayings of the Sages that mention drinking, like how it brings people closer together, etc.), and even requires consuming it to some extent (wine for kiddush, etc.). So it would seem that if Jewish law does not prohibit it, one should not view the act itself as something negative or base.
I argue that even if Jewish law recognizes it, it is still a base act—that is, there is a moral distinction in addition to the halakhic plane.
I wanted to know what your opinion is on this subject.
Answer
First of all, after I wrote to you that this looks like a riddle, I expect you to invest a minute in fixing it. You spoke with someone who 'said' that alcohol… Jewish law does not 'recognize' it; rather, it relates to it in an obvious way.
As for your question, of course there are things that Jewish law does not prohibit but are still negative. For example, the beautiful captive woman.
Specifically regarding drinking wine: excessive drinking is a negative thing, and Nachmanides, at the beginning of the portion of Kedoshim, sees this as being a degenerate within the permission of the Torah. But moderate drinking has no problem at all.