TEMPERANCE.

Southland Times, Issue 19345, 10 September 1924, Page 9

TEMPERANCE.

To the Editor. Sir, —It is natural that a ghost should be interested in other spirits; but the one which haunts Fairfax informs us that he is not concerned with the Trade, therefore it must be a lonely ghost, anxious to unburden itself against those who are seeking to banish spirits from a troubled world. He does ncU seem to be aware that the Bible as we have it is a translation, and that the original Hebrew and Greek contains a number of words which have all been translated wine. In his letter in today’s issue he quotes Deut. 14, v. 26. Why not begin at verses 22, 23, in which the Hebrew word used for wine is “thirosh?” It will be seen they are told to eat before the Lord, etc., this therefore means a solid substance, like dried raisins. In verse 26 “yain” is used, equal to fruit or grapes in a fresh state; also “shekar,” sugar, translated strong drink. Verse 26 would read: “For whatsoever thy soul longs after, oxen, sheep and fruit, and sugar, and all your life demands, and you shall eat then before the Lord.” In his quotation from Numbers 28 about drink offerings “yain” is used. It is perfectly obvious that pure natural grape juice is what is referred to, because when commanded to be offered in worship, nothing intoxicating could be used; nothing containing ferment was allowed to be presented before the Altar, and the Priests were forbidden to drink intoxicants during their periods of attendance at the Altar. In the vow of the Nazarite, everything connected was prohibited; they were to avoid the appearance of evil. When his vow was ended he could drink “yain” or grape juice, as commonly then used in the unfermented state, but the ban was still on the fermented wine or beer, fermented sugar, solution of intoxicating berries; nor consume cakes of intoxicating berries or powders. Each of these is specifically named, and is as strong a denunciation of intoxicants as could possibly be penned. The Ghost is also mistaken when he thinks that the writers of old did not mention unintoxicating wines. Aristotle says: “Oinos glukus (thick sweet wine) is wine, though it is not intoxicating. Columella speaks cf “unintoxicating good wine,” and gives a recipe for preserving it unfermented. Pliny gives also a direction for the manufacture of an unintcxicating wine which he names “adynamon” (without strength). This beverage is given to invalids to whom it is apprehended that wine (i.e., fermented wine) may prove injurious. Dr H. Adler, Chief Rabbi of the British Empire, in a speech given to the Medical Society, London, Feb., 1883, said: “I knew of no authority for limiting the use of - the word wine to the fermented wine.” Why alcoholic drinks are condemned both by the Scriptures and the results of scientific experiments, is that they lessen the control of the will, on the mind, the nervous system and muscles, health suffers in proportion to amount used, and the devil, whom the Ghost talks about, works his will. —I am, etc., GEO. D. MACINDOE. » Invercargill, 8/9/24.