Question:
In a situation where there would not be any bittul Torah or minyanim missed as a result of drunkedness, nor would there be any damage caused in any way, would it be permitted for a person to get drunk on a regular day for fun? Assuming he has no sort of addiction and rarely ever drinks.
Answer:
Hello,
In general, getting drunk is not in the spirit of the Torah unless there is a special reason for it such as on Purim, but otherwise we should avoid it. A person on the one hand is comprised of an animalistic, lustful body, which is pulling him toward living a life of fleeting pleasure. On the other hand, the person has a neshoma and a mind, which pulls him toward doing what is correct, and good for him in the long term, and to act in line with the truths that the mind understands. The Torah wants us to life a life where our minds are in control of what we do in life, and not to just follow whatever looks or feels good for the moment. when a person gets drunk, he is taking his temporarily putting himself in a position that he can no longer use his mind rationally, and until he sobers up (hopefully without having damaged himself or anything else), he is turning himself into a temporary animal, by forfeiting his intellect. This is why the Torah way of life discourages a person from getting drunk, even if it is not going to cause him to miss davening, and he (hopes he) won’t get addicted.
Best wishes
