By Rabbi Yosef Pinkus

Dear Rabbi,

What is the meaning of the phrase “L’chaim” that we often say whenever we come together and share a drink with someone?

— Beth

On the most basic level, “L’chaim” is simply the Hebrew version of “cheers.” Every culture has its own expression, and this is ours — cheers, salute, etc. The word literally translates as “to life,” which is our first hint that there’s quite a bit more going on beneath the surface.

First, wine and alcohol in general are multifaceted, to say the least. The dangers of excessive alcohol are well known and thoroughly documented in the Torah. For example, Noah is disparaged in the verses for having drunk to excess, and the story emphasizes that the results that followed were not great, to put it mildly.

In fact, there is even an opinion in the Talmud that the Tree of Knowledge — the tree whose fruit Adam and Eve ate from — was actually a grapevine. Interestingly, an apple is never mentioned in the Talmud as a possibility at all; that detail appears to have slipped into popular tradition without any real textual basis. In a sense, then, mortality itself — the byproduct of eating from the tree — came through grapes and wine.

With this in mind, the phrase L’chaim operates as a counterweight when imbibing alcoholic beverages. We state that this should push us toward life. It’s a declaration that we can take this same substance and channel it for good — for connection, for celebration, for meaning.

And that brings us to the second idea. The word itself offers another insight. L’chaim is technically plural, literally meaning “to lives.” The singular form is L’chai, without the plural suffix “im” at the end. This, too, teaches us something. It expresses both the social dimension of coming together to drink and a deeper reflection on what it means to be human. No one can truly live life alone. We all need other people. Coming together is something beautiful, and L’chaim reflects that.

Now, whether alcohol is a necessary lubricant for human connection is a question everyone can answer for themselves. But historically, it has served as a means of bringing people together, and L’chaim captures and elevates that, channeling it toward something positive and unifying.

Having a L’chaim alone is almost oxymoronic. A life not shared with others runs counter to everything Judaism holds dear. We are a community, built on relationships, bonds and connection. That’s why when people get engaged, a L’chaim traditionally follows. It isn’t just about having the drink — it’s a celebration of togetherness, of two lives becoming intertwined, of community gathering around a new bond.

So next time you raise a glass, remember that you’re not just toasting. You’re participating in something much older and much richer.

Rabbi Yosef Pinkus is a rabbi in the Dallas Community Kollel, a division of the Dallas Area Torah Association. Submit your questions to him at asktherabbi@tjpnews.com.