Rishon L’Tzion HaGaon HaRav Yitzchak Yosef Shlita recently stated that many of the wines sold in Eretz Yisrael are not suited for making kiddush and these wines have a bracha of “Shehakol” and not “Borei Pri HaGafen”.
Responding is noted kashrus expert Rabbi Yosef Zaritzky Shlita, who asks rhetorically which wineries the Rishon L’Tzion visited to make such a comment. Rav Zaritzky, a veteran well-known expert in kashrus in Israel added that any wine with a hashgacha from the Eida Chareidis must contain at least 95% wine, as is the case with the Carmel Winery, wondering why these wines are not suited to make kiddush on. Zaritzky added the Barkan Winery standard is 100% wine, as is the case with the Golan Winery and other boutique brands.
Zaritzky is demanding to know which wineries the Rishon L’Tzion is referring too, expressing harsh criticism for his decision to release a blanket statement without specifying which wines are not suited for kiddush. Zaritzky adds that anyone making a “Shehakol” on wine instead of the appropriate bracha will be held accountable in the future.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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8 Responses
i believe the beis yosef has a different derech in what’s considered borei pri hagofen vs. shehakol, a lot of it depends on if it’s mevushal (which ruins its gofen status).
i’m saying this w/o looking at the seforim inside, so please correct me if i’m wrong
Its an old halachik argument between the eidah and Maran harav ovadia zt”l, which is rooted from the shita of the bet yosef regarding wine.
Nothing new
It goes back to an old Machlokes and the Rishon L’Tzion is just repeating again his father’s Shita.
Machlokes haposkim. We have this everyday on all issues. Nothing new. Everyone just follow your own posek.
Vaiter. Move on to the next headline.
It may be a machlokes of yesteryear, different shitahs or just lack of research, inquiry and investigation.
We have been bombarded with opinions & daos on every subject under the sun this year. As an example, how many rabbis have viewed/asked/inquired about a Women’s Zumba class before yelling & screaming, or checked out Megillat Lester before banning its view????? Tiring issues….quite frankly.
I remember many years ago (about 30 years back) when a scandal came out that the some of the wines and grape juices that had the aida charada hecksher were also too low on grape substance to make a bore peri hagofen and the bracha was ‘shehakol’.
since then, things have changed, and the eida labels it, that the bracha is ‘hagefen’.
grapes cost money, sugar and artificial flavoring is cheap. where there is money there are people seeking to deceive. Let the good Rabbi please tell us what wines to avoid.
Maran Ovadia made shehakol on the wine at my rav’s chuppah where he had one of the brochas. My rav (who is Ashkanzai) loves to repeat the story!
Firstly this is a famous Machloikes and is based on a Beis Yosef. The Sefardi Chief Rabbi was talking to the Sefardim!!
Also, who made this R Zaritzki an expert in kashrus I have personally heard from many involved in kashrus that you cant rely on him. (I personally have received contradictions from him in kashrus on 2 phone calls 2 hours apart!) On top of this who gives him a right to be furious with a godol??!!
PS I am an ashkenazi.