Halachic responsum – important, current and interesting. Entirely handwritten and signed by the Rishon LeTziyon Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef. Jerusalem, 1984. This responsum caused a huge controversy at the time.
“Politics In The Commercial Sense Of The Word” was the headline of the business newspaper Globes regarding Rabbi Ovadiah’s halachic ruling. With characteristic ignorance, the “educated” article determines that “wine from the Efrat winery, for example, is not acceptable to the Sephardic community. Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef decided that one should buy Carmel Mizrachi’s wine. Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef was the one who increased the sale of Carmel Mizrachi’s wine in the Chareidi community. He recommends the wine because he examined it.”
What is this ruling that caused such waves, increased the sales of Carmel Mizrachi and reduced the sales of Efrat wineries, drawing this contrarian article in the Globes newspaper , a small part of which is quoted above? The answer lies in this sensational responsum. (And not in the distorted opinion of the above-mentioned reporter – as if foreign considerations guided Rabbi Ovadiah in his ruling.)
Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef was asked by Rabbi Yigal Alon which wines are suitable for Kiddush according to the strict opinion of the Beit Yosef, a purely halachic question. Rabbi Ovadiah, as was his way, without any linguistic games or political correctness, responds clearly and without any embellishment: “Neither Boreh Pri HaGafen nor Kiddush should not be recited over the wine from the Efrat winery, as they usually add more water than there is wine” – absolutely straightforward (also an important point of knowledge for wine connoisseurs). Rabbi Ovadiah adds and clearly determines that it is even preferable to recite kiddush over bread (challah) rather than wine that is so uncertain and questionable as this!” Rabbi Ovadiah was also not deterred from recommending Carmel Mizrachi’s wine, which in his opinion is most befitting: “It is proper to exchange this for Carmel Mizrachi wine, which is known to be fine.” Given such sharp and clear wording, it is no surprise that this letter affected the sales of Carmel Mizrachi wine so extremely, raising them so high that it became an item in the Globes newspaper .
[1] leaf paper, 17×25 cm. Official stationery as Rishon LeTziyon and chief rabbi of Israel. Entirely in his hand and with his signature. With the original envelope.
Very fine condition. Fold marks. Aging stains.