Monday, February 14, 2011

Is R. Chaim Kanievsky selling magical salvation wine?

R. Chaim Kanievsky is one of the great Rabbis of  Benai Brak, and regarded as a leading posek and top authority on halacha, yet his photo and an endorsement from his wife seem to be adorning this advertisement for magical salvation wine:


I see two ways to understand this:

(1) RCK and his wife believe the wine works, and honestly think you should buy it; or

(2) Some unscrupulous shyster has attached the Rav's endorsement to the ad without the Rav's knowledge or permission.

Alas, neither interpretation reflects positively on the Rav.

If he's actually hawking magical salvation wine, what does that say about his values and credibility? How is magical salvation wine any different from the magical salvation water sold by Peter Popoff?

And if the ad is running without his permission, this is yet another example of the rabbis/leaders remaining silent while their names are used for ill gain. I can only assume RCK is not aware of how his image is being abused, and would complain if he did.

If you're in Israel, please dial the numbers and report back.

HT @BigPhil

Search for more information about magic wine at 4torah.com.

No comments: