Not Kosher And Not A Segulah

In addition to the regular bulletin about various kashrut issues, such as announcing products with fake hechsherim, every year before Hannukah the Rabbanut bulletin announces the variety of olive oils that are found to be using fake or forged hechsherim.

In the latest newsletter, the Rabbanut had a very interesting announcement. They wrote that during an inspection in an olive oil factory in a not-Jewish area, the Rabbanut inspectors discovered a cache of labels declaring the olive oil, called "Shemen HaYeshuos" - the oil of salvation - as oil that was blessed by Rav Mordechai Ifergan.



While not actually having any supervision or certification from any authorized kashrut agency, the oil had a kosher stamp on it.

The Rabbanut informed Rav Ifergan as to their discovery, and Rav Ifergan denied any knowledge of the oil production, along with any connection to it.

The Rabbanut announced that they take no responsibility for it - not for the kashrut of it, nor for the efficacy of the segulah of using it.

I thought that was interesting. While normally they would just denounce the use of a fake hechsher and take no responsibility for the kashrut, this time they also said they take no responsibility for the segulah.