[Avodah] "everything was kosher"

[Zev Sero]

On 28/03/2013 2:27 PM, Prof. Levine wrote:
>
> Years ago a rebbitzen told me that only the chocolate flavor of a certain
> brand of pudding was kosher,  despite the fact that the other flavors
> manufactured by this company also had a K on it.  This seemed strange to
> me,  so I wrote to the company.  They sent me information about the rabbi
> who was behind the K.  This rabbi's supervisions were not considered
> reliable by most observant Jews.  I wrote to him and asked him detailed
> questions about the kashrus of the puddings he supervised.  His reply was,
> "All of the flavors may be considered acceptable."  He supplied no specifics
> regarding his basis for this statement and did not answer one of my questions.
> Based on this, I decided that the rebbitzen really did not have any basis
> for saying the only the chocolate flavor was OK.

The facts as you have presented them are insufficient to support that
conclusion.  You presumed that the rebbetzin, or her informant (or his
informant, etc.), could not have had information that you didn't.

-- 
Zev Sero               A citizen may not be required to offer a 'good and
zev at sero.name          substantial reason' why he should be permitted to
                        exercise his rights. The right's existence is all
                        the reason he needs.
                            - Judge Benson E. Legg, Woollard v. Sheridan