Rav,

I want to share with you something that’s bugging me for the longest time, and need your usual common sense to give me some clarity.

If I recall, Yanom stam was forbidden back in the day, when this was a risk in that society that Jews and Goyim mix, and become too close.

Later, the prohibition of Yayin A’KuM came about, basically as a reaction of the growing idol-worshipper population, and their impact on wineries.

I never understood the complicated and pretty much fabricated “kabbalistic” extra prohibitions (even if they look, can’t say kiddush, or touch the bottle etc) because to me those are just superstitions without any factual value (I don’t mean to offend any one’s sensitivities, but making a kabbalistic argument about something that was actually totally permitted before, to me sounds like reaching).

Today though wine lost it’s standing as the drink of worship and definitely, the many bottles of different wines without kosher markings are just what they are – fermented grapes. Not objects of worship, not a part of any idolatry.

I am wondering if it could be today permissible to buy a bottle of wine without the usual 3-6 heksherim on the wine, and even – Lord save my soul – drink it over Passover.

Granted, if I know a bottle of wine was made by a priest, I will not buy it. But a stam bottle in the store? I don’t see the problem.

I am really looking forward to reading your response.

Thank you.