Maranan Verabonon called upon the public to buy a shofar only with a good hechsher. Some cases were found of holes that certainly invalidated the shofar that had been sealed up with silicon in a way that could not be detected without sanding it down by machine. The following is a translation of a notice that was published in the Hebrew Yated Ne'eman of 7 Elul.
In recent years the manufacture of shofaros was in the hands of people who are not shomrei Torah and careful in halochoh. After careful examination, many shofaros, including some that were sold at high prices, were found to have holes that were closed with a glue that is not of the right kind, in a way that there is a chashash of a psul that prevents fulfilling the mitzvah. One who is not expert cannot detect the presence of the [filled] hole.
Therefore we come to ask the community to be careful to buy a shofar that has a reliable hechsher. Shofaros that were bought previously should be checked by an expert to determine its kashrus. It is a great mitzvah for anyone who knows how to find these problems, to help remove the stumbling block and check the kashrus of shofaros.
May we merit to hear the shofar of Moshiach bimheiroh beyomeinu.
Signed to fence the breach
Menachem Mendel Shafran
Sariel Rosenberg
Yehuda Silman
Yaakov Meir Stern
Moshe Shaul Klein
Shevach Tzvi Rosenblat
A.Y.L. Shteinman
I also join
S.Y. Nissim Karelitz
Chaim Kanievsky
