[Avodah] T'uM

[Richard Wolpoe]

On Mon, Jul 7, 2008 at 4:24 PM, Zev Sero <zev at sero.name> wrote:

>
>
>
>  Paper Money is like pre-written checks. It has no intrinsic value, other
>> than the paper and the artwork, etc.
>>
>
> That is one possible way to see things (though as above, not for
> hilchot muktzeh).  But the fact is that it's not like a cheque; it
> does have intrinsic value, if only by the government's fiat.
> A cheque is not money, it's merely a promise to pay money; and that
> promise can be cancelled.  A note or a coin makes no sort of promise
> at all; if you present a $10 note to the Treasury, all they'll give
> you for it is two $5s.  Its value comes from the fact that the law
> says that if you give it to your creditor the debts are cancelled,
> and from the fact that everybody agrees to accept it.  The question
> is to what extent halacha takes notice of this.
>
>
>
> --
> Zev Sero
>


In Golden Acres the yused to sell "shabbos scrip" to "buy things on Shabbos
[like extgra wine or pay for a baby sittter] The scrip was NOT legal tender
but it was equivalent to legal tender

>From a strictly puritanical vewi once the US governmetn stopped paying gold
or silver for paper miny it is ARGUABKLE that all w have is US Scrip instead
of Golden Acres Scrip.

Coins are different, albeit they have little intrinsic value nowdays either.


But I have questioned whether $10.00 of our paper money as really being
> worth more than the $5.00 Hallah.
>
> Since the basis of muktzeh is how people regard things, the $10 note
> is certainly worth more *to its owner* than the $5 challah.
>
Is a shtar chovvv [in other words an IOU or p[romissory note] with $10.00
face-value  really muktzeh on Shabbos? It may be assur to read as "shitrei
hedyotos" but is it really muktzeh?

If TODAY"S US money - no longer back by gold/silver is ONLY a promissory
note - then it might not even be muktzeh at all
-- 
Kol Tuv / Best Regards,
RabbiRichWolpoe at Gmail.com
see: http://nishmablog.blogspot.com/
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