[Avodah] Dollar Bills In the Bathroom?

[Rafi Hecht]

This reminds me of the Dead Sea scrolls, where everything else was
written in Ksav Ashuri except for the Shem Havaya, which was written
in Ksav Ivri, suggesting that the Sefer was permitted to be used in
any which way (and therefore wasn't a "Sefer Kadosh" per se). I also
wonder if this was a big reason for ancient Hebrew coins being
engraved with Ksav Ivri script rather than Ksav Ashuri.

Perhaps, then, Ksav Ashuri was used for "Chol" matters and Ksav Ivri
was used for "Kadosh" matters.

What then do we say about our script font?

Best Regards,
Rafi Hecht
rhecht at gmail.com
416-276-6925
www.rafihecht.com
---
Never Trust a Computer You Can't Throw Out a Window - Steve Wozniak



On Fri, Feb 4, 2011 at 8:41 AM, Prof. Levine <llevine at stevens.edu> wrote:
> From http://revach.net/article.php?id=4955
>
> It is not permissible to brings something with Hashem's name into a bathroom
> unless it is inside a double wrapped enclosure. What about a US dollar bill
> which says, "In G-d We Trust"? Must you leave your money outside or double
> bag it?
>
> The Shevet HaKehosi (3:271) brings the Shach (YD 179:11) who says that you
> may erase Hashem's name if it is written in another language, such as the
> word
> G-d. The Gilyon Maharshas adds that this is not the case if it is written in
> Ksav Ashuris. The Sdei Chemed says it is a machlokes whether we can erase
> Hashem's name written in foreign letters.
>
> Even those who hold that erasing Hashem's name written in foreign letters is
> assur, it is only if it spells Hashem's name in Lashon HaKodesh and not the
> foreign word for it. If it is a foreign term in foreign letters than
> according to most poskim it is muttar to erase. The exception is Rav Yaakov
> Emden who forbids even this. However the source for Rav Yaakov Emden's issur
> is unclear and the Keses Sofer says that he may have meant only
> unnecessarily.
>
> Furthermore says the Shevet HaKehosi the dollar bills are not written by
> anyone with any kavana for Shem Hashem, it is merely printed by a machine.
> Therefore he concludes that it has no Kedusha and may be taken into a
> bathroom, but if someone wants to be machmir, Tavo Alav Bracha.
>
>