Lawmakers from the Shas party, a key ally in Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s new government, tabled on Tuesday a bill that would see the slogan “In God We Trust” featured on all legal tender minted by the Bank of Israel, Ynet reports.
The bill was co-sponsored by MKs Moshe Abutbul, Michael Malkieli, Yosef Taieb, Uriel Buso, and Yaakov Mergi. The conservative lawgivers argued that the bill should be passed into law since the addition of the phrase on currency does not cause harm to anyone.
The opposition is expected to vote against the proposed legislation should it go up for a Knesset vote. The coalition is also not guaranteed to support the bill, according to Ynet.
The bill’s patron Deputy Agriculture Minister Moshe Abutbul explained in his proposition: “The Jewish people believe in one simple truth: that everything is given by the grace of the Lord, including economic prosperity. Therefore, it’s important to pay thanks to the Lord and proclaim our faith on bills minted in the State of Israel.”
Abutbul also cited the United States as an example of a country that uses the phrase on its money and added that doing so would act as a talisman for Israel’s continued economic success.
{Matzav.com Israel}
Home of the brave.
Burning sentiments.
Not a good idea, I think! Although one may portend that if it’s printed on atheist American currency, for sure it ought be printed on Israeli currency! There is a difference! The G-d that Israeli money will boast is the בורא עולם and thus it need be written not in its complete spelling whereas U.S. currency is what deity they may think, but certainly not קדושת השם. Bathroom can be an issue. Destroying it can be an issue: why go there?
The U.S. first started putting “In G-d We Trust” on currency during the Civil War. The short-lived two cent piece was the first coin to carry this phrase. I don’t think we should want it added to Israeli currency because it will mean the Shem Hashem will be treated disrespectfully deliberately and accidentally. It will be even worse if G-d is fully written out in Hebrew, as it appears in seforim.
As Rav Moshe writes, the word g-d is not considered a name of Hashem. It would seem that any word in the jewish language to refer to Hashem will be Hashem’s name and therefore will be not be able to be brought into bathroom and other similar halachas. So not worth it, other than for those who do things just to feel good.
Shas Party Proposes Minting ‘In God We Trust’ On Money and cause Ben Gurion and Herzl to roll in their graves? Will the Zionist leaders also start to include G-d in their speeches or is this still too far on their horizon?
See Rosh Hashona 18B that Chazl was against this
Print all the money with “In G-d We Trust…..All Others Pay Cash”.