General Laws of Muktzeh

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  1. The Rabbis forbad moving certain items on Shabbat in order that one’s actions on Shabbat will be distinguished from the rest of the week. [1]

Categories of Muktzeh

  1. There’s two general categories of Muktzeh 1)severe Muktzeh and 2)light Muktzeh. In general, items that never used on Shabbat are considered severe Muktzeh, while items that are sometimes used as considered light Muktzeh (see further). [2]

Items that are excluded from Muktzeh

Definition

  1. Certain items that Chazal excluded from the laws of Muktzeh altogether are non-Muktzeh. [3]

Rules

  1. It’s permissible to move or touch a non-Muktzeh item even for no purpose at all. [4]

Examples

  • Food and drinks [5]
  • Food Utensils including dishes, glasses, and silverware [6]
  • Sefarim (holy books which are permissible to read) [7]

Further examples

  1. Some consider the following to be exceptions to muktzeh just like the above examples.
  • chairs that will be used for sitting [8]
  • clothing that will be used on Shabbat [9]
  • empty bottles for drinks [10]
  • keys to the house [11]
  • serving utensils [12]
  • tablecloth [13]
  • talit bag [14]

References

  1. Mishna Brurah (Intro to Siman 308) quoting the Rambam (Shabbat 24:12)
  2. The Weekly Halacha Discussion (vol 2 pg 335) breaks up Muktzeh into these two general categories.
  3. see further; Tiltulei Shabbat (pg 19)
  4. S”A 308:4 rules that holy books and food may be moved for no purpose at all as they weren’t included in the gezerah of Muktzeh at all. Tiltulei Shabbat (pg 18)
  5. S”A 308:4
  6. Mishna Brurah 308:23 rules that food utensils may be moved even for no purpose at all even though some authorities hold that food utensils are considered Kli Sh’Melachto LeHeter and not non-Muktzeh. [Since the language of Mishna Brurah is the utensils that are on the table and used often aren’t Muktzeh seemingly including serving utensils.] So rules Tiltulei Shabbat (pg 19) (with the language of many authorities versus some authorities). Menuchat Ahava 12:2 rules leniently but adds that it's preferable to be strict.
  7. S”A 308:4 writes that Kitvei Kodesh, holy books, are non-Muktzeh. Mishna Brurah 308:22 adds that the Pri Megadim and Eliyah Rabba consider a megillah in this category even though the Pri Chadash 688:6 considers it Muktzeh (See Sharei Teshuva 308:2). The Tiltulei Shabbat (pg 32) also rules leniently.
  8. Shalmei Yehuda 6:1
  9. Shalmei Yehuda 4:1 writes that clothing that will be used on Shabbat is considered non-Muktzeh according to all, while clothing that won’t be used on Shabbat, some consider it non-Muktzeh while others consider it Kli Sh’Melachto LeHeter.
  10. Shalmei Yehuda 6:1
  11. Shalmei Yehuda 6:1
  12. Shalmei Yehuda 6:1 writes in the name of Rav Elyashiv and another Talmid Chacham that the exception from the laws of Muktzeh includes anything that’s always used on Shabbat such as a chair, a house key, tablecloth, empty bottle, talit bag. If so, certainly serving utensils are also included.
  13. Shalmei Yehuda 6:1
  14. Shalmei Yehuda 6:1