Siman 308 – Muktza

156. A kli that you are makpid on not to use it or move it for anything other than its intended purpose lest it get damaged or dirty is called: **Muktza Machmas Chesron Kis**. You may not move it even for its place or for a use (that is allowed on Shabbos). (ShA 1 – MB 2)

157. If you personally are not makpid on your kli, it isn’t under this strict muktza category. (MB 6)

158. Items set aside as merchandise are muktza – you don’t want them to be used. But again, if you aren’t makpid they aren’t muktza. (Rama 1 – MB 7)

159. Large and heavy kelim might not normally be moved, but that doesn’t make them muktza unless you are afraid of breaking them. (ShA 2 – MB 8)

160. A vessel manufactured for a use that is forbidden on Shabbos (even mid’rabbonon) is classified as : **Kli Shem’lachto l’issur**. You are allowed to move it for a use permitted on Shabbos (“l’tzorech gufo”) or if it is in your way and you need its place (“l’tzorech m’komo”). You may not move the kli just to protect it. (ShA 3 – BeH “kli”)

161. A multi-tool which the majority of its functions are forbidden on Shabbos is also classified a kli shem’lachto l’issur. But if it is 50-50, it’s not muktza at all. (MB 10, 20)

162. The only time you are allowed to use a kli shem’lachto l’issur l’tzorech gufo, is when there is no kli hetter that can do the same job. (MB 12)

163. Once you lift a kli shem’lachto l’issur with permission, you are allowed to put it down whenever you wish. (ShA 3)

164. You are allowed to move any muktza with other parts of your body (other than your hands). For example: kick it with your foot. (MB 13, 30)

165. You may instruct a gentile directly to move a kli shem’lachto l’issur in order to protect it. (MB 15)

166. You may move any muktza by blowing it. (Rama 3)

167. A clean empty pot is a kli shem’lachto l’issur. A dirty one is muktza but may be moved out of the living area because of graf shel r’ee. If food is still in the pot, the pot is not muktza at all. (MB 20, BeH “kli”)

168. A kli shem’lachto l’hetter can be moved even to protect it, but for no purpose at all it is forbidden to move. Sefarim (that are allowed to be read) and food are allowed to be moved for no purpose at all. Tableware and dishes are disputed – some say they are like food while others are machmir not to move even these for no purpose at all. (ShA 4 – MB 22, 23)

169. Tefillin: Some say that they are melachto l’issur and should only be moved l’tzorech gufo (to protect you from demons) or m’komo. However, you can be maykil to move Tefillin even to protect them from damage. (MB 24)

170. Some poskim allow moving a kli shem’lachto l’issur for its protection by placing a non-muktza item on it first. You can rely on these poskim in cases of great financial loss. (ShA 5 – MB 26 – ShaH 24)

171. Vessels that broke even on Shabbos and have no use anymore for any job are muktza machmas gufo. If the broken piece can still do a job, it does not lose its status – whether it is a kli hetter or a kli shem’lachto l’issur. (ShA6 – MB 28 – BeH “kul”)

172. If the broken pieces can cause harm by leaving them near people, you may clear them out of harm’s way. (Rama 6)

173. If you choose to discard the broken vessel before Shabbos, the piece is muktza. But if you threw it away on Shabbos that doesn’t make it muktza. (ShA 7 – MB 32)

174. Anything that is not a kli is not allowed to be moved, even l’tzorech gufo. (Rama 7)

175. A wick is a kli shem’lachto l’issur. So is a candle. It is muttar to move it out of the way. (MB 34 – ShaH 279:4)

176. A door that separates from a free standing cabinet is still deemed as a kli hetter even if it can do no other job – it will be reattached later. But a door that separates from a building is deemed as muktza machmas gufo even if it has a muttar job – it was never part of a kli. (ShA 8 – MB 35)

177. A kli that was muktza machmas chesron kis when Shabbos began remains muktza even if it breaks later on Shabbos and is now usable as a regular kli. (MB 35)

178. You are allowed to remove a free standing cabinet door from the cabinet on Shabbos, but you may not attempt to reattach it. (ShA 9)

179. A lid for a pit might not be muktza but it is forbidden to put on (looks like Boneh) or take off (looks like Sosair) of the pit. If the lid is fashioned with a handle, then it is evident that it is a kli and meant to be taken off and on all the time – it is therefore not considered Boneh and Sosair. (ShA 10 – MB 42)

180. Can you use a needle to remove a splinter if it will definitely bleed? The Magen Avraham says no, However the Chemed Moshe says yes and he has the support of Rishonim. (BeH “hakotz”)

181. A rag that measures 3 fingerbreadths by 3 fingerbreadths is still usable and therefore not muktza. But it is only for a poor person. If the owner is rich, the rag must measure 3 tefachim squared. (ShA 13 – MB 52 )

182. If a kli shem‘lachto l’issur is in your shoe, you may remove it since you will need its place (“tzorech m’komo”) (ShA 14)

183. If the sole falls off a shoe the shoe is muktza as a broken, unusable kli. It is ossur to wear the shoe unless it is in public and you suffer embarrassment (“kavod habrios”). (MB 62)

184. A wet garment, wet enough to wet something else, during bain hashmashos – is muktza for the entire Shabbos even though it is now completely dried. (MB 63)

185. **The Broken Bench**:

1. If you are worried that someone will get hurt – you may move it away. (BeH “d’ossur”)
2. If a leg cracked off – you can still move the bench to prop it up on a raised level surface. (MB 69)
3. If it is just a matter of reinserting a leg or two that fell off of the bench – we are concerned lest you bang it in hard. This would entail makeh b’patish. Therefore leave it all alone – its muktza. (Rama 16 – MB 68)
4. You may sit on a broken bench. (MB 70)
5. If you used the bench as is, to sit on before Shabbos – there is no longer a concern of your banging in the leg. (MB 71)
6. If this bench has purposely loose legs, you are allowed to reinsert them loosely. (compare Duplo-Lego) (MB 72)

186. Bricks for building are muktza. However, if the building is finished and there are leftover bricks, they can be used for permitted purposes as long as the bricks have not been redesignated for other building. Some poskim hold that you must still think about using the bricks before Shabbos. (ShA 17 – MB 73)

187. Broken bricks aren’t muktza as long as they are still usable. (MB 73)

188. The Torah is very machmir about not leaving your things in a public domain – even those that aren’t likely to damage anyone (e.g. small stone, pottery shard). (BeH “koitz”)

189. A thorn is something which is likely to hurt someone if left in the public domain. You are allowed to pick it up and carry it by stopping before you reach every 4 amos. Leave it on the side where people don’t walk. The same object found in a karmelis can be carried regularly because in a situation of public danger Chazal withheld their decree. (ShA 18 – MB 75, 76)

190. A house ladder of any size is not muktza. (MB 78)

191. Plain pieces of wood are muktza. (MB 81)

192. If the wood moves by sitting on it, it's okay. Still, it is fitting to refrain from this if you don’t need to sit on the wood. (MB 82)

193. Stones and logs that you want to use for permitted purposes on Shabbos can be transformed into kaylim before Shabbos by one of the following ways:

1. Permanent designation. This can be done even mentally.
2. Regular use of the object before Shabbos.
3. Physically altering the object before Shabbos in a way that is evident that it is now standing for the intended use for the upcoming Shabbos. (ShA 22 – MB 91, 93, 94)
4. Some poskim hold that if you want to use the object for something which people commonly use it for, temporary designation (for one Shabbos only) is sufficient. If you really need to, you can rely on this shitta. (ShA 22 – MB 97)

195. When swatting away flies, be careful not to kill them. (MB 99)

196. Dressing a wound is not considered r’fuah. It merely protects the wound from being scratched. (ShA 24)

197. Scraps leftover from a meal, like bones and peels, are muktza assuming that no farm animals and birds would eat them. However, if some food is still stuck to the scrap, it isn’t muktza. (ShA 27 – MB 114)

198. How do you remove these scraps from the table?

1. Tip the tabletop so the scraps fall off – tiltul min hatzad.
2. Scrape them off with a knife – tiltul min hatzad.

These two methods are allowed only if you need the table.

3. If they disgust you, you may remove them normally – Graf shel r’ee.

(ShA 27 – MB 115)

199. If there is muktza on the table, you are not allowed to move the table unless the table is blocking the space that you need. If you merely want to move the table to use the table somewhere else, and tilting off the muktza is not feasible – you may be allowed to put a loaf of bread on the table with the mukzta. Now the muktza is bottel to the loaf and you can move the table. (ShA 27 – MB 116)

200. Scraps of bones and shells that are edible for animals (or birds) which are common to be found where you live, are not muktza. If the scraps are eaten only by rare animals, the scraps are muktza unless you own one. (ShA 29)

201. Therefore, if dogs are common, bones aren’t muktza – even if you personally do not own a dog. (Rama 29 – MB 120)

202. All peels and pits that are fit for animal consumption are not muktza. If they are not fit, eat away the fruit and throw away the pit – they are muktza. (BeH “gar’inay”)

203. You can be maykil to move the pits of apples and pears because sometimes people eat the entire fruit. Plum pits have food inside and are certainly not muktza. (BeH “gar’inay)

204. Any foul matter that is in your living space may be removed normally. Even if it is merely laying around where people walk by, it is considered graf shel r’ee. (ShA 34 – MB 130, 131)

205. If the graf is full and nothing more can be put into it – you can take it out normally and return it as long as you didn’t put it down. (MB 134, 137)

206. Animals and birds are muktza like sticks and stones. (ShA 39 – MB 146)

207. The prohibition of muktza applies even in cases of financial loss. (MB 146)

208. There are 3 levels of moving animals from strict to lenient:

1. Magbeehin – Lifting completely off the floor. This is always ossur.
2. Mad’din – Any animal or bird (except for a chicken) is allowed to be held by the side and directed in order to ease tzaar baalay chaim. This is allowed only in reshus hayochid.
3. Dochin – Even a chicken is allowed to be pushed from behind to direct it home so it wont go lost. This is allowed even in reshus harabim. (ShA 40 – MB 150, 151, 152 – ShaH 121)
4. You are not allowed to carry a child on your shoulders in a carmelis (and certainly not in reshus harabim) even if he is able to walk on his own. What you can do is hold his hands and direct him to toddle along – just make sure that he always has one foot on the ground. (ShA 41 0 MB 154)

210. Anything that you fix for use on Shabbos could be an issur of tikkun kli. For example: breaking off a shard of a cracked pottery dish to use as a lid, or to crack off the uneven edges so it is usable. (ShA 94 – MB 156)

211. Balls are not muktza but do not play with them outside of reshus hayochid. On Yom Tov you can play ball even in reshus horabim. On both Shabbos and Yom Tov, no ball playing is allowed on ground that is not paved – you might come to level the ground. Do no protest against women and children that do this since they won’t listen anyhow. (Rama 45 – MB 158)

212. A shatnez garment is muktza on Shabbos. You might have some belonging to a gentile in your possession – they are muktza. (ShA 47 – MB 161)

213. A fly swatter is a kli she’mlachto l’issur, but you can use it to shoo the flies away. (ShA 48 – MB 162)

214. A sundial or hourglass is made to measure time – measuring is forbidden on Shabbos therefore these instruments are considered as kli she’mlachto l’issur. (ShA 51 – MB 167)

215. A pocket watch is a kli hetter, but a wall clock or grandfather clock is a kli she’mlachto l’issur. (MB 168)

216. An item owned by a wealthy man who considers it junk and unusable is muktza for everyone. But if the man deems the item unusable because of his personal nedder, it is not muktza even for the owner. (MB 170)