The muktzeh status of snow

Hi,

Fresh snow is considered 'nolad', something which was created that day, and therefore it is muktzeh.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 5:22:37)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Frozen food on Shabbat

Hi,

Food that is frozen is not automatically muktzeh on Shabbat; when Shabbat started, there was sufficient time to thaw and use it on Shabbat. However, food which one specifically freezes before Shabbat, planning to use it on a later occasion, is rendered muktzeh due to one's intent.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 5:22:35)

Have a  great day,
Mordechai

The pen on the table on Shabbos

Hi,

Where a pen or other kli shem'lachto l'issur was left on a table before Shabbos, and there is no reason to remove it other than the fact that its presence appears to detract from the honour of Shabbos, one should leave it there. The fact that we don't move it is a greater tribute to the honour of Shabbos.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igros Moshe Orach Chaim 5:22:31)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Friday's wet laundry, on Shabbat

Hi,

Clothing which was wet on Friday, but which one had expected to dry out in time to be used on Shabbat, is not muktzeh.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 5:22:26)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Digital watches on Shabbat

Hi,

There is no obligation to cover a button on a digital watch on Shabbat, unless one is concerned that he might hit it by accident.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 5:22:25)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Are canned goods muktzeh?

Hi,

A can which is sealed, such that opening it on Shabbat would be prohibited, is still not muktzeh. The contents are not "useless"; there are circumstances in which one could ask a non-Jew to open it, and the contents would be permitted for a Jew.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 5:22:24)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Moving a fan on Shabbos

Hi,

One may move a fan on Shabbos in order to cause it to blow on him, or to not blow on him. [This assumes that moving it would not disrupt the flow of electricity.] This is called moving a kli shem'lachto l'issur l'tzorech gufo.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 5:22:22 and Rivivot Ephraim 1:235)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Buttons on Shabbat

Hi,

A button which falls off a garment on Shabbat is muktzeh, because it is useless on Shabbat - unless there is some use one could make of it.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 5:22:20)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Catalogues on Shabbat

Hi,

A catalogue of products for purchase is muktzeh on Shabbat, because it is dedicated for business, unless it has been designated for a permitted purpose [such as a makeshift booster seat for children].

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 5:22:19)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Replacing a wheel on Shabbat

Hi,

One may not put a wheel back on a wheeled device on Shabbat. Even where the wheel is not attached with screws and one intends to attach it loosely, there is concern lest one attach it firmly.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 5:22:18)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Reviewing the laws of Shehechiyanu

Hi,

With Tu b'Shevat happening this coming Shabbat, and an associated custom of eating special fruit, here are some of the laws of Shehechiyanu:

One who sees a seasonal, newly available fruit, and feels great joy at seeing it, recites the berachah of Shehechiyanu; this should be done before reciting the berachah on eating the fruit.  Technically, one recites Shehechiyanu even when seeing someone else's fruit, but we generally recite the blessing only upon eating; this is when most people feel the greatest joy. One who eats many types of new fruit at the same sitting should recite one collective Shehechiyanu.

One does not recite Shehechiyanu on underripe fruit, even if it is somewhat edible. One does recite Shehechiyanu on cooked fruit.

Fruit which is available via import all year still warrants a Shehechiyanu when it begins to grow locally and one eats it for the first time, if the local fruit is fresher or better. Fruits which are available during two distinct times of the year, with a significant (at least one month) period of non-availability between them, warrant Shehechiyanu each time the fruit becomes available and its presence induces joy.

One should avoid reciting Shehechiyanu on fruit produced via a graft prohibited by the Torah. The berachah is not recited for items which receive a berachah of "borei pri ha'adamah". One whose personal joy is not that great should not recite Shehechiyanu.

(Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 225:3, 6; Mishneh Berurah 225:11-12, 18; Aruch haShulchan 225:7, 12; Birkei Yosef 225:4; Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 1:87, 2:58, 3:34)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

Tu b'Shevat is coming!

Hi,

Tu b'Shevat [celebrated on Shabbat January 25-26 this year] is the equivalent of the tax season's January 1, in the Jewish tithing calendar for Israeli produce: It is the first day of the financial year. Therefore, tree-fruit which blossoms before Tu b'Shevat is tithed as part of one tithing cycle, and tree-fruit which blossoms after Tu b'Shevat is tithed in a different cycle.

To celebrate this day, and to express gratitude for the edible fruit of our trees, many Jews eat fruit on Tu b'Shevat.

(Mishneh Berurah 131:31)

[How do the different tithing cycles work? I'm glad you asked:
Each year's produce is tithed differently. In all non-shemitah years, 2% goes to the Kohanim and 10% to the Levites, but in certain years another 10% is brought to Yerushalayim to be eaten there, and in other years that last 10% is given to the needy.
Also: one may not tithe one year's produce using another year's produce.
Aren't you glad you asked?]

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Berachot in the [early] morning

Hi,

One who rises before first light recites the morning blessings [Birkot haShachar], but should not recite the berachah of "Asher natan lasechvi vinah" until after dawn.

(Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 47:19)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Removing inedible items from the table on Shabbat

Hi,

Inedible remains from one's meal are muktzeh on Shabbat, because they are useless. Where they are repellent and so their presence prevents desired use of the room, one may remove them; this is the leniency of "graf shel re'i". However, it would be better to remove them by using an implement to brush them away.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 5:22:13)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Rendering an object 'muktzeh machmat chisaron kis'

Hi,

We have learned that items which are particularly fragile and/or valuable, such that people don't normally handle them, are "muktzeh machmat chisaron kis" and one may not handle them on Shabbat.

Designating a space for the safekeeping of an item is a way to define an item as "muktzeh machmat chisaron kis", but this depends upon intent. We designate spaces for many items for the sake of their utility or for keeping a room clean, and this does not render those items "muktzeh machmat chisaron kis".

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 5:22:12)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Status of a tray beneath candlesticks on Shabbos

Hi,

A candlestick tray which is dedicated for that purpose, and which is beneath the lit candlesticks, is muktzeh for all of Shabbos; this is called basis l'davar ha'assur. Even if the candlesticks are removed, the tray remains muktzeh. Placing a non-muktzeh item on the tray along with the candlesticks before Shabbos does not help, because the tray is dedicated for use with the candlesticks.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 5:22:11)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

"An unusual way"

Hi,

There are times when we permit carrying a muktzeh item in "an unusual way".

Carrying something on the back of one's hand is not considered sufficiently unusual. Carrying it with one's elbow is sufficiently unusual.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 5:22:8)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Noisemaking toys on Shabbat

Hi,

It is inappropriate to give children noisemaking toys to play with on Shabbat.

These toys have "kli shem'lachto l'issur" status for adults, and therefore they may be moved for the sake of a permitted use or for the sake of use of their space - but only if moving them would not trigger the noisemaking mechanism.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 5:22:7)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Are wall hangings muktzeh?

Hi,

Items which have no function are in the category of muktzeh machmat gufo on Shabbat. However, items which are hung on a wall for beauty have a function - their beauty is their function. Therefore, they are not muktzeh.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 5:21:13)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Using a hammer to smash nuts on Shabbos: Ideal?

Hi,

On Shabbat, a utensil which is normally used for prohibited purposes is muktzeh; this is called "kli shem'lachto l'issur. However, one may use such an implement for a permitted purpose. Therefore, one may use a hammer to smash nuts, or a scissors to cut open a bag in a permitted way.

Ideally, one should look for a kli shem'lachto l'heter - a utensil which is normally used for permitted purposes - before using a kl shem'lachto l'issur. However, one need not go on an extended search and burden himself in order to find such a utensil.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 5:21:12)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Are cars muktzeh?

Hi,

Cars are not muktzeh, because people use them as protected places to leave their valuables. Therefore, one may open and close a car door on Shabbat, assuming this will not turn a light on or off. However, this should be avoided in a place where people will see and will not realize it is permitted.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 5:21:11)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Taking clothes from a dryer on Shabbos

Hi,

Clothing which was left in a dryer knowingly before Shabbos, and which had been ready for use when Shabbos started, may be used on Shabbos. However, where one simply forgot they were there, we assume that he did not intend to use them, and they are viewed as muktzeh; placing them in the wash removed them from normal use, and they were not re-introduced into use.

[Of course, any withdrawal of clothing from a dryer will be permitted only if opening the dryer would not turn on a light.]

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 5:21:10)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Handling graf shel re'i on Shabbos

Hi,

We are permitted to remove an otherwise-muktzeh item from a room we are using, if the item is disgusting and its repellence would keep us from using the space. However, because the item is muktzeh, it would be ideal to have someone who is not Jewish do the removal.

One should not ask a minor to remove it, lest he grow up thinking that the removal is entirely permissible.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 5:21:9)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Looseleaf binders: Muktzeh?

Hi,

Blank paper is muktzeh on Shabbat, because the paper is kept to be used for writing. [The Magen Avraham (308:10) labels this muktzeh machmas chisaron kis.] However, bound volumes which contain some blank pages are not muktzeh.

Looseleaf binders which hold both written material and blank pages are made muktzeh by the blank pages if their collection together is meant to be temporary, allowing one to remove pages permanently at any time. The blank pages should be removed before Shabbos.

Where the pages are meant to stay in the binder long-term, though, with only occasional removal of a page for temporary use, then the binder is not muktzeh.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 5:21:8)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Putting up window shades on Shabbat

Hi,

One should not leave window shades to be put up on Shabbat, due to the strain involved. However, should shades fall from their place on Shabbat, one would be allowed to put them back up. They are not considered muktzeh when they fall.


(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 5:21:6)

[I am not sure why Rav Moshe does not discuss the potential problem of construction here. Perhaps, as appears likely from the wording of his responsum, he is discussing shades which are routinely attached and removed.]

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Electricity and kli shem'lachto l'issur

Hi,

The fact that an item has an electric light attached to it does not automatically render the item muktzeh; where there is no likelihood that one would turn off the light (such as a light illuminating the face of an electric watch, or a light that indicates an urn is operational) then the light does not render the item muktzeh.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 5:21:4)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Muktzeh due to concern for loss

Hi,

Items are muktzeh if one is so worried about them being damaged that he refrains from handling or using them. This category of muktzeh is called "muktzeh machmat chisaron kis".

Items which are expensive, but which people normally handle and use, are not muktzeh machmat chisaron kis.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 5:21:3)

Have a great day,
Mordechai