By Rabbi Chaim Hillel Raskin
Muktza: There are several forms of muktza: (1) Kli shemelachto l’issur – a tool meant to be used for prohibited melacha (hammer, phone). (2) Muktza machmas issur)- something which has no permissible use at all on Shabbos (flame, oil of a flame )1. (3)Muktza machmas chesron kis – a valuable melacha tool2 (shochet’sknife). While the first type may be moved on Shabbos for a permissible purpose (to crack a nut) or to clear its space (but not to save the hammer),3 the latter two may not be moved at all.4
Both the flame5 of the menorah and the oil (which moving it adjusts the flame) are muktza machmas issur and thus cannot be moved.6The menorah is a kli shemelachto l’issur (designated for igniting flames),7 and an expensive menorah may also be muktza machmas chesron kis.8
Bosis: A surface upon which muktza was intentionally placed and remained there during the onset of Shabbos (bein hashmashos) attains the same muktza status as the object which is resting on it (bosis) even after that muktza item is gone.9 Since the table served as a bosis for the flame when Shabbos entered it may not be moved even after it was extinguished.10
If a permissible item was initially placed on the table as well, an item of more importance11 than the muktza item (that if he had to take one he would choose that one), the table does not become abosis.12 If the table is noticeably designated for the muktza item (e.g. Shabbos candle tray, special menorah table), many acharonimhold it does not lose its bosis status by having an important non-muktza item on it.13
Solution: While it is prohibited to move muktza, it is permissible to move muktza with one’s body. As such, in our case, one may use his foot or back of his hands to move the table.14
1. שוע”ר סי’ ש”י ס”ד.
2. תהילה לדוד סי’ ש”ח סק”ג.
3. שוע”ר סי’ ש”ח סעיף י”ב.
4. שוע”ר סי’ ש”ח ס”ד – ו’.
5. שוע”ר סי’ רע”ט ס”א.
6. שוע”ר סי’ רע”ט ס”ב.
7. ראה שוע”ר סי’ רע”ט ס”ז.
8. ראה ילקו”י שבת א’-ד’ עמ’ ר”ו, אשרי האיש ח”ג עמ’ רל”ז, שו”ת דברי יציב או”ח סי קנ”א שש”כ פ”ב הערה רמ”ב, פסק”ת סימן רע”ט סק”ה. וראה חזון עובדיה שבת ח”א עמ’ רס”א.
9. שוע”ר סי’ ש”י סי”א.
10. שוע”ר סי’ רע”ט ס”א, שוע”ר סי’ רע”ז ס”ו.
11. בנוגע כיכר לחם ביחס לנר חנוכה ראה שוע”ר סי’ רע”ז ס”ו, קובץ התקשרות גליון 1064, ויל”ע במנורה של כסף.
12. שוע”ר סי’ ש”ט ס”ד וסי’ ש”י סט”ז.
13. ע”פ שוע”ר סי’ רע”ט ס”ד. וראה דעות בזה פסק”ת סימן רע”ז סקי”ב והערה 115 שם .
14. שוע”ר סי’ ש”ח סט”ו וכן שי”א סט”ו וראה סי’ רע”ו ס”י.
