| If I forgot money on my
pillow before Shabbos, is my pillow muktze? One of the stipulations for transforming an item into a basis l’davar
ha’assur 1is that the muktze be purposely placed on the heter.2
Yet, we find a machlokes as to the intricacies of purposely placing items.
One opinion holds that an item will become a basis
if the muktze is placed on top of it with the intention that it remain there for
the entire bein hashmashos (twilight), even though it is known that it will be
subsequently removed (after twilight) either by a child or by a non-Jew. 3
The other opinion holds that the muktze must be
placed there with the intention that it remain there for the entire Shabbos
otherwise the heter does not become a basis. The Mishna Berura 4rules
that the halacha is according to the first opinion but when a loss may be incurred
one may rely on the second opinion. For example:
- If one purposely placed money in a Shabbos jacket intending
to remove it before Shabbos, the pocket will not become a basis l’davar
ha’assur because there was no intention to leave it there for Shabbos.
- Money placed on a pillow or blanket in the process of
emptying pockets before Shabbos, will not render them a basis, for the same reason.
What am I supposed to do with it? May I
tilt it into a drawer?
Since the blanket, pillow or jacket did not become a basis
l’davar ha’assur for the reasons mentioned, the muktze items may be
tilted onto the floor because one needs to use the items. It is forbidden to carry the muktze
by use of the pillow solely for safekeeping the muktze, as that would be tiltul
min hatsad 5for the sake of an issur – the muktze item.
I would like, though, to lie on my
pillow but would also like to tilt the money into a drawer, is that permitted?
R’ Akiva Eiger learns from Rashi 6that
one is permitted to carry the muktze just as much as is necessary and not to
wherever he wants. He questions this saying, that once muktze is in one’s
hands b’heter, it should be permitted to take it anywhere. He remains b’tsorich
iyun. Harav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach explains that in this case, Chazal only
permitted exactly what was necessary, i.e. moving the muktze enough for one’s
needs. 7
Does the Shabbos table become muktze
because of the Shabbos candles?
A muktze item not only transforms the heter directly
beneath it, it also transforms anything below that as well, as long as it serves the muktze.
Since the table obviously serves everything placed above it, it becomes a basis as
well, and unless certain measures are taken to counter the candles the table will be
forbidden to move the entire Shabbos.
What measures are you referring to?
The Mishna Berura 8says that if one
places the challas on the table for the entire bein hashmashos, since they
are considered more important than the candles, the table becomes now a basis for a
permitted item that is more important than the muktze and hence is not a basis
l’davar ha’assur.
[1] A basis l’davar ha’assur is a non-muktze
item onto which a muktze was placed. The base can sometimes become muktze
because of the muktze placed on top of it.
[2] Simon 309:4.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Simon 309:21
[5] Indirect handling of a muktze.
[6] Shabbos 142b. The Mishna talks about a barrel with a rock placed on top
of it and it was not a basis. The Mishna says that one may tilt the rock in
order to use the barrel, and if there are barrels adjacent to this one, one may lift the
barrel with the rock, carry it and tilt it further away from the other barrels.
[7] Shulchan Shlomo 309:8.
[8] Simon 309:18.
Food For Thought
Does the tablecloth also become
a basis l’davar ha’assur as well?
Q Is a drawer with money, or other muktze
items, muktze?
Q How does one determine which item is
more important than the other?
Q If Reuven placed money on
Shimon’s table before Shabbos, does it render the table a basis l’davar
ha’assur?
Answers coming next week.
Vort on the Parsha
A special covenant of peace was bestowed upon
Pinchas for his act of bravery and zealousness. One might think that the reward for murder
would not be a peace medal, and yet we see the contrary.
A king set out on a war mission to protect his country and
subjects from an onslaught of barbarous tribes. Would you call this a war mission or a
peace one? Obviously the monarch wishes that peace reign in his kingdom and is doing his
utmost to maintain peace and security. Through war and battle he upholds tranquility.
Pinchas brought peace between Hashem and His people by
fighting a battle. The gemora says that enforcing law in the land eliminates the
necessity for Hashem to enforce it.
Therefore Hashem demonstrated that such an act is called
peace making, because it was performed with the correct intentions and motives. |
