1. Shreds of reeds that come off a mat are not muktzeh, bc they are still usable in the same capacity of the mats- covering dirt.

2. Remnants of a talis that are at least 3x3 finger-breadths are not muktzeh bc they can be patches. Smaller than 3x3 would be muktzeh

3. There a dispute between R Meir and R Yehuda whether shards of an oven are muktzeh. (In general, there’s a dispute between them if broken pieces of utensils are muktzeh on shabbks if they are still usable but not in the same way the utensil was) With the oven shards, R Meir says everyone should agree that they are not muktzeh bc one can hear fire underneath the shards and place dough flat on the shard and it will bake. R Yehuda responds that the shards are not used in the same way as the oven bc the fire in an oven is on the inside and the dough stands vertically, so the shards which work differently are viewed as נולד and muktzeh.

4. There’s a dispute about the capability for ovens to become tamei. R Yehuda says ovens only contract tumah if they were once part of the ground- attached firmly into the ground. But the rabbis says that portable ovens also contract tumah.

5. A muktzeh item can theoretically become not muktzeh if it becomes part of a kli before Shabbos. For example, if a rock is firmly placed inside a makeshift bucket (gourd shell) to help draw water then the rock isn’t muktzeh bc it’s part of the bucket.

6. There’s a dispute in the Gemara if this works only bc a significant act was done to the rock (firmly attaching it to the bucket). What about a rock that is simply placed on top of a barrel to be a cover? No big action was done to the rock to change it into usage but it was placed on top of the barrel. This is a dispute in the Gemara if the rock becomes non muktzeh by placement on the barrel. Acc the opinion that it’s ineffective, not only is the rock still muktzeh, it will also make the barrel a base for muktzeh which becomes muktzeh as well if the rock was intentionally left there.

7. Another scenario for this dispute is to designate rocks to become chairs on Shabbos. (There is one opinion that mental designation suffices) Its a dispute if wiping down the rocks (small action) would suffice to designate the rocks as non muktzeh.

8: Designation works for ordinary muktzeh but not for חיסרון כיס items the owner wouldn’t use for other things.

1. There are certain cases where a muktzeh item is very normal for it to be used also for as non muktzeh, like hardened branches of a palm tree that can also be used as as benches to sit on. In this case, the Gemara favors the opinion that mental designation suffices to make it non muktzeh.

2. Window shutters- R Eliezer is concerned that attaching them on Shabbos is like temporary building. So he only allows one to put in shutters that are always attached with rope to the wall and are suspended. But the rabanan are lenient and aren’t concerned for temporary building so they allow putting the shutter in even if they were on the ground.

Broadcast on:

08 Jul 2020