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Rabbanit yehoshua the laws of muktzeh part 1
Muktzeh (Hebrew: מוקצה; also transliterated as muktzah, and either spelling without the ending -h) is a Hebrew word that means "separated", or "set aside". The generally accepted view regarding these items is that they may be touched though not moved during Shabbat (the Jewish Sabbath) or Yom Tov (Jewish holiday). Some extend this prohibition to the actual handling of these items. Halakha defines various categories of objects or substances which are "set aside" on the Jewish Sabbath, as well as various permissible instances of moving these various muktzeh items. For example, one may not handle money, rocks, twigs, etc. on Shabbat, as these items are muktzeh.
Contents
The consensus among the halakhic authorities is that muktzeh is an issur d'rabbanan (a rabbinic prohibition), rather than a d'oreisa (biblical prohibition).
The laws of muktzeh can be divided into two distinct subjects:
Muktzeh project
General concept
Muktzeh is essentially a restriction on objects that were not 'prepared' before the Sabbath. The absence of preparedness in this sense means that the vast majority of people would not expect to use this particular item or substance on Shabbat.
Categories
There are six main categories of muktzeh, each one with different halakhic ramifications: