Siman - Shabbos Daf 123
- Status of a broken sewing needle
Rav Yosef taught that a sewing needle that had its eye or point removed, is not muktzeh since it can still be used to remove a splinter. The Gemara brings a Mishnah from Keilim that teaches that a needle that has had its eye or point removed is not mekabel tumah, because it no longer has the status of a kli, and asks why according to Rav Yosef the needle is not muktzeh if it is not considered a kli?
• Abaye answers and says, לענין טומאה כלי מעשה בעינן, for an item to be susceptible to tumah it must be a fashioned vessel. לענין שבת מידי דחזי בעינן, for an item not be classified as muktzeh we require it be fit for use, and this needle is fit to remove a splinter.
• Rava disagrees with Rav Yosef and says that whatever is not considered a kli for tumah is not considered a kli for Shabbos, and therefore this type of needle is muktzeh.
- מוקצה מחמת חסרון כיס
In the second Mishnah on the Daf, Rabbi Yose says, כל הכלים ניטלין חוץ מן המסר הגדול ויתד של מחרשה – All keilim may be moved on Shabbos except for a large saw and the blade of a plow.
Rashi explains that since the owner is particular about them and designates a place to store them, they are muktzeh. This category of muktzeh is called מוקצה מחמת חסרון כיס, muktzeh because one sets it aside for fear of potential monetary loss. The Gemara brings additional examples.
- Historical background of muktzeh
The Gemara provides the historical development of muktzeh. Nechemiah ben Chachaliah enacted the restrictions of muktzeh in the days of Bayis Sheini because people were lax in Shabbos observance. Initially the decree was extremely strict, and only three commonly used keilim were permitted to move.
As shemiras Shabbos improved, the Rabbonon eased their restrictions numerous times, as a Baraisa teaches, התירו וחזרו והתירו וחזרו והתירו – they permitted movement of additional keilim, then they further permitted and they further permitted, until the only keilim that could not be moved at all were מוקצה מחמת חסרון כיס, muktzeh for fear of monetary loss.
There is a machlokes between Abaye and Rava regarding how the restrictions were lifted.
