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The Sages prohibited moving anything that cannot be used for Shabbat and that a person therefore puts out of one's mind (maktzeh mi-da’ato) before Shabbat. There are two reasons for this prohibition:
- To preserve the character of Shabbat as a day of holiness and rest. Even hands should be at rest; the only objects they should engage are those connected to Shabbat.
- To set up a safeguard. If a person were to carry items on Shabbat in the same way one does on weekdays, one might end up doing a melakha with them or carrying them into the public domain.
There are a number of categories of muktzeh:
- Inherently muktzeh (muktzeh maĥmat gufo) – an object not fit for any use on Shabbat, such as rocks, gravel, sand, leaves, and garbage.
- Muktzeh because of monetary loss (muktzeh maĥmat ĥesron kis) – a valuable object that someone takes care not to handle except for its sole designated use, such as paper money, business documents, and credit cards.
- A base for a forbidden object (basis le-davar ha-asur) – an object or piece of furniture upon which muktzeh was intentionally placed before Shabbat, such as a bookbag or drawer in which someone left money or a phone.
- Something whose primary usage is forbidden (kli she-melakhto le-isur) – an object whose primary purpose is to perform an activity prohibited on Shabbat, such as a hammer, a pen, and a needle.
The prohibition of moving muktzeh applies to moving things in the usual way using one’s hands or fingers. However, when necessary, a person may move a muktzeh item using a different body part, such as the leg or the back of the hand. For example, if money or something fragile was left on the floor, a person may use one's foot to gently push it to a safe place. It is also permitted to cover a muktzeh item to avoid seeing it on Shabbat.
