The Reasons for the Prohibition Against Muktzeh

Day: Wednesday
Date: January 2, 2013
Parshat: Shemot
Source: Yalkut Yosef: 308

Sponsored by the Aharonoff family in memory of Sarah bat Yocheved. May her neshama be elevated and may she be a heavenly advocate on our behalf.

Our Hachamim forbade moving certain objects on Shabbat. This prohibition is called muktzeh. There are a few different reasons given for the prohibition. They are;

1. To prevent people from inadvertently carrying from one domain to another. 

2. The Hachamim reasoned that if one's way of walking and one's speech have to be different on Shabbat from during the week, then it stands to reason that the things that one moves should be different as well. If one could move whatever he wanted then one may decide to rearrange his house for example since he has the time on Shabbat and the sanctity would be lost. 

3. If one is allowed to move anything he might move a hammer or some other similar instrument and use it for its purpose. 

4. There are many people who don't work during the week and in order that they too should feel the difference between Shabbat and weekdays the Hachamim forbade moving some things.
These are some of the reasons why the Hachamim enacted the prohibition of muktzeh.

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