halacha geeking

[cellio]

One of the many fences created by the rabbis is that of muktzah. This is a class of object that you're not even supposed to handle on Shabbat, because the primary use of that object involves activities that are forbidden on Shabbat. So, for example, you aren't supposed to handle writing utensils, your gardening equipment, the TV's remote control, etc.

Recently, while contemplating the logistics of a pot-luck break-fast for Yom Kippur, I found myself wondering: since Yom Kippur is Shabbat Shabbaton (the Shabbat of Shabbats), and it's a fast day -- on that day is food mutkzah?

I don't actually have anything riding on the answer to this (if I did I'd ask my rabbi); I'll take my contribution over before the holiday starts, most likely. But I do find myself wondering about the principles involved. Torah law doesn't need to follow consistent principles -- it is what it is -- but rabbinic law does.

Comments

[530nm330hz.livejournal.com]

Short answer: No, because there is a large class of Jews for whom food is permitted on Yom Kippur. (Children, many of whom need to be fed by their parents.)

[cellio]

Interesting. Does it depend on "class" or "large"? For example, there is a small class of people for whom instruments that would otherwise be muktzah are permitted (mohels, and doctors if saving a life, must perform those acts on Shabbat). Does this mean that surgical gear etc isn't muktzah for anyone, or is it still muktzah because we're talking about rare circumstances? Your answer implies that muktzah status is global, not dependent on the individual, else food would have a different status for a parent (accompanied by kids) versus a lone adult (who is healthy etc).

[530nm330hz.livejournal.com]

In this case, "large."

The instruments used by a mohel or surgeon are permitted to be handled for use because their use (brit b'yomo for the mohel, and pikuach nefesh for the surgeon) is a mitzvah that is docheh Shabbat (literally it "pushes aside the Shabbat"). A mohel may not handle his blade on Shabbat if it's not for the sake of doing a brit on that day (and in fact a mohel's blade is the classic example of something that is muktzeh machmat kis, muktzeh because the item is precious and delicate.)

Side note: There are actually four or more categories of muktzeh, depending on why the item is not handled on Shabbat, and they have different rules for when they may. For example, you can take out the kitchen trash or a dirty diaper, because they are mukteh caused by being disgusting, and something in that category may be removed from one's dwelling, but you can't then pick up a garbage bag from your driveway to put it at the curb for pickup. And so on.

So muktzeh is very situational.

But in this case, since the need to handle food for use on Yom Kippur is so common, and since even a person who starts YK healthy may end up becoming dangerously weak or dehydrated and may not be able to complete the fast, there is no presumption ab initio that any particular food item won't be used on YK.