May I walk past a detector that turns on a security light in the street?

We learned in the previous sheet that if the result is not required and one does not modify one’s performance in any way to bring about the result, it is permitted. (We prefaced this by saying that these are complex matters and a rav must be asked).

Consequently one would be permitted to walk in front of such a device.

However, turning on a light involves hav’arah, which is a d’oraisso according to all opinions. Also, in a dark or semi dark street one might enjoy the added light and possibly consider this a desired action, which compounds the problem.

One therefore should attempt to walk around the sensor and not turn on the light.

What happens if I find money in my pocket on Shabbos?

If this happens outside in the street it involves two problems, muktze and carrying. If it happens indoors it only involves muktze. We will first deal be”H with muktze.

What is the halacha when one raises muktze in a prohibited manner? Must it be discarded or may it be placed somewhere else?

We find a machlokes between the Magen Avraham and the Vilna Ga’on. The Magen Avraham [1] learns that since it is already on his person he may take it to wherever he wants. This is true even though it was not on his person in a permitted manner, e.g. one sees a hammer on the floor and without thinking lifts it and then realizes that this was an issur.

The Vilna Ga’on argues [2] saying that one may only continue with muktze when it was lifted in a permitted manner and in the ‘hammer example’ one would have to immediately put it down.

Do you have an example of a permitted manner?

Lifting a k’li she’mlachto l’issur [3] in order to use it, or if the place it occupies is needed, it is permitted and once in one’s hand it may be placed wherever.

So in the above case where you find money on your person?

The Magen Avraham says that one may walk to any room in the house being that it is already in one’s possession and the Vilna Ga’on learns  that it must be discarded then and there.

But what if it would cause a loss to leave it in the dining room?

The Rama writes [4] that one who discovers a purse on one’s person may walk to any room and drop it there. The Mishna Berura ad loco [5] cites the machlokes between the Magen Avraham and the Vilna Ga’on and says that in case of loss it is possible that the Vilna Ga’on would agree that one may walk to a secure room and drop the money there.

The bottom line is to be stringent (according to the Mishna Berura) but when it involves a loss one may walk to a room and drop it there. [6]

Isn’t there a difference between a purse, wallet and money?

Money is muktze machmas gufo, on a par with sticks and stones and may not be carried for any use whatsoever. A purse and wallet are keilim (items), which ideally are not muktze but money placed in them before Shabbos transforms them into a basis l’davar ha’assur (a base to the muktze) and adopts the status of the muktze. Consequently they share the same status. [7]

How must I remove the money from my pocket?

One is tempted to think that since one is ‘carrying’ it in any case it would be permitted to handle it directly and remove it from one’s pocket and place it wherever. And yet the Rama writes that when entering the room one wishes to deposit the purse one should open one’s belt and let the purse drop. This implies that one may not handle the actual purse.

Indeed Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach writes that carrying muktze on one’s person is far better than carrying it in one’s hand. Accordingly it is ossur to handle it directly and remove it with one’s hand; rather one must shake the purse from the pocket. This is partly based on the Shulchan Aruch HaRav [8] who writes that carrying it on one’s body is not called tiltul (carrying) muktze, which is another reason to permit walking to a room and dropping it there.

However, Rav Shlomo Zalman limits this saying [9] that when it is normal to carry it on one’s person or in a pocket it is not called tiltul b’gufo (carrying on one’s person) and is comparable to carrying in one’s hand.

One should therefore shake the muktze from one’s pocket and not handle it.