The phone and money are muktzeh on Shabbat per the Shulchan Aruch (Siman 308): one avoids moving them (tiltul). According to the Rema, the prohibition is only on moving — mere contact that does not displace the object is permitted.
Edge cases (mixed keyrings, phone kept on for emergencies, indirect handling): ask your Rav.
On Shabbat, almost all utensils may be moved — except muktzeh. A smartphone (its use is forbidden) and money (no permitted use) are among them: you avoid moving them (tiltul). But according to the Rema, muktzeh is forbidden only to move: mere contact that does not move it is permitted. For your case — ask your Rav.
Your phone rings on the table. A coin is lying in a pocket. A keyring mixes a car key (muktzeh?) and a house key. Siman 308 of the Shulchan Aruch — one of the longest in Hilkhot Shabbat — maps out precisely what one is allowed to move on Shabbat, and what is muktzeh.
What is the basic principle?
כל הכלים נטלים בשבת חוץ ממוקצה…
"All utensils may be moved on Shabbat" — except muktzeh. The starting point is therefore permissive: an object is in principle movable, and only certain categories are set aside.
Seif 2 adds an important point: a utensil never loses its status because of its size or weight. So it is not "heavy = forbidden" — it is the category of the object that counts.
The main categories of muktzeh
| Category | Definition | Examples (source) |
|---|---|---|
| mei-chamat chisaron kis (מחמת חסרון כיס) | A precious/dedicated object guarded from any other use | A shochet's knife, a scalpel, professional tools |
| shemelachto le-issur (שמלאכתו לאיסור) | A utensil whose normal use is forbidden on Shabbat | Hammer, axe… (movable for a bodily need or to use its place, not to protect it from theft/sun) |
| shemelachto le-heter (שמלאכתו להיתר) | A utensil with a permitted use | Dishes, holy books, food — movable even without a real need |
Seif 3 clarifies for the "forbidden-use" object: one may move it to use its place or to use it for a permitted purpose — but not merely to shield it from theft or sun.
The rule that changes everything: touching without moving
Gloss of the Rema: "all muktzeh is forbidden only to move (tiltul); mere contact that does not make it move is permitted." One may therefore touch a lit lamp, or take a permitted object resting on a muktzeh object.
Modern application: smartphone, money, keys
- The smartphone: its use is a melachah → it falls under the "forbidden-use" object, and possibly an object one sets aside. You therefore avoid moving it; touching it without moving it is another question.
- Money: no permitted use on Shabbat (no business) → classic muktzeh.
- A mixed keyring (permitted key + muktzeh key): the mixing of objects raises its own rules — which is why it pays to study the siman in detail.
- The remote control, the computer: same logic as the phone.
This article presents what the source says for the purpose of study. The rules of muktzeh are many and nuanced (categories, real need, mixed objects, minhag). For your precise case, ask your Rav.
Frequently asked questions
Is a phone muktzeh on Shabbat?
Generally yes: its normal use is forbidden, so it falls under the "forbidden-use" object. The exact practice (moving it when needed, touching it without moving it) depends on the opinions — ask your Rav.
Can you touch a muktzeh object without moving it?
According to the Rema, muktzeh is forbidden only to move: contact that does not move it is permitted, and one may take a permitted object resting on it.
Why is money muktzeh?
Because it has no permitted use on Shabbat (no business). It is among the objects classically set aside.
Study Siman 308 in depth
Four levels, from beginner to talmid chacham — Hebrew text, translation, pilpul and the shitah of the Admur HaZaken.