("set apart," "excluded"). Hebrew term for objects which may not be handled or moved on Sabbaths and festivals. The reason is that touching these articles may lead a person to desecrate the Sabbath, either by using them for some prohibited labor or by moving them contrary to Sabbath law.
The muktseh rules set forth in the Babylonian Talmud (Shab. 124a) are elaborated by Maimonides, the Shulḥan Arukh, and later codifications. Among the items which it is forbidden to handle are (1) wood, earth, rocks, etc., which serve no purpose on a holy day; (2) tools, money, pens, and instruments such as calculators and computers, the use of which is prohibited on Sabbaths and festivals; (3) edibles which were inaccessible or nonexistent as such before the Sabbath, e.g., freshly caught fish, newly laid eggs, newly fallen fruit; (4) objects which, though not themselves muktseh, are used as a base for something that is, e.g., a tray bearing candlesticks. This is only a general guide, however, and two important exceptions should be noted: kitchen aids such as a nutcracker or can opener may be used for food that will be eaten on the Sabbath; and items such as candles and matches which are muktseh on the Sabbath and Day of Atonement may be used on festivals, when cooking is permitted.
Apart from the prohibition against handling objects "excluded because they are forbidden" (muktseh me-ḥamat issur), there is a ban on objects regarded as "loathsome" (muktseh me-ḥamat mi'us).
