Shabbat 142 – Son holds a stone

Normally, a stone on Shabbat is muktzeh – set aside – because there is nothing one can use it for. However, when his son holds a stone and refuses to drop it, one may pick his son up in his arms. But the father is then handling a muktzeh object!? – We are talking about a son who longs for his father and may get sick if his father won't pick him up. If so, why did we learn that one may pick his son with a stone in his hand but not with a dinar coin? – There is no contradiction here: if a coin falls out of the child's hand, the father may carry it and thus violate Shabbat, but if a stone falls out, the father will not carry it.

If there is money on a pillow, one may shake it off and use the pillow. That is true, however, only if he forgot the money on the pillow, but if he intended it to be there on Shabbat, then the pillow becomes muktzeh together with the money and may not be moved.

Incidentally, if that pillow became dirty, he may wipe it off with a rag, but not pour water over it, because pouring water alone constitutes prohibited washing. If the pillow is made of leather, he can even pour water, but not scrub – because leather is not washed by rinsing but by scrubbing.

Art: Giacomo Ceruti - Women Working on Pillow Lace (Il Pitocchetto)