...Continued from previous week
1) Raw food items that are not edible until they are cooked or baked are Muktzeh.
Some common examples include raw potatoes, uncooked rice, raw beans, baking powder, flour and dough.
2) Raw meat, chicken and fish should be treated as Muktzeh, unless they are in a state that it is commonly eaten (such as certain raw fish used nowadays in sushi) or in cases of necessity (such as transferring them from a broken freezer to a working one, to prevent financial loss) (See Shulchan Aruch Siman 308:31, Be’er Heitev Os 37 and Mishna Berura S”K 125-127)
For Halacha L’Ma’aseh, a Rav should be consulted.
3) When removing food from the refrigerator or freezer, care must be taken to not move any Muktzeh items – such as raw beans or frozen poultry – while trying to remove non-Muktzeh items.
It’s a good idea to arrange the items, before Shabbos, in such a way that the Muktzeh items are in the back or otherwise in a place where they do not interfere with the non-Muktzeh items.
4) This is especially important when the Muktzeh food item and the non-Muktzeh food item are in a refrigerator or freezer drawer together, where in many cases the entire drawer will become a Bosis L’Davar Ha’Asur (A base to Muktzeh, a class of Muktzeh that we will B’Ezras Hashem discuss more about in the future) and it will be prohibited to open the drawer altogether, even for the purpose of removing the non-Muktzeh item.
5) Raw eggs are not Muktzeh on Shabbos, as they are able to be swallowed as-is, and doing so is common practice among Ba’alei Tefilah, cantors and others who do this to enhance their voices. (See Shulchan Aruch Siman 328:38)
6) Cooked food that is frozen is not Muktzeh.
This is the case even if they are not intended for use until after Shabbos, and even if they are removed from the freezer close to the end of Shabbos. (See Shuchan Shlomo Siman 318:35. See also Shemiras Shabbos K’Hilchasa Perek 21:17)
...To be continued next week B’Ezras Hashem
