Siman - Shabbos Daf 45

Much of the Daf focuses on clarifying R’ Shimon’s parameters for muktzeh.

• Does actively setting aside determine muktzeh status according to R’ Shimon?

Reish Lakish asked R’ Yochanan if R’ Shimon would hold that wheat that one planted in the ground, and eggs that were placed under a hen would be considered muktzeh since they were דחייה בידים, they were actively set aside.

R’ Chiya bar Abba said in the name of R’ Yochanan that according to R’ Shimon nothing useful is muktzeh on the basis of having been set aside, except that which is similar to the oil in a Shabbos lamp while it is burning.  - הואיל והוקצה למצותו הוקצה לאיסורוSince the oil was set aside for a mitzvah, it was only set aside for the duration of the prohibition of the mitzvah, e.g. for as long as the lamp burns. The act of setting aside the wheat in the ground or placing the egg under the hen alone does not make it muktzeh.

• Foods that can become muktzeh according to R’ Shimon

Rav Yehudah said in the name of Shmuel that according to R’ Shimon there is no food that is muktzeh on the basis of being set aside other than figs and grapes that were set out to dry before Shabbos and have not yet dried out completely.

Rashi explains that once the figs and grapes begin to bake in the sun, they are no longer not fit for consumption, and therefore R’ Shimon concedes that they become muktzeh. Other foods that are somewhat edible do not become muktzeh according to R’ Shimon.

• Is an animal that died on Shabbos muktzeh according to R’ Shimon?

There is a machlokes whether R’ Shimon holds that an animal that died on Shabbos is muktzeh.

According to Mar bar Ameimar in the name of Rava, R’ Shimon concedes to R’ Yehudah that healthy animals which died on Shabbos are prohibited, since the owner did not have in mind that the animal might die on Shabbos in which case he could feed the carcass to his dogs.

According to Mar the son of Rav Yosef in the name of Rava, R’ Shimon disagreed with R’ Yehudah even here and permitted use of the healthy animals that died on Shabbos. According to Tosafos, the healthy animal was never actively rejected from being used for dog food upon its death.