Books, Notebooks, and Papers on Shabbat
Source: Halachipedia: Books, Notebooks, and Papers on Shabbat
Link: https://halachipedia.com/index.php?title=Books%2C_Notebooks%2C_and_Papers_on_Shabbat
Categories: Shabbat
Alt Names: Books, notebooks, and papers
Exported: 2025-12-30
Books
- It’s forbidden to cut or rip pages of a book that were not properly cut through in binding.¹
- If pages were stuck together by glue or some or material (like water) then it depends; if the pages are stuck in a place of letters it’s forbidden to pull them apart because in doing so one breaks the letters, however, if the pages are stuck in a place of no letters it’s permissible to pull the pages apart.²
Writing on the Side of Books
Broken books
- If a page is torn in a book it’s permissible to place the two half pages next to one another in order to read it, if there no other copy of the same book is available, however, one may not tape the two pieces together.³
- One may not sort loose pages that fell out of a broken book in a particular order unless one intends to read them immediately.⁴ See the Borer page for more details.
Notebooks
- If a notebook is empty it’s muktzeh. If it is partially filled, and the pages of content have some importance and one sometimes reads them, then, the notebook is not Muktzeh and one may turn the blank pages in order to reach the pages of content. However, if the pages of content aren’t of importance and one doesn’t read them, then the notebook as a whole is Muktzeh and should not be moved.⁵
Loose-leaf binders
- It’s permissible to open and close the rings of a loose-leaf binder.⁶
- A loose leaf binder that contains commercial documents, building plans, account documents, passports, or identity certificates is considered Muktzeh and shouldn’t be moved.⁷
- If a loose-leaf binder has pages with content together with blank pages, and the pages of content have some importance and one sometimes reads them, then, the binder is not Muktzeh and one may turn the blank pages in order to reach the pages of content. However, if the pages of content aren’t of importance and one doesn’t read them, then the binder as a whole is Muktzeh and should be moved.⁸
Blank Paper
- Blank pieces of paper are Muktzeh.⁹
Index cards
- It’s permissible to remove an index card from an index if one plans on using that card immediately. If unintentionally, the wrong card was removed, no transgression was incurred.¹⁰
- If one has removed a (single) card, it’s permissible to find a place in the index to replace it.¹¹
Loose papers
- One may not sort loose pages that fell out of a broken book in a particular order.¹²
Post-it
See Practical Applications of Tofer
Putting Books on the Shelf
see Putting books back on Shelf on Borer page
Related Pages
Reading on Shabbat
References
¹: Shemirat Shabbat KeHilchata 28:1
²: Shemirat Shabbat KeHilchata 28:1
³: Shemirat Shabbat KeHilchata 28:3
⁴: Shemirat Shabbat KeHilchata 28:8
⁵: Shemirat Shabbat KeHilchata 28:10
⁶: Shemirat Shabbat KeHilchata 28:9
⁷: Shemirat Shabbat KeHilchata 28:9
⁸: Shemirat Shabbat KeHilchata 28:9. Sh"t Iggerot Moshe OC 5:21:8 writes that whether the pages of the loose leaf are considered one unit depends on why you connected them. If it is one unit then the blank pages the entire binder isn't muktzeh. If you left in the pages together so that if that there's a mistake you can remove them then it isn't one unit. If you left the pages together so that it is easier to print them at the end then it is one unit.
⁹: Magen Avraham 308:10 quotes the Shiltei Giborim 34a that blank paper is muktzeh machmat chisaron kis. Igrot Moshe 4:72 agrees and applies it to his time as well saying that regular people don't throw out paper for no reason even though it is cheap. R' Nissim Karelitz agrees. However, Dirshu 308:6 cites Rav Elyashiv, Shevet Halevi, and Shemirat Shabbat Kehichata that blank paper is not muktzeh machmat chisaron kis today. Igrot Moshe 5:22:1 writes that blank paper today have no use at all and are muktzeh machmat gufo according to those who consider Kli Shekol Melachto Lisur to be muktzeh. Using them as a bookmark doesn't make them into a kli since it isn't a significant use.
¹⁰: Shemirat Shabbat KeHilchata (in old edition 3:43, in the new 3:47)
¹¹: Shemirat Shabbat KeHilchata (in old edition 3:43, in the new 3:47)
¹²: Shemirat Shabbat KeHilchata 28:8