All objects can be divided into three categories: Some items are not considered muktze and they may be handled on Shabbat; others may not be handled at all; and yet others may be handled, but only for specific purposes.

It is permitted to handle all utensils used for serving food and for eating on Shabbat, and one may handle the food itself. It is also permitted to handle items that are to be used on Shabbat, including books, clothing, bedding, and furniture such as chairs, tables, and beds.

The list of items that one may not handle on Shabbat at all is divided into several groups:

Raw materials that have not been prepared for use: This includes stones, soil, planks, branches, thorns, food scraps that are not edible at all, even for animal consumption, such as nutshells (see below on how to remove them from the table), and fragments of vessels that can no longer be used.

Items that may not be moved due to a Shabbat prohibition: For example, since a candle that is burning at the start of Shabbat may not be moved due to a concern that doing so will extinguish the flame, it may not be moved for the duration of Shabbat, even if the flame has already been extinguished. Likewise, since a rag that is soaking-wet at the beginning of Shabbat may not be handled lest one perform the prohibited labor of squeezing, it may not be moved later on, even after it has dried.

Implements intended for labors that are prohibited on Shabbat, and due to their value or fragility one is particular not to use them for other purposes: For example, a drill, electric saw, slaughtering knife, or laptop computer. This category also includes items that are not prohibited for use on Shabbat, but which are of great worth, such as valuable works of art. These items are termed “set aside due to fear of monetary loss,” and may not be moved on Shabbat.

It is also prohibited to carry the item or surface on which one of the above items was placed at the start of Shabbat. For example, if a laptop computer was on a chair at the start of Shabbat, it is prohibited to move the chair for the duration of Shabbat, even if, for whatever reason, the computer is no longer on it. In such a case, the chair is classified as a base for a muktze item, which itself becomes muktze. This halakha applies only if the muktze item was deliberately placed on its base (e.g. the chair) by the owner of the chair before Shabbat, with the intent that it remain in that place for all of Shabbat. But if the muktze item (e.g., the laptop) was forgotten on the chair at the start of Shabbat, it is permissible to move the chair after the computer is no longer on it.

If two different items were placed on the chair, one of which is muktze and the other is not, the determining factor for the status of the chair is which of them is more important. For example, if alongside the laptop a spoon was placed on the chair, the presence of the spoon does not mean that the chair may be carried. But if the item that was placed next to the laptop was valuable, e.g., a piece of jewelry, and yet it is one that is permitted to be carried on Shabbat, and it is more important than the laptop, the chair itself does not become muktze.

If someone dies on Shabbat, it is prohibited to move the body throughout the entire duration of Shabbat.

Some items may be carried on Shabbat for specific purposes only: Implements that are intended for prohibited labors on Shabbat, but which can also be used for tasks that are permitted on Shabbat (for example, a hammer that can be used for cracking nuts, or an eraser that can serve as a doorstop), may be carried on Shabbat to perform those permitted tasks. This permission is called letzorekh gufo, “for the purpose of utilizing the item itself” for a permitted action.

A utensil whose primary purpose is for performing forbidden labors may also be carried for the purpose of utilizing its place [letzorekh mekomo]. If the muktze item is taking up space that is needed, it is permitted to move the item. For example, if a screwdriver was left on the dining room table and one needs to set the table for the Shabbat meal, it is permitted to remove the screwdriver.