We said yesterday that we came out with a chiddush (new insight). The Mishnah Berurah held that only if you do not have a keli shemelachto leheter (utensil whose primary use is permitted) available can you use a keli shemelachto le'issur (utensil whose primary use is prohibited). Chacham Ovadiah (Rabbi Ovadia Yosef) and Chacham Halevi argued against that principle. They said that even if you have a keli shemelachto leheter available, there is no difference: you can use a keli shemelachto le'issur letzorech gufo (for its own use).
One of the things we learned that is muktzeh machamat chesron kis (set aside because of monetary value) is a sakin shel milah (circumcision knife). We understand why: the mohel is not going to use the sakin shel milah for anything except the milah (circumcision). He stores it separately, too. It is not just its value; it is that he completely sets it aside. Correct. He does not use it for anything except what it is designated for, for milah. If there is no milah on Shabbat, he is not going to use it for anything else. Therefore, it has a more severe status. It is called muktzeh machamat chesron kis. He will not take the sakin shel milah out of his bag unless there is a milah.
The question we want to deal with today, which the poskim (halachic decisors) all discuss, is what the mohel (ritual circumciser) does after the milah. There is a milah beShabbat (circumcision on Shabbat); he has the knife in his hand and cuts. Usually, after he cuts, he drops the knife, does the peri'ah (uncovering the corona), finishes, and bandages the baby. Now he has to pack up his equipment to go home. Assuming he brought his equipment before Shabbat—we are not talking about carrying his equipment on Shabbat—does he have to leave the knife exposed? Or can he just cover it with a sheet and come back after Motza'ei Shabbat (Saturday night) to pick it up? In other words, does the knife become muktzeh again after the berit milah (covenant of circumcision)? This is a question for every mohel. If you go to a milah on Shabbat, you have to know exactly what to do.
What about a keli shemelachto le'issur? If I move it letzorech gufo or letzorech mekomo (for the sake of its place), can I move it afterward for another purpose? As long as you have a letzorech gufo, you could have a hundred letzorech gufo cases in one day. You could have a hundred. But if I do not have a letzorech gufo, and I had—No, no, that does not count. The fact that you moved it letzorech gufo does not turn it into a keli shemelachto leheter. It is still a keli shemelachto le'issur that you moved. All we said was that as long as you are holding it now, and you moved it out of the place, you can put it anywhere, as long as you are holding it. Bedi'uk (exactly). I am not saying that once you have moved it letzorech mekomo, when you get to the first spot, you should just drop it. We say no: you can go all the way to the other side, to the closet, or to the basement.
So what is the difference here? Did he have to put it down? He has to put it down because he finished—No, no, he does not have to put it down. He puts it down because he needs to do peri'ah. Right. If he kept holding it after the milah, then tavo alav berachah (may a blessing come upon him), and good luck to him. But he has other things to do. Logistically, he is not going to hold it until he puts it in the bag. Maybe that is the solution: let him open the bag beforehand and prepare everything, and when he drops the knife, let him drop it right into the bag. Put it right in the bag, rather than putting it down and then having to pick it up and put it in the bag. Now, you cannot move the bag anyway. The bag, too, you cannot move. Well, maybe it is a basis ledavar assur veledavar heter (a base for a prohibited and permitted item). He has other things in there; he can set it up that way, too. But maybe that is the answer, although the knife is full of blood and everything. He has to put it away. Unless it is full of blood, just drop it right into the satchel. Amen. Amen. I am not saying you should throw it against the wall. It is not going to become a Chinese star. Maybe that is what we tell him to do: set the bag out beforehand. A nice bag. Put it in the bag. Maybe that is part of the preparation for the milah on Shabbat: a little open bag. After you finish, drop it in there. Although you are telling the mohel that at that point already. Usually, the mohel drops it; he does not—The peri'ah is—
So this is the question: Ha'im mutar lemohel letaltel sakin hamilah le'achar shemal hatinok vehini'ach sakin miyado? (Is a mohel permitted to move the circumcision knife after circumcising the baby and putting the knife down?) It is a few pages over. Ken mashma milashon Rabenu Yerucham huva beBeit Yosef (So it appears from the words of Rabenu Yerucham, cited in Beit Yosef). What does the Beit Yosef say from Rabenu Yerucham? Umutar letaltel hasakin shel milah ulehasiro achar hamilah (It is permitted to move the circumcision knife and remove it after the circumcision), dime'achar shetiltel hakli beheter (since he moved the utensil permissibly), machziro le'eizeh makom sheyirtzeh (he may return it to any place he wishes), af al pi she'ein lo tinok acher lamul (even though he has no other baby to circumcise). Kach katav haRamban betshuvah (So wrote the Ramban in a responsum). End quote.
This is what Yani was talking about, and I think it may be what you were getting at. Once you picked up the sakin permissibly, because you were able to perform the berit milah, it sounds like you can put it wherever you want. But is he still holding it, or does this apply only if he put it down?
Umipshat halashon mashma (And from the plain meaning of the wording it appears) shekeivan shehasakin ba leyad hamohel beheter (that since the knife came into the mohel’s hand permissibly), sheharei mutar lamul beShabbat milah bizmanah (for it is permitted to circumcise on Shabbat when it is the appointed time), im ken, kol zman she'odo beyado (if so, as long as it is still in his hand), yachol letaltelo ulehaniacho be'eizeh makom sheyirtzeh (he may move it and put it wherever he wishes), uchmo shepasak haShulchan Aruch gabei kli shemelachto le'issur (as the Shulchan Aruch ruled regarding a utensil whose primary use is prohibited). We just learned that yesterday, in halachah gimmel (section three): dime'achar shemetaltelo letzorech mekomo (since he moves it for the sake of its place), yachol lehamshich ultaltelo le'eizeh makom sheyirtzeh (he may continue moving it wherever he wishes).
Very good. That is pashut (obvious). It is obvious; nobody is going to argue about that, I do not think. First, he is holding it. Can I pick up the sakin milah on Shabbat? Vaddai (certainly), for a tzorech mitzvah (for the sake of a mitzvah). Once I have it in my hand, of course I can put it anywhere. That is no different from a keli shemelachto le'issur. That is what Rabenu Yerucham is saying, and that is what the Beit Meir learns. Rabenu Yerucham does not explicitly say that he is still holding it, by the way. Let us look at his words: Umutar letaltel hasakin shel milah ulehasiro achar hamilah, dime'achar shetiltel hakli beheter, machziro le'eizeh makom sheyirtzeh. You could read it either way. That is our question. I am not interested in the bottom line, in what you read in the sefer (book). I am looking at the shitah (approach). How did he get there? That is the question.
Vechen mevo'ar biShut haMabit (And so it is explained in the responsa of the Mabit). Hear, gentlemen, the Mabit—these are his words: Mohel sherochetz hasakin achar hamilah (A mohel who washes the knife after the circumcision). All the mohalim do this; they clean the knife after the milah. Ika issura (there is a prohibition), keivan she'eino letzorech Shabbat (since it is not for the sake of Shabbat), aval muktzeh leika (but there is no issue of muktzeh), keivan she'odo beyado (since it is still in his hand). The Mabit says that washing the knife after the milah is simply preparation; it is not for the sake of Shabbat. Let us say there are no more circumcisions on Shabbat, so washing it is a problem. But he says the fact that he is still holding it means it is not muktzeh, because he did not put it down. For what? To preserve it for tomorrow? For tomorrow, but not for today. Why are you cleaning it? It is like cleaning your toothbrush after brushing your teeth on Shabbat. The Mabit has just shown you that holding it is okay, but nothing more than that.
Vechen pasak haMagen Avraham veTosefet Shabbat, Tosefet Shabbat, Gra"z, uviShut Rav Pe'alim (And so ruled the Magen Avraham, Tosefet Shabbat, Gra"z, and the responsa of Rav Pe'alim). So Chacham Ben Ish Chai is machmir (stringent). Vechen pasak besefer Nahar Shalom (And so ruled the Nahar Shalom), vehe'id al divrei haTaz shekatav beda'at Rabenu Yerucham (and he testified regarding the words of the Taz, who wrote about the view of Rabenu Yerucham) she'afillu heiniach ha'izmel miyado mutar lachazor ultaltelo kedei lehatzni'o be'oto cheder (that even if he put the scalpel down, it is permitted to move it again in order to put it away in that room), mita'am de'i yitztarech lehashlich ha'izmel miyado veyishaver (for the reason that if he had to throw the scalpel down from his hand and it would break), nimna velo mahil (he would refrain and not circumcise), veheitiru sofo mishum techilato (and they permit the end because of the beginning).
That is the Taz's explanation of Rabenu Yerucham: this is like heitiru sofo mishum techilato (permit the end because of the beginning), like the hatzalah (rescue) permission. If you are not going to let the mohel put the knife away, he is not going to show up. He might say, “I am not bringing my equipment over there if I have to leave it exposed in the shul.” It is his item. Bedi'uk, do me a favor: I am not getting involved in this operation, I am not leaving the house, and there are 400 people coming to se'udah shelishit (third Shabbat meal), with a knife out there and kids running around. No uman (craftsman) wants to lose his equipment. It is not about how much the knife costs. It is like my shofar (ram’s horn). How much does it cost? Go get another one. But I am comfortable with this one. A sofer (scribe) is comfortable with his quill; he has worked with it. Ask someone about his sakin shel milah, and he will say, “I like this knife. It makes a good cut.” He is used to it and does not want to jeopardize it. That is what the Taz says.
The Taz's chiddush is this: Vezeh leshono, veshaftat da'at haRamban shekatav machzirin le'eizeh makom sheyirtzeh. There is a question about that. Who questions it? The Nahar Shalom does: veshaftat da'at haRamban shekatav machzirin le'eizeh makom sheyirtzeh lo mashma keferusho, gam mah mah shekatav demimna velo mahil, chas lehu leYisrael dahavu mimne'in mimol mishum hefsed kazeh. That is what he says: Chas veshalom (God forbid), is a mohel going not to come to a berit milah because he is worried about his knife? Are we wicked people? Milah is a great mitzvah. Is a person going to refuse to perform milah because of that? He will be upset, certainly, but he is not going to stop performing milah. That is an exaggeration. So they question the Taz.
Vechen pasak haGram Levi (And so ruled Rabbi Moshe Levi) in Menuchat Ahavah (Rest in Love). We have it here, right? Volume one, chapter one, chapter twelve, paragraph twenty-three. Vesakin shel mohalim, harei hu muktzeh machamat chisron kis, keivan shehamohalim makpidim shelo lehishtamesh bo letashmish acher, zulat limol bo. Velachen asur letaltelo, afilu letzorech gufo o letzorech mekomo. On an ordinary Shabbat, the knives of the mohalim are muktzeh machamat chesron kis, because the mohalim are careful not to use them for another purpose besides circumcision. Therefore, it is forbidden to move them, even letzorech gufo or letzorech mekomo. Umohel shetzarich limol beShabbat, yizaher shelo yanichenu miyado achar hamilah, shekol zman shehasakin beyado yachol letaltelo le'eizeh makom sheyirtzeh. A mohel who has to circumcise on Shabbat should be careful not to put the knife down after the milah, because as long as the knife is in his hand he can move it wherever he wants.
But according to those who are stringent on Shabbat, the mohel also performs the peri'ah, and he has to put the knife down. He cannot perform the peri'ah with the knife in his hand. Yesh matirim lo latet hasakin le'acher (Some permit him to give the knife to another person). Let somebody stand next to him, and he hands it over. Vehalah yizaher shelo lehanicho miyado, ad sheyatzni'ehu (And the other person should be careful not to put it down until he puts it away). Then the other person can take care of putting it away.
Now we have to see what that permission is. Veyoter nachon leyahed eizeh keli velatet betocho davar shemutar betiltul, vechashuv yoter mehasakin, ve'achar hamilah yani'ach hamohel et hasakin bikli zeh, o sheyanichenu bekis shebechaluko. In other words, either put it in his pocket, or set up a utensil with other things in it so it will not be a basis ledavar ha'isur (a base for a prohibited item), and you will not render a utensil unusable. Take the knife and put it in that, or put it in his satchel. Open the satchel beforehand and have it ready. Put it in his pocket! Then he is stuck with it in his pocket for the rest of Shabbat. There is an eruv (a Shabbat boundary); he can walk around with it. He does not want it exposed. So put it in your pocket. Can you walk around with muktzeh in your pocket on Shabbat? That is what he is saying, right? That is like tzidei tiltul (indirect movement); it is in your pocket.
So that is what it comes out to. Then he says: Ve'im heni'ach al hashulchan (and if he put it on the table)—gentlemen—ve'im heni'ach al hashulchan asur lachazor uletaltelo (if he put it on the table, it is forbidden to move it again). So Chacham Menuchat Ahavah is stringent. He says either give it to another person, which we will see what that means, or put it in your pocket. But once you put it down, that is it. He says, dikeivan deleda'at Maharil vehaGra asur bechol ofen letaltel hasakin, vetzarich lehashlicho miyado miyad achar hamilah. They are more stringent: right after the berit milah, you have to drop it immediately. They do not—There is an approach that says once you are holding it, it is not—And then you cannot—They hold that once you finish, you drop it immediately. Im ken, yesh linkot meiha milta metzi'ata (if so, one should take the middle position). He takes the middle road. There is one approach that says you have to drop it immediately, and he does not take that stringent position. Other approaches say that since you are holding it, you are okay, so he follows that. He says, meiha milta metzi'ata, lehatir be'odo beyado keda'at haMabit uMagen Avraham, ule'esor im henicho miyado. That is Menuchat Ahavah's middle road.
But according to those who are stringent, the mohel also performs the peri'ah and has to put the knife down. The solution in Menuchat Ahavah is not practical while he is still holding it. He cannot keep holding it; he has to put it down. Eliyahu Rabbah has already addressed this: Uchevar amad bazeh Eliyahu Rabbah, vezeh leshono, ulefi zeh kesheyesh mohel echad, ve'al ken tzarich lehani'ach hasakin kedei sheyifra, asur letaltelo, velachen tov sheyiten leyad adam acher (therefore, when there is one mohel, and he must put the knife down in order to perform peri'ah, it is forbidden to move it, and it is best that he give it to another person). A similar case appears in the Yerushalmi Sukkah: demutar likach achar kach miyad chaveiro (that it is permitted afterward to take it from his fellow’s hand) and move the lulav (palm branch). Chochmat Adam and the Mishnah Berurah ruled similarly. The Chatam Sofer wrote: ve'al ken tamid echad muchan omed al yemino (and therefore one person is always ready, standing at his right), shemehamer vezariz litol ha'izmel miyado kerega (quick and alert to take the scalpel from his hand immediately), shelo yitztarech lifnot yamin usmol (so he will not need to turn right and left).
The Chatam Sofer—I think he was a mohel—is saying, “I make sure there is a person next to me, so I do not have to look around.” Ve'oto ha'acher hu snif lemitzvah. He is part of the mitzvah. Veshayach leheiter (and it is relevant to the permission). Is that relevant to the permission? So that is his permission, because this person is part of the mitzvah? He is a helper, like the nurse. He is an aide, the person handing over the equipment and scalpel.
But see there in the Chatam Sofer: de'ein lehatir ela sheyekabelenu acher miyad hamohel (it is permitted only if another person receives it directly from the mohel), uvizeh nechshav kesnif lemitzvah (and through this he is considered an adjunct to the mitzvah). But that he should then give it back to the mohel afterward—no. What does that have to do with the mitzvah? You can only give it to him because you need somebody. You are performing a procedure and need your hands, so you need an assistant. “Here, take this so I can have my hands free.” Like the nurse. That is snif lemitzvah. Then the assistant takes it and puts it away. But giving it back to the mohel afterward is no longer snif lemitzvah. So the Chatam Sofer allows only that one transfer. Is that how he does it on Shabbat?
It is also precise in the words of Chayei Adam, or Chochmat Adam: Ve'im hu gam ken porei'a vetzarich lehaniach miyado (and if he also performs peri'ah and must put it down), katav harav sheyekabel acher miyado (the rabbi wrote that another person should receive it from him), vehu yolichenu lemakom hamishtamer (and he will take it to a protected place). The Mishnah Berurah says the same. Open the Mishnah Berurah, gentlemen. It is in 310, paragraph fifteen. David, read it. What does it say? Bein be'isur... dehayah ra'uy bein hashmashot yeira'eh bo davar shenitkalkel bo bayom. Continue. Read the Mishnah Berurah. Ne'erav bo davar kegon sheyad'u. Continue, get to the circumcision-knife section. Ve'izmel shemal bo beShabbat ein letaltel achar hamilah, deha muktzeh hu... muktzeh hu machmat chesron kis, deha'adam makpid shelo lehishtamesh bo davar acher, velo kamakilim letaltel oto mita'am shedeha ein muktzeh lachatzi Shabbat, deha...
You see there are opinions. Some say ein muktzeh (there is no muktzeh); others say ein muktzeh lachatzi Shabbat (muktzeh does not apply to only part of Shabbat). Their reasoning is that once an item is not muktzeh on a given Shabbat, it is not muktzeh for the whole Shabbat. But this circumcision knife was muktzeh during bein hashmashot (twilight). When we say ein muktzeh lachatzi Shabbat, we mean that it entered Shabbat not as muktzeh; it cannot become muktzeh during Shabbat if it entered Shabbat not as muktzeh. But this circumcision knife entered Shabbat as muktzeh. Why? During bein hashmashot, there is no milah yet, and ve'ein milah balailah (circumcision is not performed at night). There is nothing. During bein hashmashot it was muktzeh. Gentlemen, it was still chesron kis (monetary value) during bein hashmashot.
The next day, the milah is a milah veheiter (circumcision and permission); you perform the mitzvah. But there is no mitzvah yet. Does the fact that I have a milah at 4:00 on Shabbat make the knife not muktzeh during bein hashmashot? It is designated? No, it is on my mind. But having it on my mind does not make something not muktzeh. Forget about when I use it. This is muktzeh machamat chesron kis. The whole permission should mean that a circumcision knife should never be muktzeh according to you, because I am always going to use it on a Shabbat when there is a milah. What do we have a hasho'er for? It is on my mind if there is a milah. Not before the milah. No, before the milah it is like everything else. How does that designate an item as a keli shemelachto leheter? Are you giving me rules now that I can designate something to make it a keli shemelachto leheter? How could you? In reality, it is a utensil; in reality, you are not going to use it for anything else. You change its status? During bein hashmashot, am I going to use this knife to cut roast? No. So it is still chesron kis. Like a rock—you cannot designate it. You ask me about designating rocks. I use a rock as a doorstopper; designate a purpose. Because you want to use it later. But right now, during bein hashmashot, what am I doing with this thing? Nothing yet. It is still in its case, and I am still careful with it. I will not use it for anything.
At the time of the milah—and then why would I be able to go on Shabbat morning and pick up the knife or do anything with it? Because I am going to be allowed to use it later? What does that mean? At the time of the milah, we gave you permission to pick it up. What are you going to do? You have to perform the milah. So let us say the person has to stop walking. Ein hachi nami (indeed), that is tzorech milah (needed for the circumcision). I am not arguing with you; that is tzorech milah. He has to get there. Ein hachi nami. I am talking about an ordinary case, not during bein hashmashot. During bein hashmashot, it is also needed; I have to have this knife in my possession. I am not saying to burn the knife. Keep the knife; it is still muktzeh until you need it. The issue is not the place; the person is careful with it. Does that change because he is going to use it? At 4:00, why can he use it? Because he has a milah. The Mishnah Berurah makes sense. Knowing does not mean anything. Does knowing relieve anything? You have principles I am not aware of. Knowing that I am going to use something does not make it not muktzeh. Of course I know I am going to use it. Why should that take it out of chesron kis during bein hashmashot? The chiddush is that at 4:00 you can use it because it is tzorech milah. Why should that change its status during bein hashmashot?
Exactly. When I use it, it is part of the mitzvah now. It is part of the—Not at 4:00, before the mitzvah. It changed? You mean this sakin shel milah is no longer chesron kis on the Shabbat of the milah? And if it is chesron kis, then it has the rules of chesron kis. Why should they give a waiver for the whole Shabbat? Why should they even waive it for the whole Shabbat? There is not even a milah balailah. At night I am doing nothing with this. You are not playing with it or carrying it around. So stop. Are you telling me that when I have a milah on Shabbat afternoon, Friday night I can take this sakin shel milah like a keli shemelachto leheter? That is what you are saying. No, you say it is for the milah. I do not need you to tell me that I have permission for the milah. Of course I can perform it: uvayom hashemini yimol (and on the eighth day he shall be circumcised). So what are you telling me? During bein hashmashot, since I have a milah that day, it is a keli shemelachto leheter because it is the same day—vayehi erev vayehi voker (and there was evening and there was morning). Friday night at the table I can show you my circumcision knife: “Hey, Daddy, chesron kis.” “I have a milah tomorrow. Bring it over. Look, pass it around the table.” Yishtabach Shemo (may His name be praised). During bein hashmashot it becomes—And therefore, continue.
Once you say that during bein hashmashot it is not muktzeh, then after you put it down, that is it: once it was not muktzeh during bein hashmashot, it is not muktzeh for the whole day. That is what he wants to prevent us from saying. So how does he say it? He says, umikol makom achar gemar hatzorech shelo chozer le'isur tiltul, al ken yatzni'ehu be'oto cheder (nevertheless, after his need is finished it returns to the prohibition of moving it, therefore he should put it away in that room). Read me the passage about bein hashmashot again. Go back. Read that Mishnah Berurah. Bechnisat Shabbat (at the onset of Shabbat). Exactly. De'af devechol hakelim denitletlu mita'am de'ein muktzeh lachatzi Shabbat. There are lenient opinions that say ein muktzeh lachatzi Shabbat in this case. What does that mean? They say that because it is permitted for part of Shabbat, it is permitted for the rest. Correct? Since at the milah it will be okay? They do not say that. There is a rule: once you can use it at the milah, its status cannot change. You cannot say it is muktzeh until this point, then permitted, and then prohibited again. Do not say that. Ve'ein hata'am ela leshum davar, ve'al ken af al pi she'omed lemachar limlechet heter, mikol makom achar gemar hatzorech shelo chozer le'isur tiltul shel bein hashmashot. Al ken yatzni'ehu shel bein hashmashot! The Mishnah Berurah understands clearly that during bein hashmashot the item is prohibited. It becomes permitted for this moment, and then it goes back. Exactly. That is how the Mishnah Berurah holds.
So what do you do? Does he give you a solution? He says, al ken yatzni'enu be'oto cheder shehu mal sham. The Magen Avraham, in section 308, paragraph 12, says to put it away in that room, meaning while it is still in your hand. He agrees with the Magen Avraham. But you have to perform peri'ah. Continue. VehaMagen Avraham sevira leih ach da'ato sheyesh lehachmir shebe'od sheha'izmel beyado lo yanichenu miyado ad sheyanichenu bemakom hamishtamer, o sheyolichenu leveito, dechol muktzeh shehu beyado muttar letaltelo le'eizeh makom sheyirtzeh. As we learned in section 308, halachah gimmel. But if he also performs peri'ah, now he is stuck. Eliyahu Rabbah says he has to put the scalpel down and another person should receive it from him and take it to a protected place. In any case, after the fact, if he put it down—Yishtabach Shemo. If he put it down and there is concern it will be stolen, Eliyahu Rabbah leans toward relying on the Rema and the Shach, who hold that it is permitted to move it. Chochmat Adam brings this in the laws of milah. There is a point to—We will see that. So Eliyahu Rabbah, like the Chatam Sofer, says to give it to another person. Have an assistant ready.
But see there in the Chatam Sofer. The Mishnah Berurah also says what we just read. But what Menuchat Ahavah wrote is that it is preferable to set aside a utensil and put an important permitted item in it, something more important than the knife. Then, after the milah, the mohel puts the knife into that utensil, or puts it in the pocket of his coat. That is an unbelievable idea from this rabbi, Chacham Levi: before the milah on Shabbat, take a utensil, put important things in it, and as soon as the milah is over, before the peri'ah, drop the knife into it. Then lift up the utensil, because it is a basis ledavar heter ve'isur (a base for a permitted and prohibited item), and put it wherever you want—in the rabbi’s office, in the bag, anywhere. Nobody can argue with that. It is a good solution.
Open Ohr LeTzion, part two, section fourteen. I am assuming that—put in jewelry, something important. Let us see. It is about moving items on Shabbat, moving a watch. Chapter twenty-one, paragraph eleven. Chapter twenty-one, paragraph eleven. Good. Chapter twenty-six—What? Paragraph eleven. Good. In section fourteen, near the bottom: nechleku haposkim (the decisors disagree), ha'im mutar letaltel sakin shel milah le'achar berit milah (is it permitted to move the circumcision knife after the circumcision)? The answer is straightforward: Hamal et hatinok, yeish lo lehaniach et hasakin miyad le'achar hashimush letoch tik sheyeish bo divrei heter chashuvim. One who circumcises a baby should immediately after using the knife put it into a bag containing important permitted items, like Menuchat Ahavah says. Put it in the bag with other important items. Ve'im kevar heniach bifnei atzmo (and if he already put it down by itself), if you put it on the table, yomar lekatan lehaniach betik (he should tell a minor to put it in the bag). Now a minor enters the picture.
The decisors disagree about whether the knife may be moved after the milah. See Beit Yosef and the Taz. The Taz was lenient; he said that if we do not let you pick it up afterward, you are not going to come to the berit milah. See the responsa of Rav Pe'alim, who was stringent. Therefore, it appears that ideally one should refrain from moving it and put it into a bag containing a permitted item that is more important than the knife. If not, you can tell a minor to do it. That is Chacham Ben Tzion's solution. You have to bring something important, exactly. A watch, something important—not just gauze. Tehillim (Psalms), perhaps. Baruch Hu uvaruch Shemo (Blessed is He and blessed is His name). Maybe Tehillim would count; I do not know. You are right: it should be an important item, not gauze. That is what he advised in the responsa Ohr LeTzion.
Support for this can be adduced from the words of Beit Meir. He writes about a base for permitted and prohibited items. We will get to the minor in a minute. He is saying that you are making it a basis ledavar heter ve'isur, and therefore there should be no problem. He says this applies specifically when he needs to move it only for the utensil or the permitted item, and we want to prohibit moving the permitted item or the utensil that is a base for permitted and prohibited items because of the prohibited item. In this case, they were not stringent about prohibiting this movement until he shakes out the prohibited item, even if it will be lost. In a case of potential loss, they did not prohibit moving the permitted item when that movement would cause a loss.
But that is not the case when the permitted and prohibited items were already together in a place that is going to be lost, for example, because of a fire, and he wants to move everything to save it. There, you are saving the permitted and prohibited items equally. They did not give you permission to move a base in that case. The permission to move the base sounds like it applies because you need the permitted item. They are not going to tell you, “You have to empty out the prohibited item and let the permitted item be lost.” But here—I do not know about this case yet. In the case where both items will be lost, the movement did not cause the loss; the items were already at risk. Rather, he wants to save them. It turns out the main reason he is moving them is the prohibited item, just as much as the permitted item.
Umevo'ar min haBeit Meir (and it is explained from Beit Meir) that one may not permit moving a base for prohibited and permitted items except where, from the outset, the prohibited and permitted items were placed inside the utensil, and he did not mind leaving the prohibited item there. He only needs to take the utensil elsewhere to use it, or to use the permitted item. In this case they were lenient and said he need not shake out the prohibited item, since shaking it out would cause it to be lost. That is what Beit Meir said. That is the meaning of “it would cause a loss.” We are not going to make this movement cause you a loss.
That is different from a case where the utensil and the prohibited and permitted items inside it were already in a situation of loss. If they would have been lost had you not moved the utensil, then it is clear from the start that your main intention is also to save the prohibited item. So this case is different, because there is only a permitted item in the utensil at first. Say you put a watch in it. After the milah, you deliberately put a prohibited item in it, too. Then it is clear that your intention in moving it is also to move the prohibited item. You are doing it to carry the prohibited item. That is why you are doing it. You do not need the plate or the watch; you need the prohibited item. According to Beit Meir, a basis ledavar ha'isur does not work that way. That permission may not follow Beit Meir. But if you follow his understanding, they are lenient about not having to empty out the prohibited item and throw it on the floor, where it might break, when you need the utensil or the permitted item. This case is completely different. Here, literally, I need the prohibited item, not even the permitted item. I do not care about the permitted item; I am doing it for the prohibited item. Exactly.
So writes She'arit Yisrael—what is that? Dave, what is it? Very good. In Shemirat Shabbat Kehilchatah, in the name of Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, it says that since, with a base for prohibited and permitted items, one must shake the muktzeh off the base before moving it, all the more so one should not deliberately place it on the base on Shabbat in order to move it. When there is no loss, they require shaking it out; the poskim say to shake it out and get rid of it. All the more so, do not set it up that way on Shabbat. That is one approach, the stringent approach: either give it to another person to deal with, or put it on a base as Chacham Ben Tzion says. This approach does not accept that solution as easily as Menuchat Ahavah does. Then there is the other side.
Here is a beautiful other side. It says that even if you put it down, you can pick it up and put it wherever you want. Vechach katav be-Darkhei Moshe (and so wrote Darkhei Moshe): ve-li nir'eh divrei Rabenu Yerucham (and it seems to me that the words of Rabenu Yerucham are correct), deme'achar shelo huktzah levein hashemashot (since it was not set aside at twilight), yuchal letaltelo le'eizeh makom sheyirtzeh (he may move it wherever he wishes). Baruch Hashem, now you are back in the game. Why was it muktzeh during bein hashmashot? That is the cutoff point.
So ruled the gloss in the laws of milah, section 266. What does it say? Umutar letaltel ha'izmel le'achar milah lehatzni'o bechatzer hame'orav (it is permitted to move the scalpel after the circumcision to put it away in an enclosed courtyard), af al gav de'eino tzarich lo od be'oto Shabbat (although he does not need it again that Shabbat), deha lo huktzah bein hashemashot (for it was not set aside at twilight), me'achar dehayah tzarich lo be'oto Shabbat (since he needed it that Shabbat). That is the Rema: you needed it that Shabbat, so it does not become muktzeh.
The Maharshal also ruled in a responsum that it is permitted to move the scalpel after circumcising on Shabbat, because we hold ein muktzeh lachatzi Shabbat. Since it was prepared during bein hashmashot, even though he has finished the milah, its status cannot change. That is how he reads Rabenu Yerucham. The Taz challenged them. He says, “It seems clear to me that it is prohibited,” and brings clear proof from Beitzah, page 11: it was taught, and they agree that if one cuts meat on it, it is prohibited to move it. What is that case? It refers to an eli—a pestle—whose primary use is prohibited, used to pound in a makhteshet (mortar). Even so, they permit moving it to cut meat on it for the sake of Yom Tov (festival). I can take this pestle and use it as a surface on which to cut meat. About this it says that once he has used it for the sake of Yom Tov, after he has finished cutting his meat, it is prohibited to move it. Why? During bein hashmashot I know I am going to cut meat on it on Yom Tov. I am using it for this purpose. Why does it become muktzeh afterward? Ein muktzeh lachatzi Shabbat.
There is another proof from the chapter Ein Tzadin: shefud shetzalu vo basar (a spit on which meat was roasted). The spit is the one you barbecued with. It is prohibited to move it on Yom Tov because it is soiled and muktzeh, even though it was used for Yom Tov. What does that mean? During bein hashmashot it was suitable; I needed it for my meat. So how did its status change afterward? This scalpel is just like those cases: after the mitzvah has been performed with it, it returns to the prohibition of muktzeh. What the Maharshal says about ein muktzeh lachatzi Shabbat is not relevant here. The case where that rule applies is in the chapter Ein Tzadin: an item was fit during bein hashmashot, became unfit during Shabbat, and became fit again. That is like the grogerot (dried figs) and tzimukim (raisins). They were edible during bein hashmashot; during Shabbat they became mushy on the roof and were not edible, and by the end of the day they were good again. We say ein muktzeh lachatzi Shabbat because they were edible during bein hashmashot, became inedible in the middle, and became edible again. That is the principle. That is what the Rashbam says.
But this case is different. Initially, during bein hashmashot, the item did not have the status of being fit; it was only needed for the sake of Yom Tov. It did not have a permitted use at that point. You cannot perform a milah during bein hashmashot; it had only its tzorech Yom Tov. The grogerot could be eaten during bein hashmashot. Once food is edible then, its status can change temporarily and return to its original status. But the circumcision knife was not fit during bein hashmashot. What was the proof from the eli? The eli is a keli shemelachto le'issur. You could say it was okay during bein hashmashot, because I intended to use it as a cutting board. Then why does the Gemara say that once I finish using it as a cutting board, it goes back to being muktzeh? Because during bein hashmashot it was not fit for that use; I was not cutting anything on it. This other item is food; food is food. Could you challenge that proof and say that a keli shemelachto le'issur is different? Perhaps the eli was also chesron kis, because you do not use it for anything else. Perhaps.
The Gra also challenged this: Hinichu halulav ba'aretz, asur letaltelo (if he put the lulav down on the ground, it is forbidden to move it), and we do not say in that case ein muktzeh lachatzi Shabbat. Wow. In truth, it is muktzeh, but it is permitted to move it for the sake of a mitzvah. In those days they used to do this on Shabbat during Sukkot, before the decree. Was that on Yom Tov of Sukkot? Yom Tov, too. Muktzeh applies on Yom Tov, too. How can it be muktzeh? It is a mitzvah on Yom Tov. When you finish, what do you do with the lulav? Someone says muktzeh lachatzi Shabbat, so Yom Tov has the same law.
In Nekudot HaKessef, he writes to explain the words of the Rema and the Maharshal. They are learning that during bein hashmashot it was okay, and then—there is no difficulty. This is Yaniv’s question. The case of cutting meat on the eli is different because its primary use is prohibited. As soon as he stops cutting meat on it, its primary use is prohibited again. After you finish using it for the permitted purpose, it returns to what it was during bein hashmashot. That is all the Gemara says. Just because I used it on Yom Tov does not turn it into a keli shemelachto leheter. It is a keli shemelachto le'issur, so you move it letzorech gufo; that is all. It was not prepared for that use during bein hashmashot, since that is not its use. And a spit used to roast meat becomes repulsive. That is different; it is called muktzeh machamat mi'us (set aside because of repulsiveness). That is a different type of muktzeh.
It appears that we should explain this according to what we hold: the law of muktzeh machamat chesron kis applies only to a utensil whose primary use is prohibited. That is the rule we saw from Chacham Ben Tzion: chesron kis and melachto le'issur go together. You cannot have an item that is muktzeh machamat chesron kis unless it is a keli shemelachto le'issur. The reason is that the utensil is not designated for its use, and the owner is also careful not to use it for other permitted purposes. Remember the reasoning we learned yesterday from Chacham Ben Tzion: its designated use is prohibited on Shabbat, and I will not use it for another permitted activity. Therefore, it becomes muktzeh machamat chesron kis.
Do you understand how we learned it? Take a scribe’s quill. We say it is not only a keli shemelachto le'issur; it is also chesron kis. Why? Its main function is writing. Regarding writing, certainly, that is prohibited, and I am not going to do it. For another function, I will not use it either. That adds to its status. It starts with chesron kis together with melachto le'issur. Normally, we say a keli shemelachto le'issur cannot be used for its function, but I will use it for something else. Chesron kis adds that you will not use it for that other function, either. That makes its status more severe. But the starting point is that its primary use is prohibited.
So what is the logic? Shemaktziho mikol shimush sheba'olam, vena'asah ke'even (he sets it aside from every use in the world, and it becomes like a stone). Going into Shabbat, this thing is like a stone. Its use is prohibited, and I will not use it for another purpose, so it is like a stone. That is different from a keli shemelachto leheter, even if he sets it aside from other uses because of its value. Take a regular kitchen knife, or a steak knife. It is a very expensive steak knife, and I am only going to use it to cut steak. I am not going to use it for anything else. Fine, but since it is already a keli shemelachto leheter, it has a permitted function that I will use. A keli shemelachto machamat chesron kis has no function I will use: I will not use it for its prohibited function, and I will not use it for a permitted one. There is nothing to explain. I can have a $10,000 steak knife, but I will still cut steak with it. That is what I bought it for, so it is a keli shemelachto leheter.
So writes Pnei Yehoshua: debichli shemelachto leheter lo shayach muktzeh machmat chesron kis (muktzeh because of monetary value does not apply to a utensil whose primary use is permitted). You will never find chesron kis with a keli shemelachto leheter. The reasoning is that it always has a permitted function that I will use, so it does not lose its status as a utensil. That is also Chacham Ben Tzion's view; he is just spelling it out.
The Tosfot Shabbat, Gra"z, Aruch HaShulchan, section eleven, Kitzur Shulchan Aruch, Chazon Ish, Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, Gram Levi, and Menuchat Ahavah ruled similarly. Now he is going to explain the Rema: Vechach katav beSefer Nahar Shalom (and so wrote the sefer Nahar Shalom), that according to them, the knife is considered a keli shemelachto leheter when the milah takes place on Shabbat, and it is permitted to move it even from sun to shade. Pass it around the table! It appears that his words are inferred from the Rema's permission to move it in order to put it away. If you considered it a keli shemelachto le'issur, the Rema would not let you pick it up after the berit milah, because then you are picking it up to prevent it from getting lost. A keli shemelachto le'issur would be prohibited for that purpose. That is moving it from sun to shade. The fact that he lets you pick it up after the berit milah and put it away shows that he held it was a keli shemelachto leheter.
That could apply only to that person. But I do not think it changes once the knife has entered Shabbat as—Listen, you have to be open-minded and honest. You are deciding a psak (halachic ruling); hear one side and the other side. You are biased. You have to be open-minded and see all the approaches. By the way, all the poskim are on one side, and the Rema is against them all. The Rema is a great authority among the poskim, so at least say—He knows there is a berit milah that Shabbat. Of course. Then why would he ask a question?
According to those who hold that the circumcision knife is considered muktzeh machamat chesron kis even on the Shabbat of the milah, what is their reasoning? What is the other side? It entered Shabbat during bein hashmashot. It was permitted to move only for its own use or for the sake of its place. We have to say that its permitted use is limited to the time of the milah. Listen to this reasoning. I can use a $10,000 steak knife all Shabbat to cut steak. Exactly. The fact that you tell me this knife is permitted from 4:00 to 4:02—does that make it permitted for the whole Shabbat? Enough. A steak knife can be used all day on Shabbat. What if there is no steak? That is not a question. Potentially, the steak knife can cut all day long. This one can only be used at the time of the milah. You could have a hundred circumcisions, but it would still be only at the time of the circumcision. No, that is not right. During bein hashmashot—All right, he is making a good point. The reasoning is that the circumcision knife remains chesron kis. Why do you want to call it a keli shemelachto leheter? Because from 4:00 to 4:02 I can do something permitted with it? That is not going to change its status. A steak knife can be used from sunset to sunset. Technically. Exactly. There is no limit. That is a keli shemelachto leheter. He has a reasoning.
Outside the time of the milah—you could do 10,000 circumcisions, but between them, if you go to the bathroom, it is muktzeh until the next one. No, no, no. It is not that it becomes good later. It is muktzeh from the beginning, from bein hashmashot. At 4:00 we let you use it because you have a mitzvah. Just like a hammer is a keli shemelachto le'issur even if I am breaking nuts with it, it remains a keli shemelachto le'issur. He says that because during the rest of the day it is designated for nothing, it follows that a slaughtering knife on Yom Tov is, according to everyone, a keli shemelachto leheter, since it can be used for a permitted purpose all day. That would be a nafka minah (practical difference). A slaughtering knife on Yom Tov can be used for shechitah (ritual slaughter) all day long. There is no time when you cannot perform shechitah. But a berit milah is specifically at the time of the circumcision. Afterward, what are you going to do? A slaughtering knife has no such limit. No, because my use is not limited. Shechitah can be performed at any time. Here, it is only at the time of the milah. So it is not permitted at every time. Shechitah is—No, it is! This shechitah is permitted at every time. Do not mix that up with muktzeh. If all the conditions are met, since I am not limited as to when I can perform shechitah, I can do it all day. I cannot perform milah all day. You are going to perform milah at night? You are limited.
Look at the wording: Uveda'at hasovrim desakin shel milah nechshav muktzeh machmat chesron kis gam bish'at hamilah, velo hutar letaltelo ela letzorech mitzvah davka, ule'achar mizeh chozer ledino, hutzrchu, dekeivan deshimmusho leheter hu mugbal lish'at hamilah davka, aval chutz mish'at hamilah bevaddai maktzeh hu legamrei mikol tashmish shelo yitkalkel, keshe'ar Shabbatot. He is saying that after the berit milah, it returns to its regular status, when he sets it aside by his intention. On an ordinary Shabbat with no milah, is it muktzeh machamat chesron kis? Why? Its own use is prohibited, and it will not be used for another purpose. Therefore it is like a stone: there is no utensil status to it. On a Shabbat when there is a berit milah, the Rema's reasoning says, “On a Shabbat with a milah, there is a permitted use for this item.” So even if I might not use it for anything else, I am going to use it for its usual purpose, and it becomes a keli shemelachto leheter. That is the Rema's reasoning.
According to the Rema, since it entered bein hashmashot as a keli shemelachto leheter, you can move it on Shabbat even from sun to shade. The other reasoning says, “When do you say that an item is permitted during bein hashmashot? When its permitted use is available at any moment. But what happens with a berit milah? I perform the berit milah, and right afterward I become careful with the knife again.” The owner is still careful with it. But what about a slaughtering knife? After I slaughter an animal, am I not careful about using it again? You are. Listen to the wording: Ufi zeh sakin shel shechitah beyom tov dino kikeli shemelachto leheter keivan she'efshar lehishtamesh bo leheter bemeshech kol hayom ve'ein tashmisho mugbal. Its permitted use is not limited. Unless you are telling me that you have fifty circumcisions in one day—which is not the case here—you have one milah. But its use is not limited. He may have ninety acts of shechitah. His family has food; he may not perform another shechitah, but the use is not limited. Open Shemirat Shabbat Kehilchatah, chapter two, note 48. What if, once I am done cooking, my pot becomes muktzeh? It is the same; it is something you can do all day. If you have the conditions, you can do it all day. A berit milah is a little different because it is a special occasion. He has the wrong reference. Look at what he says here. Continue. You can put anything in the pot; you can store something in it. It is completely different from shechitah.
In the responsa Shevet HaLevi, after elaborating on this, he concludes: Vehalachah da'at hamakilin, halo hemah haRamban, Rabenu Yerucham, he letter Rabenu Yerucham is a meikel, haBeit Yosef, vehaRema vehaMaharsha shehem rov binyan uminyan behora'ah vehalachah kemotam (the ruling follows the lenient authorities—the Ramban, Rabenu Yerucham, Beit Yosef, Rema, and Maharsha—who are the majority in stature and number in halachic rulings, and the law follows them). Although the Taz, Magen Avraham, and Gra disagree, people have in fact followed the lenient view. Of course, Beit Yosef quoted Rabenu Yerucham, so he is quoting Rabenu Yerucham as permitting it even after you put it down.
Gra Yosef, may he live long, ruled similarly in the responsa Yabi'a Omer and in Halichot Olam, and concluded there. We have Halichot Olam here, in Parashat Miketz, section nine. He does not say which volume. It should be volume two, or three, or four. He concludes: Al kol panim, ledidan bevaddai naktinan keda'at Maran haBeit Yosef sheheivi besheim Rabenu Yerucham besheim haRamban lehatir, ucheda'at ha'achronim shehitiru bazeh, upuk chazei mai amma dabar (in any case, for us, we certainly follow the view of Maran Beit Yosef, who cited Rabenu Yerucham in the name of the Ramban to permit it, and the later authorities who permitted it; go out and see what people do). So Chacham Ovadiah is lenient, and he understands that Rabenu Yerucham was talking about the case where you put it down. Basically, he is seconding the Rema.
One should raise a question about his words. Look at the wording of Rabenu Yerucham cited in Beit Yosef: Deme'achar shetiltel hakeli beheiter machziro le'eizeh makom sheyirtzeh. It sounds as if it is still in his hand. Yes, it is still in his hand. Chacham Ovadiah is not reading Rabenu Yerucham that way. He says you can put it down. Exactly. He says: Mashma dehata'am shemachziro le'eizeh makom sheyirtzu mishum she'odo beyado (it appears that the reason he may return it anywhere is that it is still in his hand). If the reason were that it was ready for its permitted use during bein hashmashot, why would Rabenu Yerucham have to say that he picked up the utensil permissibly? Just say it was not muktzeh during bein hashmashot. The main basis of the permission would be that it was prepared for use. So it is a problem. Chacham Ovadiah wants to read Rabenu Yerucham that way, but Rabenu Yerucham does not clearly say it. So we end up with a fantastic dispute between Chacham Menuchat Ahavah and Chacham Ben Tzion on one side, and Chacham Ovadiah, the Rema, and their approach on the other.
What is the reasoning of the Rema? Bein hashmashot. During bein hashmashot it is prohibited to use it, according to everyone. No, the circumcision knife, to perform a berit—during bein hashmashot there is no use for this item. It is a keli shemelachto leheter? What does that mean? It enters Shabbat, the sanctity of Shabbat. By the way, vayehi erev vayehi voker—it is the same day. If we understand that it passes through bein hashmashot without a use—It does have a use, which is Shabbat. It is the same day! Ha milta talya, ha milta talya—it is the same day! Night is the day. He is saying that at that moment you cannot use it. No. The reasoning is that since I can use this circumcision item on this Shabbat, it is a keli shemelachto leheter for this Shabbat. That is what it is. Bein hashmashot is where Shabbat begins. When does Shabbat start? Vayehi erev starts at bein hashmashot. That is the Rema's logic.
But when Chacham Ovadiah brings this discussion, he is quoting part of Beit Yosef in the name of Rabenu Yerucham. I do not know whether Rabenu Yerucham meant what the Rema says about bein hashmashot. The way we read Rabenu Yerucham, it sounds as if he is holding it. That is the nice permission: the chiddush is that even if it is muktzeh—whatever its status—you can put it down if you are still holding it.
What am I reading here? Paragraph nineteen? Yes. Kol davar yakar erech she'omed leshimush shel issur beShabbat uva'alav makpid (any valuable item designated for prohibited use on Shabbat, whose owner is careful with it). Fine. A knife of this sort is muktzeh machamat chesron kis. Does he not discuss the berit milah there? He says a circumcision knife. No, he just calls it chesron kis. But what about after the milah? All right, that is chesron kis; we already know that.
So let us summarize the approaches. Chacham Ben Tzion says to make it a utensil—a base. We have a question about that base: will it work according to Pitchei Megadim, when you are doing it for the prohibited item’s purpose? The chiddush is that when you need the permitted item, they let you move the prohibited item with it and do not make you—But when you are doing it to save the prohibited item, can you make it a base that way? A question. They are not so comfortable with that. But Menuchat Ahavah also said to do that, right? Did he say to give it to someone else? He said that too. The Mishnah Berurah said to give it to someone else. Chacham Ben Tzion said to give it—He says here that he should not put it down after the milah; as long as he has not dropped the knife, it is preferable to—And from the wording in Shemirat Shabbat Kehilchatah, if he performs the peri'ah, some permit him to give the knife to someone else. That is what Eliyahu Rabbah wrote, in the case of a lulav on Yom Tov of Sukkot: if a kohen wants to raise his hands, or someone is called up to the Torah and has to put down his lulav, he gives it to his fellow. But he should not put it on the ground, because if he puts it on the ground, it is forbidden to move it again.
That was the case of the lulav. You are going up to the Torah with your lulav in your hand. Give it to your friend: “Take the lulav so I can go up to the Torah.” But if you put it on the ground, you do not need it anymore; you finished the mitzvah. They permit it as though the other person were helping. So what about the circumcision scalpel? When there is no other mohel, and he has to put the knife down to perform the peri'ah, he cannot move it because it is muktzeh machamat chesron kis. It is good to give it to another person. It is still in the hand. Afterward he may take it from his fellow’s hand. Wow! Eliyahu Rabbah says he may take it back.
Chochmat Adam, Degel Sh..., Kedushat Shlomo, and the Mishnah Berurah, paragraph 72, ruled similarly. Af al pi she'assur letaltel muktzeh shebeyado miyado leyad sheniyah (although it is forbidden to move muktzeh from one hand to the other). You cannot move muktzeh from one hand to another on Shabbat, as Tosfot Shabbat writes. This is also implied by the Talmud in Shabbat. If it is forbidden for him to carry it in his own hand, all the more so it should be forbidden to give the muktzeh item to another person. But some say that moving the lulav is different because there is a mitzvah need: he can move it to put it back in water, because otherwise it will wilt. Therefore, they permitted it, as long as he did not put it on the ground. So why can I give it to him? Because there is still a mitzvah need to put it in water. What is the mitzvah need in giving him the knife?
According to our position, the main ruling permits it even if he put it on the ground, as long as he did not intend to put it away there. Shevut Yaakov—in any case, with a circumcision scalpel, where there is no actual mitzvah need, only concern about financial loss, it should be permitted only if he never put it down. In any case, it is permitted to give it to another person, since ultimately that is not moving it—completely. As Tosfot Pesachim said, in the middle of the milah—No, he can give it to another person. That was also what Tosfot Pesachim said. Eliyahu Rabbah says the same thing.
So how many solutions do we have? The easiest is the Rema: put it down, pick it up, do whatever you want with it. That is what Chacham Ovadiah wants to say. We have not seen it inside yet, but we will look at Halichot Olam in a moment. Another approach says to give it to someone else, and another says to put it on a base. Then Menuchat Ahavah says—Chacham Ben Tzion said to have a minor do it? No, that is if he put it down. The lenient authorities who move it after the milah are not reprimanded, but it is proper to teach them to act as stated. After the fact, it is according to the Rema; you cannot rebuke them. Look what else is recorded here: the Maharshal and all these rabbis. You could say the Taz too. See, he follows the same other reasoning.
But after examining the matter, although he knew during bein hashmashot that he would have to circumcise the next day, that does not count as preparing the knife during bein hashmashot. During bein hashmashot it is muktzeh for every use because of chesron kis. It has no use, since it is impossible to perform a circumcision with it because of the Shabbat prohibition, and it is also set aside from other uses. Although he knows he will use it tomorrow, it is still muktzeh. It is no better than a burning lamp, which is muktzeh even though he knows it will go out. It is forbidden to move it even after it goes out; it is not considered that he personally extinguished it, since he willingly set it aside during bein hashmashot.
You know that it will go out, but that does not matter. During bein hashmashot it is muktzeh. It is the same here: I know I will not use it during bein hashmashot, but later it will be permitted. Why does that take it out of its status? I do not know what you mean. What do you mean, a circumcision knife? Who could use it during bein hashmashot? You will not use it; it is chesron kis. You are not going to use the circumcision knife for anything except a milah. That does not change. We do not say that on the Shabbat of a milah you will start cutting roast with it. That does not change.
He wants to say that even with an item you know will not be muktzeh later, like a lamp after it goes out, it is not muktzeh once it is out. But since it was lit during bein hashmashot, it is muktzeh, even though you knew it would go out. So even though I knew there would be a milah later, its use is prohibited now, and I will not use it for another purpose. Therefore, the same applies: he willingly set it aside during bein hashmashot, set it aside from every use, and the words of the Taz are clear. That is the same thing they are all saying here.
Regarding what Maran, the Rishon LeTzion, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, wrote—that we certainly follow the view of Maran, who cited Rabenu Yerucham to permit it—there is no proof that Rabenu Yerucham permits moving the scalpel even after putting it down. On the contrary, the plain meaning of his wording is that this applies specifically while it is still in his hand. Here is a major question on Chacham Ovadiah. If you are relying on Rabenu Yerucham, you should be stringent. He does not like that conclusion. In any case, those who are lenient in moving it have what to rely on, including the Rema, the Shach, and the reasoning brought in the responsa of Rav Pe'alim. But he wants you to teach the mohalim to do it the right way, either by giving it to someone else or—Everything is a problem. The base has its own problem. There is no clean way.
The best way—He has to put it down to perform the peri'ah. How come nobody mentions doing it al yedei goy (through a non-Jew)? What, would you have a non-Jew up there on the stage? What about after the milah is over? Moving muktzeh through a non-Jew? We will learn that rule. Is there such a rule? I do not know; we will learn it. But it is not the best way. If you need the table, you are allowed to move it letzorech mekomo. If you do not need the table, then you are not allowed to move it, because what is the need? You need the table. Now I have to—