Mi Yodeya is a question and answer site for those who base their lives on Jewish law and tradition and anyone interested in learning more. It only takes a minute to sign up.
Sign up to join this community
A piano is muksze as any other musical instrument.
The fallboard is a part of the piano attached with hinges designed to cover the keys. If the fallboard was left open when shabbos came in it is permissible to close it during shabbos to cover the keys?
The purpose of closing the piano was for aesthetic purposes (looks nicer next to the shabbos table) and preventing young children from playing it thus disturbing the shabbos atmosphere.
I posed the question to Rav Yehudah Konner, (A Posek and Dayan in Modiin Illit), and he said that unless the purpose of covering the piano is *L'tzorech gufo" or "L'tzorech Mekomo", meaning either for (permissible) use of the piano itself, or for use of its place, it would be forbidden to close the cover. Thus, neither of the 2 reasons given for covering the piano' [Reason 1 - for aesthetic purposes (looks nicer next to the shabbos table), or reason 2- preventing young children from playing it, thus disturbing the shabbos atmosphere], would allow closing the cover on Shabbos.
He added that if one has intention to place something on the piano top, (on the covered part), after closing the cover, [although this is not his primary reason for closing it], then it could be considered that closing of the cover is also for "tzorech gufo", and thus it would be permitted to close the cover on Shabbos.
I distinctly recall being told by Rav D. A. Morgenstern שליט"א in the name of Rav Eliyashiv זצ"ל that one cannot close the door of an electric-box since the door only serves the Muktza inside.
This would be very similar - the fallboard only serves the Muktza piano.
But I cannot off-hand find a source for this Halacha.
What I did find was in the Remo in Shulchan Aruch 277:1 סימן רעז - שלא לגרם כבוי הנר that a door with a [lit] wax candle attached to it may be moved - even though candles are Muktza - especially when they are lit.
א: נֵר שֶׁמֻּנָּח אֲחוֹרֵי הַדֶּלֶת, אָסוּר לִפְתֹּחַ הַדֶּלֶת כְּדַרְכּוֹ, (רַמְבַּ''ם פ''ה וּמָרְדְּכַי פ' כ''ב וּבֵית יוֹסֵף בְּשֵׁם סְמַ''ג) שֶׁמָּא יְכַבֶּנּוּ הָרוּחַ. אֲבָל לִנְעֹל הַדֶּלֶת כְּנֶגְדּוֹ, מֻתָּר (ת''ה סי' נ''ט) וְהוּא הַדִּין בְּחַלּוֹן שֶׁכְּנֶגֶד הַנֵּר שֶׁעַל הַשֻּׁלְחָן (מָרְדְּכַי פכ''ב וּבֵית יוֹסֵף בְּשֵׁם תּוֹסְפוֹת וְטוּר) וְאִם הוּא קָבוּעַ בַּכֹּתֶל שֶׁאֲחוֹרֵי הַדֶּלֶת, אָסוּר לִפְתֹּחַ הַדֶּלֶת וּלְנָעֳלוֹ כְּדַרְכּוֹ שֶׁמָּא תְּהֵא הַדֶּלֶת נוֹקֶשֶׁת עָלָיו וּתְכַבֶּנּוּ, אֶלָּא פּוֹתֵחַ וְנוֹעֵל בְּנַחַת. וְאִם הוּא קָבוּעַ בַּדֶּלֶת עַצְמוֹ, שֶׁפְּתִיחָתוֹ וּנְעִילָתוֹ מְקָרֵב הַשֶּׁמֶן לַנֵּר אוֹ מַרְחִיקוֹ מִמֶּנּוּ, אָסוּר לְפָתְחוֹ וּלְנָעֳלוֹ.
הגה: וּבְנֵר שֶׁל שַׁעֲוָה מֻתָּר לִפְתֹּחַ וְלִנְעֹל אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהוּא קָבוּעַ בַּדֶּלֶת (בֵּית יוֹסֵף).
That would seem to allow one to close the fallboard that is also attached to a Muktza piano.
