Guns on Shabbos

Is it muktza to carry a gun on shabbos

Shalom!

Thank you for your question.

Self-defense is taken very seriously in Judaism. In fact, the Talmud says that “If someone comes to kill you, kill him first.”

Killing a thief is the classic example of permission to kill in self-defense. The Rambam makes it clear that this applies any time of the day or night and it includes Shabbat.

In Israel, where the security situation is very sensitive, carrying a gun is encouraged by both the government and the rabbis. If one is permitted to kill a thief, it goes without saying that one can kill a terrorist, and the like.

Regarding the question of a gun and muktza, the consensus of halachic authorities is that a gun is not muktza in times and places when carrying a gun is recommended. Otherwise, a gun would indeed be muktza, with some classifying it in the muktza category of “kli shemelachto l’issur” and some classifying it as “muktza machmat chesoron kis.”

That being said, the use of a gun would be a serious violation of Shabbat as it works by igniting the bullet via a spark and gunpowder. As such, it could only be used in the course of saving a life. Similarly, if there is no eruv in the area, carrying the gun would have to be further justified due to the security situation, and I’m sure the local rabbis in such places would be able to comment on that.

Sanhedrin, 72a; Shabbat 63a; Eruvin 45a; Rambam, Hilchot Geneiva 9:7; OC 308