Tevel is not muxtza because we take into account possibility that someone may do an aveira and so render tevel eatable on shabbat. are there other examples where the potential for someone to do an aveira is taken into account in rendering a decision. The artscroll talks about mideraita and miderrabanaim,and my son wonders if it only happens with food related subjects. do you have any views?
Reuven, yerushalayim
Rashi (Beitzah 31b DH Notel) applies the rule to permit fruit locked behind a brick wall if an Isur D'Rabanan is required to breach the wall. I see no reason to limit the Heter to food and it is indeed clear from Tosfos there (DH v'Nifchu) that he does not make such a distinction.
The logic behind this rule seems to be that an Isur d'Rabanan is like a lion, crouched and ready to pounce, preventing a person from using this item. The item is actually useable, but one simply cannot get to it. Thus the person does not remove it from his mind, as he does with an object that is Asur mid'Oraisa.
Best wishes,
M Kornfeld