Q. Is a phone book muktze during Shabbos? Could it be used then by youngsters to keep the score on games played, (by turning the numbered pages to the desired number), such as Scrabble?
A. In principle a phone book is muktza since it is usually used for a prohibited task (Horav Dovid Paam Shlit’a). However, if used just for finding an address that one is permitted to reach on Shabbos the phone book is not muktze.
Horav Shlomo Miller’s Shlit’a opinion is that in principle it can be used also for youngsters to keep score of the results of a permitted game. The Rov stressed the importance to use when possible Shabbos time for learning Torah.
See question 2259 regarding playing Scrabble during Shabbos and questions 1247 and 1635 on other games such as a Rubik cube.
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as advised by Horav Shlomo Miller and Horav Aharon Miller Shlit’a