Shabbat 29: Maintaining and Extinguishing Shabbat Lights

In yesterday's daf, Shabbat 28, the rabbis discussed tenting a corpse causing ritual impurity, making phylacteries, and the use of kosher animals in that construction.  A new Mishna is introduced which teaches us about candles wicks that are made from fabric folded into small rolls and lit.  Rabbi Eliezer says that these are ritually impure or can become ritually impure and may not be used on Shabbat.  Rabbi Akiva says that these are not ritually impure and thus can be used on Shabbat.

Our Gemara discusses what can and cannot be used to kindle the light on Shabbat, which is in fact the very beginning of our most auspicious day.  Some of the halachot seem relatively clear regarding ritual impurity, but the rabbis introduce cases that are unusual or extremely specific to test those tools that we have developed.  For example, is this Shabbat or Shabbat and a Festival?  May we use a date to light the candles?  Well, it depends on whether or not the pit would be permitted as well, for once the pit is exposed that is like the introduction or creation of a new thing which is not permitted in a consecrated action. Is the pit permitted if the date was not eaten but removed cleanly from the pit?

Today's daf includes a new Mishna which discusses the oil used to keep Shabbat lamps lit.  The rabbis say that we are not permitted to let an egg drip above a lamp so that the oil extends the life of the light.  Nor are we permitted to place a bowl of oil close enough to the lamp so that the lamp will draw additional oil from the bowl, again extending the light of the lamp.  They agree that these things are permitted before Shabbat if specially constructed so that they preexist and need no interference on Shabbat.  Rabbi Yehuda believes that all of these actions are permitted without conditions.

Piercing an eggshell and setting a bowl aside with oil refer to processes that permit additional oil to be accessed by the lighting mechanism.  The rabbis are concerned both that this could inadvertently extinguish the light and that this could introduce new oil to the lamp on Shabbat, meaning that a ritual impurity could be introduced to a consecrated action on Shabbat.

The rabbis discuss other actions prohibited or permitted.  One of these is dragging large benches on a first floor made of dirt, even though it may leave a gouge in the floor.  Another is selling clothing made of wool and linen together, which is forbidden.  Interestingly, these things are permitted with conditions.  We learn that a merchant may sell non-kosher clothing even by putting them on his/her body, as long as s/he does not benefit from that placement (as shade from the sun, for example).

Another new Mishna is placed at the very end of today's daf.  It teaches us when we are permitted to extinguish Shabbat flames: when one is afraid of Gentiles, when one is afraid of thieves, when one is helping someone who is ill to sleep, and when one is afraid due to an evil spirit.  This last case is said to mean that this is when someone is depressed and would prefer to sit in the dark.  Because of the requirement to celebrate on Shabbat, this last case is quite surprising.

The Mishna goes on to teach us that we are not permitted to put out Shabbat lights in an attempt to save the lamp, the oil or the wick.  Rabbi Yosei permits all of these reasons, as well.  He states that saving the lamp and the oil do not involve any "creative action" prohibited on Shabbat.  Only extinguishing the wick, which would become usable charcoal, would be breaking Shabbat halacha.