Shabbat

What is the practical bearing of this? — In respect of buying and selling. Our Rabbis taught: All those of which they ruled that you must not light [the Sabbath lamp] therewith on the Sabbath, yet a fire may be made of them, both for warming oneself and for using the light thereof, whether on the earth or on the stove;  and they merely prohibited the making of a wick of them for a [Sabbath] lamp. NOR WITH KIK OIL. Samuel said: I asked all seafarers about it, and they told me that there is a certain bird in the sea towns called kik.  R. Isaac son of Rab Judah said: It is cotton-seed oil; Resh Lakish said: Oil from Jonah's kikayon.  Rabbah b. Bar Hanah said: I myself have seen Jonah's kikayon; it resembles the ricinus tree and grows in ditches. It is set up at the entrance of shops;  I from its kernels oil is manufactured, and under its branches rest all the sick of the West [i.e., Palestine]. Raba said: As to the wicks which the Sages said that you must not kindle therewith for the Sabbath, [the reason] is because their flame burns unevenly.  The oils which the Sages said you must not kindle therewith is because they do not flow [freely] to the wick.  Abaye asked Rabbah: As to the oils which the Sages said you must not kindle therewith for the Sabbath, is it permissible to pour a little [good] oil into them and light [therewith]? Do we forbid it, lest one come to light therewith [the forbidden oil in its unmixed state, or not? He answered him, You must not light [therewith]. What is the reason? — Because you must not light. He raised an objection: if one wraps a material which may be used [as a wick] for lighting around a material which may not be lit, one must not light therewith. R. Simeon b. Gamaliel said: In my father's house a wick was wound over a nut and they did light therewith. Thus he teaches that one may light! — He replied: Instead of refuting me by R. Simeon b. Gamaliel's view, support me by the first Tanna's [ruling]!- That is no difficulty: an act is [more] weighty.  Thus the difficulty still remains, [for] surely it was for lighting? — No: for floating.  If for floating, what is the reason of the first Tanna? — It is all R. Simeon b. Gamaliel, but there is a lacuna, and it was taught thus: If one wraps a material which may be used for lighting around a material which may not be lit, you must not light therewith. When is that said? For lighting; but for floating it is permitted, for R. Simeon b. Gamaliel said, In my father's house a wick was wound about a nut and lit. Yet that is not so, for R. Beruna said in Rab's name: The melted tallow and the dissolved inwards of fish, one may pour a little oil and light [therewith]? — These flow [freely] in their natural state, while those [in the Mishnah] do not flow [freely] in their natural state,  but that the Rabbis forbade melted tallow on account of unmelted tallow and the dissolved inwards of fish on account of the undissolved inwards of fish.  Then let us prohibit melted tallow and the dissolved inwards of fish diluted with oil on account of the same without an admixture of oil? — That itself is [merely] a preventive measure, and are we to arise and enact one preventive measure to safeguard  another preventive measure? Rami b. Hama recited: The wicks and oil which the Sages said, One may not light therewith on the Sabbath, one must [also] not light therewith in the Temple, because it is said, to cause a lamp to burn continually. — He recited and he interpreted it: the flame must ascend of itself, and not through something else.  We learnt: The outworn breeches and girdles of priests were unravelled, and with these they kindled [the lights]? — The rejoicing of the Water-Drawing  was different.  Come and hear: Worn out priestly garments were unravelled, and of these wicks were made for the Temple. Surely that means [the garments] of composite materials? — No: [the garments] of linen [are meant]. R. Huna said: With regard to the wicks and oils which the Sages said, One must not light therewith on the Sabbath, one may not light therewith on Hanukkah,  either on the Sabbath or on weekdays. Raba observed, What is R. Huna's reason? He holds that if it [the Hanukkah lamp] goes out, one must attend thereto,  and one may make use of its light.  R. Hisda maintained: One may light therewith on weekdays, but not on the Sabbath. He holds, If it goes out,