Shabbat 30 – The book of Ecclesiastes

One should not fashion a Shabbat lamp with an additional supply of oil dripping from a perforated eggshell, since he could be tempted to use this oil, thus indirectly extinguishing the lamp. However, Rabbi Yehudah says that people will be careful and not draw oil from the eggshell, so the decree is not needed. Everybody agrees that if the eggshell is part of the lamp, putting oil in it is allowed, since people will then definitely know not to take oil from there.

If one fears bandits, he still may not extinguish the Shabbat lamp, but if he did so, he has not transgressed the Torah. The same is true if he needs to extinguish it so that a sick person would sleep. If he extinguishes the lamp to save the oil, he is liable. However, Rabbi Yose says that extinguishing is not a constructive labor to be liable for it on Shabbat, and that he is liable only if he wants to improve the wick by charring it for the next time.

They asked Rabbi Tanchum a related question: "Granted that one is not liable, but is one allowed to extinguish the lamp for a seriously ill person?" Since this happened in a public lecture, Rabbi Tanchum first spoke about the wisdom of king Solomon, who seemingly contradicted his father David and also himself. David said, “Dead don't praise God,” while Solomon said, “I praise the dead... more than the living,” but also “A live dog is better than a dead lion.” However, he explained.

“Dead don't praise God” – because they cannot study the Torah, pray, or do good deeds. However, “I praise dead” refers to the righteous having more power after they die than while they lived.

"A live dog is better than a dead lion” refers to the day when his father David (a lion) died. This happened on Shabbat, and a dead body on Shabbat is "muktzeh," "set aside," which cannot be handled. Besides, David's dogs were hungry, so Solomon asked the Sages what to do. They allowed Solomon to carry David's body in an unusual way, by placing on it a child or a loaf of bread. For the dogs, however, they allowed to cut the meat in the usual way.

As far as the question that he was asked initially, Rabbi Tanchum answered (based on Solomon's Proverbs): “A person's soul is also called a candle. Better extinguish the physical candle than the spiritual one, fashioned by God.”

Art: Edward Prentis - The Sick Bed