With what may we light [the Sabbath lamp], and with what may we not light? We may light neither with cedar bast, nor with uncarded flax, nor with floss silk, nor with willow bast, nor with desert fiber, nor with sea moss; nor [may we light] with pitch, nor with wax, nor with cottonseed oil, nor with oil that must be burnt, nor with [fat from] a sheep’s tail, nor with tallow. Nachum the Mede says: We may light with boiled tallow. But the Sages say: Whether boiled or not boiled, we may not light with it.

We may not light with oil that must be burnt, on Yom Tov. R’ Yishmael says: We may not light with tar, because of honor due the Sab-bath. But the Sages permit [lighting] with all oils: [namely,] with sesame oil, with nut oil, with radish oil, with fish oil, with colocynth oil, with tar, or with naphtha. R’ Tarfon says: We may light only with olive oil.

We may not light with any product of a tree, except flax. And no tree-product can contract tumah-contamination from sheltering [a contaminated object], except flax. A wick made from a cloth that one twisted but did not singe — R’ Eliezer says: It is susceptible to tumah-contamination, and we may not light with it. R’ Akiva says: It is not susceptible to tumah-contamination, and we may light with it.

One may not pierce an eggshell, fill it with oil, and put it over the mouth of a lamp so that it [the oil] will drip, even if it [the container] is of earthenware. But R’ Yehudah permits [this]. However, if the potter attached it originally, it is permitted, be-cause it is a single vessel. One may not fill a bowl with oil, put it beside a lamp, and put the end of the wick into it [the bowl] so that it will draw [oil]. But R’ Yehudah permits [this].

One who extinguishes a lamp because he fears idolaters, because of bandits, be-cause of melancholia, or so that a sick person may fall asleep, he is exempt. [But if he does so] to spare the lamp, to spare the oil, or to spare the wick, he is liable. R’ Yose exempts in all of these [cases], except that of the wick, because he makes it [into] charcoal.

For three transgressions women die during their childbirth: because they are not careful regarding [the laws of ] niddah, challah, and kindling the [Sabbath] light.

A man must say three things in his home on the eve of the Sabbath just before dark: ‘‘Have you tithed? Have you prepared the eruv? Kindle the [Sabbath] light!’’ If there is a doubt whether it is dark or it is not dark, we may not tithe defi-nite[ly untithed produce], nor may we immerse vessels, nor may we kindle the lights; but we may tithe demai, make an eruv, and insulate hot food.