Beitzah 32B

דקמתקן מנא, באור נמי קא מתקן מנא! תני רבי חייא: חותכה באור בפי שתי נרות. אמר רב נתן בר אבא אמר רב: מוחטין את הפתילה ביום טוב. מאי ״מוחטין״? אמר רב חנינא בר שלמיא (משמיה דרב): לעדויי חושכא.

Is it because he thereby mends a vessel? If so, when one cuts it in the fire, he is also preparing a vessel for use. R' Ḥiyya taught in explanation: He cuts it by fire in the mouth of two candles. In other words, he does not simply cut a wick, but rather inserts a long wick into two lamps, which he subsequently lights in the middle. This indeed leads to the formation of two separate wicks, but only as a result of kindling two lamps. Rav Natan bar Abba said that Rav said: One may moḥet a wick on a Festival. The term moḥet was unknown, and the Talmud therefore asks: What is the meaning of the word moḥet? Rav Ḥanina bar Shelemya said in the name of Rav: To remove the dark; in other words, it is permitted to remove the burnt, charcoaled section to make the lamp shine more brightly.

תני בר קפרא: ששה דברים נאמרו בפתילה. שלשה להחמיר, ושלשה להקל. להחמיר: אין גודלין אותה לכתחלה ביום טוב, ואין מהבהבין אותה באור, ואין חותכין אותה לשנים. להקל: ממעכה ביד, ושורה בשמן, וחותכה באור בפי שתי נרות.

Bar Kappara taught: 6 matters were stated with regard to the halakhot of a wick on a Festival, 3 of which are to be stringent and 3 of which are to be lenient. The 3 halakhot to be stringent are: One may not spin or twist it ab initio on a Festival, and one may not singe it in fire before lighting it so that it will burn well, and one may not cut it into two. The 3 halakhot to be lenient are: One may crush it by hand, as although it is prohibited to twist it into a wick, one may adjust its shape in an unusual manner; and one may soak it in oil so that it will later burn well; and one may cut it by fire in the mouth of two candles.