1) This applies to unmarried girls as well. From a young age onward, it is customary in many communities for them to light candles and bless.

1) In most cases, it is permissible to begin a Melacha (act prohibited on Shabbat) before Shabbat, and allow it to be completed by itself on Shabbat; in this case, however, people might not be aware that it is Rabbinically prohibited to speed up the automatic extinguishing of a flame by placing water in its path on Shabbat; consequently, the Rabbis were concerned that if they allowed it before Shabbat, people may come to do it on Shabbat itself. 2) According to the Mishna Berurah (265:18), we are lenient in cases of necessity because we can rely on the authorities who hold that there is no prohibition against placing water in the candlestick before Shabbat; these authorities were not concerned that if it was allowed before Shabbat, one may come to do it on Shabbat itself, because ''everybody knows that one can't touch a lit candle on Shabbos.'' 3) At the time of the Kitzur, houses would be lit by candelabra holding many candles, or oil with wicks, which were suspended on chains from the ceiling. 4) In this case, all authorities agree that there are two reasons to make a ''Gezerah'' (Rabbinical Fence) prohibiting it even on Friday. Firstly, someone might be unaware that it is forbidden to put a bowl of water under the candle on Shabbat; secondly, if we allowed a plate of water to be placed there on Friday, one might lift up the plate during Shabbat in a attempt to catch the sparks. According to the Mishna Berurah (265:16), if there is a danger of a fire starting, it is permitted to place a bowl of water under the candle even on Shabbat itself. It is preferable to tell a legal minor (boy under 13, girl under 12) to place the bowl of water there. 5) The Rabbinical prohibition called ''Muktza'' prohibits the usage and even movement of certain objects on Shabbat. There are two reasons why the oil used for the Shabbat candles becomes ''Muktza'' (cannot be moved) for the entire Shabbat. Firstly, something set aside for use as part of a Mitzvah when Shabbat begins, cannot be used for any other purpose during the entire Shabbat; this is called ''Muktza Machamas Mitzvah'' (See Aruch Hashulchan 265:7). Secondly, since the oil could not be moved while the Shabbat candles were burning at the beginning of Shabbat (because it formed a base for the flame which itself could not be moved), it becomes Muktza for the entire Shabbat; this is called ''Muktza Machamas Issur'' (See Mishna Berurah 279:1). 6) There is a Rabbinical prohibition called ''Bitul Kli MeHechano'', which forbids performing an act on Shabbat which will cause an object which was previously movable, to acquire a ''Muktza'' status, and thereby become immobilized. This immobilization is viewed by the Sages as similar to cementing the object in place, an act of ''building'', which is one of the 39 categories of prohibited activity on Shabbat. Some authorities view it as an act of ''dismantling'', (by immobilizing it, it is as if it had been destroyed) which is also Rabbinically prohibited on Shabbat. 7) The prohibition of ''Bitul Kli MeHechano'' does not apply to a utensil which was put into position before Shabbat begins. In the case of catching the sparks in an empty dish, the prohibition of ''Bitul Kli MeHechano'' doesn't apply because the sparks don't have any real substance and therefore don't make the dish Muktza. 8) Anything which functions as a base for a Muktza item takes on the Muktza status of the object it is supporting, and therefore cannot be moved on Shabbat. 9) Generally, any item which one did not intend to use or move on Shabbat is considered Muktza. However, in this case, he only put the dish out of his mind because he thought that oil would drip into it; it is as if he explicitly stipulated that he only intends not to move the dish if oil indeed drips into it.

אין ליתן מים אפילו מבעוד יום לתוך נקב המנורה שמכניסין שם את הנר של חלב או של שעוה כדי שכשיגיע לשם יתכבה ובמקום צורך יש להקל אם נותן מבעוד יום אבל להעמיד כלי עם מים תחת מנורה התלויה כדי שאם יפלו ניצוצות יתכבו איסור גמור היא אפילו להעמידו מבעוד יום ולהעמיד כלי בלי מים לקבל הניצוצות מותר אפילו משחשכה כי ניצוצות אין בהם ממש ולהעמיד הכלי בשביל שיטפטף לשם השמן או החלב משחשכה אסור דכיון שאם יטפטף יאסר הכלי בטלטול נמצא שהוא מבטל כלי מהיכנו ואסור משום דהוי כאלו דבקו שם אבל להעמידו מבעוד יום מותר ואם נטף לתוכו שמן אסור להסתפק ממנו בשבת והכלי אסור בטלטול ואם לא נטף לתוכו לא נאסר הכלי בטלטול על ידי מחשבה בעלמא

1) The two special loaves of braided bread used for Shabbat and festivals. 2) This rule is based on the principle in the laws of Muktza called "Basis LeDavar HaAsur" (a base for a prohibited object), which states that if one intentionally places a Muktza object (that is, an object which one is forbidden to move) onto another object, and plans to leave it there for the beginning of Shabbat, the object supporting the Muktza item becomes Muktza itself. However, if, besides the Muktza object, one also places a more important non-Muktza item on top of the supporting object before Shabbat begins, the supporting object does not become Muktza. So, if only the candlesticks were left on the Shabbat table when Shabbat began, the table and the table-cloth, both of which support them, would take on the Muktza status of the candlesticks. However, if the Challot (which are more ''important'' than the candles), were placed on the table along with the candlesticks, the table and table-cloth would not become Muktza. There are other details and exceptions to this rule which will be dealt with in Chapter 89.