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<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000
size=2>From: Alan Rubin <A
href="mailto:alan@rubin.org.uk">alan@rubin.org.uk</A><BR><BR>As far as I recall,
ever since I started using oil for the menorah <BR>(probably the last 25 years)
I have been using oil for the shammas as <BR>well. It can be a bit tricky
lighting with a shammas and I usually end <BR>up spilling some
oil.....<BR><BR><BR>Alan Rubin</FONT></FONT></DIV>
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<DIV>>>>>></DIV>
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<DIV>The purpose of the shamash is to provide light so that you don't end up
inadvertently using the light of the Chanukah flames for your personal
use. The menorah flames are just for pirsuma nisa and nothing
else -- but if you want to see anything in the room or read by the light of the
menorah (like read Maoz Tzur in the siddur, for example, by the light of the
menorah) you must have a shamash. You don't have to light the
menorah/mitzva lights with the shamash.</DIV>
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<DIV>Therefore what you use to light the flames is irrelevant. You
use what is convenient, that's all -- a match, a candle, a cigarette lighter,
whatever you want. </DIV>
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<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff><BR></FONT><B><FONT color=#0000ff>--Toby
Katz<BR>==========<BR><BR></FONT><FONT lang=0 face=Arial color=#000000 size=2
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