תלמוד על דניאל 3:27

Rebbi Joḥanan said, Rebbi Yose and Rebbi Simeon said the same thing. Just as Rebbi Yose said, not unless he needs the body of the wick¹⁴⁷In the Mishnah, where he frees from liability all who extinguish the light except the one who does it for the wick., so Rebbi Simeon says, not unless he needs the body of the thing¹⁴⁸Further on in Mishnah 10:5 R. Simeon frees from liability a person carrying in the public domain if the carrying was not needed for the matter, implying that work on the Sabbath implies criminal liability only if it was needed for the intent. Babli 105b, 107b, 141b, Sanhedrin 85a, Keritut 20b. In the Yerushalmi later Chap. 13 (14a l. 38), Beṣah 1:3 (60b l. 21).. How do you need the body of the wick? The rabbis of Caesarea, Rebbi Eleazar in the name of Rebbi Ḥanina: for so the professional waiters singe in this way, as you say¹⁴⁹Dan.3:27., and the hair on their heads was not singed. What means “singe in this way”? They singe it¹⁵⁰The biblical root חרך which was no longer understood is explained by the rabbinic Aramaic root פספס which means the same.
Since it would be embarrassing for the waiter if a wick failed to burn when he lights it in front of guests, singing the wicks before they are needed is professional work done for a purpose. Babli 31b..