Water under oil

We continue with the halachot (laws) of Hadlakat Nerot (candle lighting). Many people who light the Nerot (candles) with oil put water at the bottom. The Gemara in Masechet Shabbat says that if you put water underneath, it is asur (not allowed). Why? Let’s see the Shulchan Aruch. The Shulchan Aruch says, “I will not put water inside that vessel, even on the eve of Shabbat, because you are bringing—you’re turning off these flames earlier.” He’s saying that if your kavanah (intention) is basically to have the shemen (oil) higher, then your kavanah is not to extinguish the flame, and it will be mutar (permitted). That’s why I said, “Why do you do that?” It depends on the kavanah of the person. If it’s because it’s too low, you don’t want to put a lot of shemen; you’re not interested in having this flame burn for 20 hours. That’s not the point. If you put water, it’s a little higher. It’s all about why you’re doing it. The Gemara says the problem is that you may come and extinguish the flames on Shabbat by adding water on Shabbat. Therefore, we’re not allowed to put water even on Erev Shabbat (eve of Shabbat). So Tosafot over there says the following. I quote: “What people do it. Why do you put water there? And we give them oil in the morning, and we give them oil in the evening. It’s not a connection to the well. Again, if you come and I turn them off, that’s the problem. But that’s not the reason. Because we don’t accept any kind of well. But to increase the oil and not to break the vessel.” Here, Mr. Weissman, what you said was that if your kavanah is to protect the kli (vessel), you don’t want to break this kli. chas veshalom (God forbid), the Eliyah Rabbah adds that you don’t want any other chashash (concern). Today they have better kli, but it could burst and you could have a fire or things like this. Then it would be a problem. Since it would be a problem, it would be mutar: your kavanah is not to extinguish the Nerot; your kavanah is for something that is a side problem. In that case, Tosafot says it would be mutar. The Rema is more based on other, but bottom line, if the kavanah is not to extinguish, that has to be the kavanah, because I’m sure a lot of people think, “You know what? With water, it’s safe; it’s going to turn off.” Well, just think about safety if you want, not about turning off. But bottom line, with the right mindset, it would be mutar to put water under the shemen. On Erev Shabbat, of course, not on Shabbat.