gabriel shagabayev asks:
why is it relevant for the mishnah to tell that the wick is 3 by 3 exactly.
gabriel shagabayev, brooklyn
The Kollel replies:
Dear Gabriel,
If the wick is exactly 3 by 3, lighting the wick is now causing a broken Kli, which is Muktzah, and therefore he is not allowed to continue to hold the fire to the now broken Kli/wick.
In the Mesivta Hebrew edition of the Gemara, note 45, there is a comment which admits that even if the wick is originally slightly larger than 3 by 3 the same situation exists, since the lighting of the wick will shorten it to under 3 by 3, and therefore "exactly" 3 by 3 is Lav Davka (imprecise).
All the best,
Reuven Weiner