Jastrow: הַבָּטָה

הַבָּטָה f. (נבט) 1) looking at, keeping in sight. Gen. R. s. 44 (ref. to Gen. XV, 5) אין ה׳ אלא מלמעלה וכ׳ the use of hibbit indicates a looking down from above. Lam. R. to V, 1 ה׳ מקרוב hibbit is used for looking at a near object, contrad. to ראייה. —2) superintendence, watching owner-less objects, as fruits of the Sabbatical year, v. הֶפְקֵי. B. Mets. 118ᵃ כאן בהגבהה כאן בה׳ in the one case the laborer was hired for taking up abandoned objects, in the other for watching. Ib. ה׳ בהפקר קני watching gives the right of possession of hefker. [Ms. M. has חֲבָטָה; Ar., s. v. בט 2, hesitates betw. ה׳ a. ח׳.]