Jastrow: חָבַט

חָבַט (b. h.; cmp. חבש, הבל) [to use force,] 1) to press down. Erub. 42ᵇ תקרת … חוֹבֶטֶת the roofing of the house presses upon him (keeps him mindful of the Sabbath limit); v. חָבוּט. B. Mets. 80ᵇ חֲבָטוֹ לאלתר (Ar. חבסו, v. חָבַס) the load pressed him down immediately (before he could find out that it was too heavy for him). Snh. 19ᵇ חֲבָטָן בקרקע pressed them into the ground. Succ. IV, 6 (45ᵃ) חוֹבְטִין אותן ע"ג קרקע בצידי המזבח Ms. M. (v. Rabb. D. S. a. l. note 10) they laid them down closely upon one another on the ground by the altar (opp. to זוקפין, ib. IV, 4). Keth. 39ᵃ צער שחֲבָטָהּ ע"ג וכ׳ ‘the pain’ (Mish. ib. III, 4) refers to his pressing her down on the hard ground. —2) to force, to knock open, esp. to knock upon olives to make them burst, before putting them under the press, or upon ears to thresh the grain out. Ex. R. s. 36, beg. מורידין … ונחבט ומשחוֹבְטִין וכ׳ they take the olive down and it is knocked upon, and after knocking it, they put it into the vat (corresp. to כתש, Men. VIII, 4). Ib. באין או"ה … וחובטין … ממקום וכ׳ the gentiles come and knock them (the Israelites) from place to place. Men. X, 4; a. e.—Part. pass. חָבוּט mashed. Sabb. 80ᵇ בח׳ when the lime is mashed (and mixed with water); Y. ib. VIII, 11ᵇ bot. בחביט (corr. acc.). —3) to lay down for receiving lashes, in gen. to punish, bind over. Gitt. IX, 8 ובנכרים חובטין אותו וכ׳ but when the gentile authorities bind him over and say, Do as the Israelites tell thee, (the letter of divorce so enforced) is valid (differ. vers. in Y. ed.); Tosef. Yeb. XII, 13.—Tosef. Sot. XV, 7 מסרוהו לבעל זמורה וחֲבָטוֹ ed. Zuck. Var. (Y. ib. IX, 24ᵇ top וחבשו) they gave him in charge of the rod-bearer (v. זְמוֹרָה), and he tried to force him (into submission). Midd. I, 2 חוֹבְטוֹ במקלו he punishes him with his cane.