לָבַן II (cmp. לָבָה) to glisten.
Pi. - לִבֵּן 1) to polish, brighten; to finish. Sabb. VII, 2 הגוזז … והמְלַבְּנוֹ he who clips wool and he who cleanses it (by washing, removing clods &c.); Y. ib. 10ᶜ top המלבנו ההן דמגפר וכ׳ under m’labben of the Mishnah is implied (any preparation for improving raw material, e. g.) he who pitches wood &c., v. אֶלִּיקָה. Ib. המיינטון חייב משום מְלַבֵּן he who cleanses amiant (v. אַמְיַינְטוֹן) comes under the law forbidding polishing (on the Sabbath). Tosef. Ber. VII (VI), 2; Ber. 58ᵃ; Y. ib. IX, 13ᶜ top גזז ול׳ וכ׳ he (Adam) clipped (wool) and cleansed &c. Ab. Zar. V, 12 את שדרכו … לְלַבֵּן באור יְלַבֵּן וכ׳ such utensils as are ordinarily cleansed by being put in the fire (metal spits &c.) he must cleanse by fire.—Gen. R. s. 70 (play on לָבָן, Gen. XXIX, 5) do you know Him שהוא עתיד ללַבֵּן וכ׳ who will cleanse your sins to make them appear like snow (Is. I, 18)?; a. fr.—Part. pass. מְלוּבָּן finished, polished, refined. Nidd. 31ᵃ (of an embryo) מל׳ ומזורז well-formed and of strong vitality; Snh. 70ᵇ; Num. R. s. 10.—Ib. מל׳ ברשע finished (refined) in wickedness, v. אפדכסיס; Gen. R. s. 60; Ruth R. to II, 1; Yalk. Gen. 109.—Esp. a) to glaze tiles; to heat tiles. Bets. IV, 7 (33ᵃ) אין מְלַבְּנִין את וכ׳ you must not heat (new) tiles (on Holy Days) for roasting on them; Y. ib. IV, end, 62ᵈ מאן דאמר מלבנין בבדוקים he who says that you may heat tiles &c., refers to such as have been tested (to be sound under fire).—b) (of metal utensils, v. supra) to glow. Ḥull. 8ᵃ ל׳ סכין וכ׳ if one made a knife glowing hot and cut with it; a. fr.—Part. pass. מְלוּבָּן, f. מְלוּבֶּנֶת. Y. Yeb. XVI, 15ᶜ bot.