לָחַשׁ II (b. h.; cmp. חָשָׁה, נָחַשׁ) to whisper. Ber. 22ᵃ לְחָשָׁהּ לר׳ וכ׳ said it in a whisper to R. A.—Esp. to whisper an incantation, to charm. Snh. X, 1 (90ᵃ) הלוֹחֵשׁ על המכה וכ׳ he who mumbles over a wound reciting the verse (Ex. XV, 26) &c. Ib. 101ᵃ לוֹחֲשִׁין לחישת וכ׳ you may whisper a charm over bites of serpents and scorpions on the Sabbath; [Rashi: charm serpents &c. to make them innocuous]. Y. Sabb. XIV, 14ᶜ bot. לוחשין לעין וכ׳ you may cure by charm a sore eye &c.; a. v. fr.
Pi. - לִחֵשׁ same, 1) to whisper, hiss (of the serpent); to inform. Tanḥ. Vaëra 4 (ref. to Ber. V, 1, v. כְּרִיכָה) מה הנחש מְלַחֵשׁ והירג אף המלכות מְלַחֶשֶׁת וכ׳ as the serpent hisses and kills, so does the (Roman) government hiss (inform) and kill; [read:] הוא נותן את האדם בבית האסורין והוא מלחש עליו והורגו the same (officer) puts a man in prison and the same informs against him and puts him to death; Ex. R. s. 9.—Tanḥ. Balak 14 מְלַחֲשִׁין אחריו ברוך שם וכ׳ they (the demons) repeat after him in a low voice, Blessed be the name &c.; Num. R. s. 20; a. e.—Trnsf. to incite, mislead. Ber. 7ᵇ; Meg. 6ᵇ ואם לִחֶשְׁךָ אדם לומר וכ׳ and if one mislead thee saying &c.; Gitt. 23ᵇ. Num. R. s. 4 מי לחשך שהוציא וכ׳ who told thee that the Lord discharged the first-born (in disgrace) &c.?—[Erub. 91ᵃ מי לחשך, read הלכה כר"ש, as ib. 74ᵃ, v. Rabb. D. S. a. l. note 90.]
Nif. - נִלְחַשׁ (with ל) to be hissed at, be incited. Koh. R. to X, 11 אין הנחש … אא"כ נ׳ לו וכ׳ no serpent bites unless it is set on from above; ואין המלכות … אא"כ נ׳ לה מלעיל nor does government persecute a man, unless it is set on from above.