לוי, לָוָה (b. h.) 1) to join, be connected, v. Piel, a. לְוָיָה. —2) (cmp. Sm. Ant. s. v. Nexum) to assume an obligation; to borrow. Shebu. 41ᵇ; Keth. 88ᵃ; B. Bath. 6ᵃ האומר לא לָוִיתִי וכ׳ he who (being sued for a loan duly testified by witnesses) says, ‘I have not contracted any loan’, is considered as admitting that he has not paid. Ḥull. 84ᵃ כגון אנו לווִֹין אוכלין (delicate persons) like ourselves may buy food on credit. B. Mets. 72ᵇ אין לווִֹין על שער וכ׳ (also לוִֹין) you must not borrow money with the choice of repaying in grain at the present price; (another defin., v. Rashi a. l.). Bets. 15ᵇ לְווּ עלי make a loan on my (the Lord’s) account; a. v. fr.—Esp. לווֶֹה, לוֶֹה debtor, opp. to מַלְוֶה creditor. Shebu. 47ᵃ מת ל׳ בחיי מ׳ if the debtor died before the creditor; a. fr.—Pl. לווִֹין. Ib.ᵇ שני מלווין ושני ל׳ two (different) creditors and two debtors.
Pi. - לִוָּה, לִוָּוה, , לִי׳ 1) to order an escort for protection, v. לְוָיָה. Tanḥ. Bal. 12; Num. R. s. 20 ל׳ להם ענני וכ׳ He appointed the clouds of glory to escort them. Sot. 46ᵇ בשביל … של׳ פרעה וכ׳ for the sake of the four steps which Pharaoh ordered his men to escort Abraham &c. —2) to escort, to walk a distance with a departing guest; to follow. Sabb. 119ᵇ שני מה"ש מְלַוִּין לו וכ׳ two ministering angels escort man to his house on the Sabbath eve. Sot. l. c. כל שאינו מְלַוֶּה ומִתְלַוֶּה וכ׳ whoever omits to escort a guest or (as a guest) declines an escort, is regarded as if he had shed blood; שאילמלא לִיוּוּהוּ וכ׳ for if the men of Jericho had escorted Elisha &c. Koh. R. to V, 17 ומה מְלַוֵּהוּ וכ׳ and what does escort him (to the grave)? Merits and good deeds; a. fr.