Jastrow: מְחִלָּה

מְחִלָּה, מְחִילָּה f. (b. h.; חָלַל) cavity, cave. Mekh. B’shall., Amal., s. 2 let me enter the land במְחִילַּת קסריון by the cave Caesarion (Sifré Num. 135 דרך חלל). Tosef. Yeb. XIV, 6 מ׳ של דגים an underground fish pond; Yeb. 121ᵃ; a. fr.—Pl. מְחִלּוֹת, מְחִי׳. Tosef. Kel. B. Kam. I, 11 מ׳ שתחת וכ׳ the underground places under the Temple are not sacred area; Pes. 86ᵃ. Ib.; Tam. 27ᵇ, a. e. מ׳ לא נתקדשו the caves under the Temple have not been consecrated. Keth. 111ᵃ מ׳ נעשות וכ׳ underground passages are made for them (v. גִּלְגּוּל). Ib. שמא לא יזכה למ׳ perhaps he will not be privileged to pass underground. Gen. R. s. 96; a. e.—Pl. m. מְחִילִּים, מְחִילִּין. Pesik. R. s. 31. Gen. R. s. 1, beg. והאדם עשוי מ׳ מ׳ וכ׳ man’s body is made with many channels and cavities; Yalk. Ps. 835. Sifré Deut. 319 (play on מחללך, Deut. XXXII, 18) שעשאך מ׳ מ׳ who made thee full of cavities; Num. R. s. 9, beg. עשית … מ׳ מ׳ אלו וכ׳ I built you with many cavities, that means the hearts and the kidneys.