מָנַע (b. h.) [to cut off,] to withhold, refuse, refrain. Pes. 113ᵇ המוֹנֵעַ מנעלים מרגליו he who denies shoes to his feet. Keth. 96ᵃ המונע תלמידו מלשמשו כאילו מונע וכ׳ he who denies to his pupil the privilege of attendance, is considered as if denying kindness to him. Ber. 10ᵃ, sq. אל יִמְנַע עצמו מן הרחמים must not cut himself off from (despair of) divine mercy. Gen. R. s. 76, end (ref. to Job VI, 14) מָנַעְתָּ מרעך וכ׳ thou (Jacob) didst refuse kindness to thy friend (Job); a. fr.
Nif. - נִמְנַע 1) to restrain one’s self; to shrink. Eduy. IV, 8; Yeb. I, 4 לא נִמְנְעוּ (מ)לישא וכ׳ they did not refrain from intermarriage. Ib. לא נ׳ (להיות) עושין טהרות וכ׳ they did not shrink from relying on one another in the observances of levitical pureness; Tosef. ib. I, 10. Ib. 12 מן הספק לא היו נִמְנָעִין (אבל) נמנעין וכ׳ they did not shrink (from interchange) where the case was doubtful &c.; Yeb. 14ᵇ. Gitt. 36ᵃ נמנעו מלהלוות וכ׳ they hesitated to lend money to one another; a. fr. —2) to be withheld. Num. R. s. 15 נִמְנְעָה השמחה וכ׳ (some ed. נִמְנַעַת) joy was withheld from the wicked and given to &c.
Hif. - הִמְנִיעַ to keep apart. Y. Taan. I, 64ᵇ top שאת מַמְנִיעָן זו מזו for thou keepest them (the rain-drops) from commingling (v. דָּפוּס); Y. Ber. IX, 14ᵃ top ממנימען (corr. acc.).