נָחַם (b. h.; cmp. נוּחַ) to be at ease. Ex. R. s. 20 (homiletic interpret. of נָחָם, Ex. XIII, 17) אמר הקב"ה איני מתנחם וכ׳ the Lord said, I shall not be contented, until &c., for we read ולא נָחַם (perhaps meant for נִחַם Nif.).
Pi. - נִיחֵם to comfort, console. Pesik. Naḥ., p. 128ᵃ א"ל הקב"ה אני ואתם נלך ונְנַחֲמֶנָּה the Lord said to them (the prophets), Myself and you, let us go and comfort her (Jerusalem); ib. נַחֲמוּהָ עמי וכ׳ comfort her, O my people; comfort her, you on high (angels) &c. Ib. הקב"ה שלחני אצלך לנַחֲמֵךְ the Lord sent me to thee (Jerusalem) to comfort thee. Ib.ᵇ נַחֲמוּנִי נחמוני עמי comfort me, comfort me, O my people. Pesik. R. s. 30 ונכנסו חביריו לנַחֲמוֹ and his friends came in to comfort him; אם על אשתו מְנַחֲמִים לו וכ׳ if it is for the loss of his wife that they seek to console him, and he refuses to be consoled &c. Midd. II, 2 השוכן בבית הזה יְנַחֶמְךָ may He who resides in this house console thee. Y. Gitt. V, 47ᶜ top; Y. Dem. IV, 24ᵃ bot. ומְנַחֲמִין אבילי וכ׳ and you must comfort the gentile mourners (of your place) as well as the Jewish mourners; Y. Ab. Zar. I, 39ᶜ bot. ניחמים (corr. acc.); Tosef. Gitt. V (III), 5; a. fr.—מְנַחֵם the consoling friend of the mourner. Yalk. Prov. 947 בבית האבל בחול פריס מנ׳ ויהיב לאבל … יש לה מנ׳ פריס מנ׳ וכ׳ in the house of the mourner, on week days, the comforter breaks the bread and gives it to the mourner, as it is written (Lam. I, 17), ‘Zion breaks (the bread) with her own hands, she has no comforter’, but if she had a comforter, the comforter would break it &c.—Pl. מְנַחֲמִים, מְנַחֲמִין. M. Kat. 27ᵃ בית המנ׳ the room where the comforters meet. Ib. 27ᵇ כיון שניענע … אין מנ׳ וכ׳ as soon as the mourner nods with his head (indicating that he accepts their consolations), the friends are no longer permitted to sit with him; a. fr.—Sabb. 152ᵃ מת שאין לו מנ׳ a deceased person that leaves no direct relations to be comforted.