סָכַל I (b. h. שָׂכַל; cmp. סָכָה) to be bright.
Hithpa. - הִסְתַּכֵּל,
Nithpa. - נִסְתַּכֵּל to look at, observe; to reflect, keep in mind. Snh. 92ᵃ המִסְתַּכֵּל בערוה he who looks at his nakedness; (oth. opin.: who allows his obscene thoughts to dwell on a woman forbidden to him). Ber. 10ᵃ נ׳ בכוכבים וכ׳ he looked at the stars and planets and recited a song. Ib. נ׳ ביום המיתה he speculated on the day of death. Midr. Till. to Ps. XXXII (ref. to Prov. XV, 24) מי שהוא מסתכל למעלה he who looks on high (prays to God); בניו … שנִסְתַּכְּלוּ וכ׳ the sons of Korah who looked on high escaped. Lev. R. s. 34 (ref. to Ps. XLI, 2) אשרי נותן … הוי מסתכל בו וכ׳ it does not say, ‘blessed who gives to the poor’, but, ‘blessed who looks at the poor’, speculates how to do him good; a. fr.—V. שָׂכַל.