Jastrow: סָפֵק

סָפֵק m. (preced. wds.) 1) division, doubt, opp. וַדַּאי. Ker. IV, 1 ס׳ אכל ס׳ לא אכל if there is a doubt whether or not he has eaten forbidden fat; ס׳ יש בו וכ׳ if there is a doubt whether it was the legally required quantity. B. Bath. 10ᵃ ס׳ מקבלין … ס׳ אין וכ׳ it is uncertain whether it will be accepted from him or not. Ab. Zar. 41ᵃ הוי ס׳ וכ׳, v. וַדַּאי. Y. Bets. I, 60ᵇ bot. סְפֵיקוֹ, סְפֵיקָהּ where there is a doubt about it, v. וַדַּאי. Ib. מאי ס׳ וש שם what is the doubt there? i. fr. what difference does it make in practice?—Yeb. 37ᵇ, a. fr. ממון המוטל בס׳, v. מָמוֹן. Ker. VI, 3 (25ᵃ) המתן עד שתכנס לס׳ (Var. in Talm. ed. לבית הס׳) wait until you arrive at a condition of doubt, i.e. until you are in doubt as to having committed a sin requiring a sacrifice. Ib. 2 כִּפְּרָה סְפֵיקָהּ וכ׳ the heifer has atoned for the doubt for which it has been put to death, and is gone (i.e. at the time of its being thrown down the murderer was unknown); ib. 25ᵃ עדיין לא כיפרה סְפֵיקָתָהּ it had not yet atoned for the doubt for which it was to be put to death; a. v. fr.—Pl. סְפֵיקוֹת, סְפֵק׳ (fem.). Kidd. IV, 3 ואלו הן הס׳ and these are the cases of uncertain parentage. B. Mets. 83ᵇ ס׳ שלכם cases in which you act on doubts (mere suspicion), v. וַדָּאָה. Y. Keth. I, beg. 24ᵈ שתי ס׳ a double doubt, v. next w.; a. e. —2) dilemma, difficulty. Cant. R. to VII, 8 למה באו ישראל בס׳ וכ׳ why did the Israelites get into trouble in the days of Haman?