Jastrow: צִמְצֵם

צִמְצֵם (Pilp. of צָמַם) 1) to contract; to press, squeeze in, force into close confinement. Snh. 76ᵇ לרבות את המְצַמְצֵם this includes him who caused the death of a person by forcing him into a place whence he could not escape. Ib. 77ᵃ בנזקין … מצמצם in cases of damages the Law does not condemn him who causes damage through confinement (e.g. by placing an animal where it was exposed to sunstroke). Pesik. Baḥod., p. 152ᵃ מצמצם שכינתו ביניהם forces his Divine Presence into their midst; ib. Vayhi, p. 5ᵃ. Gen. R. s. 5; Lev. R. s. 10 צִימְצְמָן בין וכ׳ he crowded them (the priests) between the two bars of the Ark (cmp. צָמַד); a. e.—Part. pass. מְצוּמְצָם; f. מְצוּמְצֶמֶת; pl. מְצוּמְצָמִין; מְצוּמְצָמוֹת. Ib. s. 11 (in Chald. dict.) אנא חמיתיה מצ׳ ביניהון I saw it (the Divine Presence) confined in the midst of them (the elders); Yalk. Prov. 964. Lev. R. s. 14 ושאר איבריו מצ׳ בו וכ׳ and the rest of its (the embryo’s) limbs are pressed together like a shapeless lump; (Y. Nidd. III, 50ᵈ מצומתים), v. גּוֹלֶם. —2) to press against, hide behind. Pesik. Sos, p. 147ᵇ (ref. to Is. LXI, 10 ככלה) כיון … היו מְצַמְצְמִין עצמן וכ׳ when the Israelites stood at Mount Sinai they pressed themselves (against one another, in reverence) like a bride (when she undresses), opening one (part of her garment) and holding together another part. Cant. R. to IV, 10 the Ten Commandments שהיו מצמצמים עליהן ככלה (sub. עצמן) at receiving which they hid themselves like a bride. Gen. R. s. 45 end והיתה … וצִימְצְמָה פניה וכ׳ she leaned on her maid and pressed her face (against her), so that the king could not see her &c.; Yalk. ib. 80. Cant. R. to VI, 5 הלכה וצמצמה פניה אחורי העמוד she went and pressed her face (hid herself) behind a column; a. e. —3) [to press the eye] to observe closely; to define exactly. Bekh. II, 6 (17ᵃ) אי אפשר לצַמְצֵם (Mish. ed. אי אפשר only) it is impossible to ascertain exactly (that both heads came forth simultaneously). Ib. 17ᵇ אפשר לצַ׳ בידי שמים it is possible to ascertain simultaneity in natural processes; א"א לצַ׳ בידי אדם it is impossible to ascertain simultaneity in human actions. Shebu. 32ᵃ (ref. to כפרו שניהן כאחת, Mish. ib. IV, 4) הא אי איפשר לצַ׳ but is it not impossible to ascertain simultaneity (of evidence of two witnesses)? Ib.; Ḥull. 28ᵇ חלקו … לפי שא"א לצ׳ if he divided the stove into two equal parts, both are unclean, because it is impossible to make an exactly even division; a. fr.—Y. Erub. V, 22ᶜ שתהא החמה מְצַמְצֶמֶת בו באחד וכ׳ that the sun should shine on it exactly in the first moment of the solstice of Tebeth and of that of Tammuz.—Part. pass. as ab. Y. Ḥall. I, 57ᵈ bot. חמשׁת … מצ׳ exactly five quarts. Y. Sabb. II, 5ᵃ top שלש על שלש מצ׳ exactly three by three (handbreadths). Gitt. 7ᵃ אם … שמזונותיו מצ׳ if a man sees that his means of support are getting scanty; a. fr.—4) to stint, save, v. צָמַת.