צָרַף (b. h.; cmp. צרב) [to press, shrink,] 1) to smelt, melt; trnsf. to refine, purify, try. Y. Keth. VII, end, 31ᵈ; Tosef. Keth. VII, 11 צוֹרֵף נחשת, v. infra. Yoma 72ᵇ (ref. to Ps. XVIII, 31) זכה משמחתו … צוֹרַפְתּוֹ if he deserves well, she (the Torah) cheers him; if not, she smelts him (through trials); צורפתו לחיים she steels him for life; צורפתו למיתה she smelts him for death. Yalk. Ex. 391 דרשתי … צָרַפְתִּי ובחנתי וכ׳ I studied and searched, refined and tested &c.; a. fr. —2) to tighten, harden. Yoma l. c., v. supra. Y. Yeb. XVI, 15ᵈ top שצְרָפַתּוֹ Var., v. צָפַד. —3) to change, v. infra.
Pi. - צֵרֵף 1) to smelt. Keth. VII, 10 (among the occupations to which a wife may object) מְצָרֵף נחושת, expl. ib. 77ᵃ חשלי דודי, v. חַשְׁלָא; anoth. opin. מחתך נחושת וכ׳, v. חָתַךְ; Tosef. ib. l. c. זה מתיך וכ׳ he that casts bronze.—Trnsf. to refine. Gen. R. s. 44 (ref. to צרופה, Ps. XVIII, 31) לא נתנו המצות אלא לצָרֵף וכ׳ the (ceremonial) laws have been given for the purpose of refining (disciplining) men through them. Ib. שצֵרְפוֹ הקב"ה וכ׳ (Abraham) whom the Lord tried in the furnace of fire. Ib. (ref. to צֹרֵף, Is. XLI, 7) זה אברהם שצרפו וכ׳ that means Abraham, whom the Lord tried &c.; (Yalk. Is. 313 שנִצְרַף, Nif.). —2) to tighten, harden. Makhsh. V, 7 המוליך … לצָרְפָהּ if one takes a ship out to sea for the sake of tightening it; מוציא מסמר … לצָרְפוֹ if one takes a (glowing) nail in the rain for the sake of hardening it; Tosef. ib. II, 16 בשביל לצוֹרְפוֹ. Tosef. Kel. B. Kam. III, 13 צֵרְפָן אפי׳ וכ׳ (or צְרָפָן) if he hardened (baked) them (the earthen vessels) even in a peat fire. Bets. 32ᵃ משיְצָרְפוֹ בכבשן (Ms. M. משישרפו) from the time be baked it in the kiln. B. Mets. 84ᵃ (of iron weapons) משיְצָרְפֵם בכבשן when he has hardened them in the furnace, v. צִחְצֵחַ; a. e. —3) [to melt together, weld,] to combine, join. Maasr. II, 5 ואם צֵרַף (Y. ed. צירף) if he combined (ate them together). Y. Pes. III, 30ᵃ top שני … אין הבית מְצָרף if two pieces (of leavened matter), each half the size of an olive, are in the same room, the room does not join them (so as to be counted one olive-size); if in one vessel, הכלי מצרף the vessel joins them. Kidd. 40ᵃ, a. e. מְצָרְפָהּ למעשה, v. מַחֲשָׁבָה; a. fr. —4) to change small for large coin, opp. פָּרַט. Maas. Sh. IV, 2 כמות … שהוא מצרף as the banker counts when he gives small change for large coins, not as he counts when giving large coins for small change; Tosef. ib. III, 3 המְצָרֵיף … שמצריף ed. Zuck. (Var. המצרף … מצטרף) if one buys a gold Denar for coins designated for second tithes, he must count as the banker would when selling small change, not as he would, when buying large change. Shek. II, 1 מְצָרְפִין, v. דַּרְכּוֹן. Y. B. Mets. IV, end, 9ᵈ לצוֹרְפָהּ … מְצָרְפָהּ ביפה if he wants to change the defective coin to be spent in Jerusalem, he must exchange it as if it were of full value (v. Bab. B. Mets. 52ᵇ); a. fr.—Sifré Deut. 48 אחד מצרף דינר ואוכלו ואחד מצ׳ דינר ומניחו one gathers a gold Denar and spends it, and another changes his accumulation for a gold Denar and puts it away; Yalk. ib. 873, v. סָגַל.