רָפַף (b. h. רוֹפֵף; cmp. רָפָא, רָפָה) to be loose, to vibrate, vacillate. Lev. R. s. 14, end לחלב שנתון … הולך ורוֹפֵף like milk put into a dish, when you put m’so (מסוֹ) into it, it curdles and stands; if not, it will constantly vibrate; Yalk. Job 905 ומְרַפְרֵף; Gen. R. s. 14 החלב רופף; Yalk. Lev. 547; Gen. R. s. 4, end הוא מרפף (prob. to be read: מְרוֹפֵף). Tosef. Ḥull. II, 12 הרוֹפֶפֶת בעיניה an animal that trembles (blinks) with its eyes (when being slaughtered); Ḥull. 38ᵇ, v. infra.—Y. Erub. X, beg. 26ᵃ מקום שמוחו של התינוק רופף, v. רָפַס. Ib. ראה ראשו של תינוק רופף וכ׳ a cock saw the soft spot on an infant’s head and picked at it. Tosef. Zab. IV, 1 ששני ראשיה … אמצעיתה רוֹפֶפֶת the two ends of which reach to the ground, and the central part rocks (is unsupported). Y. Maas. Sh. V, 56ᵇ top כל הלכה היא רופפת וכ׳ if the application of a law is vacillating in the courts, and you do not know what its nature is, see how the people do &c.; Y. Peah VII, 20ᶜ top. Y. M. Kat. III, 83ᶜ כל שבעה … היא רופפת וכ׳ during the seven days (of mourning in the family) the sword is drawn, up to thirty days it is held loosely (v. רָפֶה), after twelve months it is returned to its sheath; Gen. R. s. 100 מִתְרַפְרֶפֶת; a. e.—Erub. 54ᵃ שרַף על הצואר (Rashi לצואר, v. Rabb. D. S. a. l. note 300), v. עֲנָק II.
Polel. - רוֹפֵף same. Y. M. Kat. III, 81ᵈ top והיו עמודי … מְרוֹפְפִים and the columns of the meeting house shook. Gen. R. s. 4, v. supra.
Pilpel. - רִפְרֵף 1) to move, shake. Ḥull. 38ᵇ אפי׳ לא ר׳ אלא גפו (Ms. R. 1, 2 בגפו) even if the bird only flaps a wing (Var. in Ar. בעינו blinks with its eye, v. supra). Gen. R. s. 2 (ref. to Gen. I, 2) כעוף הזה שהוא מְרַפְרֵף וכ׳ like a bird that flaps its wings (over its brood), and its wings touch and yet do not touch (v. רִיחוּף).—2) to flutter, be vacillating in mind. Gen. R. s. 20 לפי שרִפְרְפָה … קרבן מְרוּפְרָף because she (at the time of travailing) wavered in her heart (lost faith; ‘Rashi’: made a half-hearted vow never to have marital intercourse again), therefore she must bring a fluttering sacrifice (a bird).