רבי, רָבָה, רָבֶה (b. h.) to be much, many; to grow, increase. Yoma 87ᵇ עונותינו רָבוּ וכ׳ our sins are too many to be counted. Gen. R. s. 34 אצא ואהי פרה ורָבֶה וכ׳ I may go out (of the ark) and be multiplying and increasing for curse. Bekh. 44ᵇ דם ר׳ שחין ר׳ if the blood is allowed to increase (if bleeding is neglected), skin disease will develop; מי רגלים רָּבִין וכ׳ if one allows the urine to increase (through neglect) &c. Sabb. 33ᵇ בעון … צרות רָבוֹת וכ׳ for the sin of obscene talk troubles increase, and new evil decrees come &c. Num. R. s. 11, v. פָּרָה II. Gen. R. s. 48 הכתב ר׳ וכ׳, v. כְּתָב. Sot. 47ᵇ משרבו … בדין ר׳ וכ׳ when the whisperers in court (secret influences) increased, the anger (of God) against Israel increased. Snh. 97ᵃ העזות תִּרְבֶּה impudence shall be large. Y. Yeb. IV, 6ᵃ bot., v. אל"ף; a. fr.—Gen. R. s. 98 (play on בן פרת, Gen. XLIX, 22) בן פירות רָבִיתָה ‘a child of fruits’ (through interpreting Pharaoh’s dream about the ears of corn) thou didst grow (to high office); בן פרות רביתה יוסף ‘a child of cows’ (through interpreting the dream about cows) thou didst grow; בן פורת (יוסף) רָבִיתָ יוסף ‘a child of growth’, thou didst grow tall (so as to protect Rachel from Esau’s sight; v. Gen. R. s. 78); Yalk. ib. 133 [read:] בן פורת יוסף פָּרִיתָ רבית יוסף.
Pi. - רִיבָּה 1) to increase, do much, do more. Gen. R. s. 34 ר׳ בטהורים יותר וכ׳ ordered a larger number of the clean animals to be taken into the ark than of the unclean. Tosef. Dem. IV, 12 ר׳ בעיר ולא ר׳ במדינה if one offers a large quantity for sale, while none is offered in the country. Ib. 13 כל שר׳ לו מותר wherever one has a large quantity for sale, it is permitted (to buy of him); a. fr.—Men. 89ᵃ ר׳ שמן וכ׳, v. רְבִיכָה. —2) (hermeneutics) to use an additional word for the purpose of intimating something not otherwise included; to argue from an additional word or from a generalization in the Biblical text; to widen the scope of a law; to include. Ib. אם אתה מְרַבֶּה וכ׳ if thou wert to argue an entire day on the intimation of an increase lying in the words bashshemen (Lev. VI, 14; VII, 12), I should not listen to thee; Zeb. 82ᵃ; Nidd. 72ᵇ. Shebu. 26ᵃ, v. מָעַט. Ib. 27ᵃ מדאצטריך או לְרַבּוֹת וכ׳ as the word אוֹ (Lev. V, 4) is needed for the inclusion of vows for the benefit of others. Pes. 22ᵇ, v. אֵת. Snh. 60ᵇ יכול שאני מְרַבֶּה וכ׳ you might think that I must include &c.; a. v. fr.—[Yalk. Ex. 348 ר׳ כל וכ׳, v. רִיקֵן.]—Gen. R. s. 85 (ref. to Gen. XXXVIII, 29) זה רִבָּה על כל הפריצים ממך יעמודו (not יעמוד) this event implies (the prophecy) that all conquerors shall rise from thee (Perez); Yalk. ib. 145. —3) to lend or borrow on usury (רִבִּית); to make a profit. Sifra B’har, ch. VI, Par. 5; B. Mets. V, 1 (expl. תַּרְבִּית) המְרַבֶּה בפירות he who makes a profit on lending provisions. Tosef. ib. IV, 2 מְרַבִּין על השכר ואין מרבין וכ׳ you may make a profit on renting (lending money to the money-changer merely for exhibition), but you dare not make a profit on a sale (of land as security for a loan). B. Mets. V, 2 מרבין … ואין מרבין וכ׳ you may make a profit by a reduction of rent on account of payment in advance, but you dare not make a profit by increasing the price of an object sold on account of postponed payment; a. e.