Jastrow: שֹׁעַל

שֹׁעַל m. (b. h.) 1) hollow of the hand, palm, handful. Tanḥ. B’resh. 5 (ref. to Is. XL, 12) מן שָׁעֳלוֹ אתה יודע וכ׳ by the size of his handful canst thou know who he himself is; ib. Ḥayé 3 וכל … בשעלו all the seas and rivers did he measure with his palm; ib. Emor 15 וכל … מלא שעלו וכ׳ all the waters of the world fill the palm of the Lord; Pesik. Eth Korb., p. 57ᵇ מלא שׁוֹעֳלוֹ; Tanḥ. Pinḥ. 12 מלא שָׁעֳלִי my handful; Num. R. s. 2117; Pesik. R. addit. s. 1 כל … לתוך שעלי all the waters of creation did I compress into my palm.—Pl. שָׁעֲלִים. Ib. גבור … פחות מעשרה ש׳ a mighty man … drinks no less than ten handfuls; a. e.—2) ש׳ של ים the hollow of the sea, depth. Cant. R. to II, 15 (ref. to Cant. l. c.; v. ed. Baer et Del. Notae criticae a. l.) קדמאה מלא … שירדו לשעלו של ים the first shuʿalim is written plene, the second defective, which may be read שָׁעֳלִים; they (the Egyptians) were the foxes that went down to the bottom of the sea; Ex. R. s. 22 על שם שעלו של ים an allusion to the bottom of the sea; Yalk. Ps. 786 שעלים (read: שעל ים).