A Dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Babli and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic Literature/עסיא - עסק
II, 16 (ed. Vien. עסיאו Pe.). Targ. Ps. CXII, 10; a. e. - [Targ. Is. LIX, 11 עששינא, v. עסס.]
עסיא pr. n. pl., v. אסיא 2. -[Veinstein, Beitr. zurGesch. der Essaer, identifies our w. with Callirhoe and sur- roundings, hot springs on the east side of Jordan, near the Dead Sea.]
עסיס m. (b. h.; v. עסס) must, young wine. Midr. Till. to Ps. LXXIII, end ע׳ להן מטיפין השמים the heavens shall drop wine for them.
עסיס ch. same. Targ. Esth. I, 7 ע׳ חמר (some ed. ע׳) young wine.
עסיסא, Meg. 16a Ms. O., v. אציצא.
עסיסית, v. עססית.
עסיקין, pl. of עסק.
עסיראה, עסיריתא. v. sub עשיר׳.
*עסס (v. P. Sm. 2936 s. v. עס) to be agitated. Targ. Is. LIX, 11 עסינא ed. Wil., v. מיa.
עססיות pr. n. pl. ׳dsasiyoth, twin towns in Palestine. Gitt. 4b.
עססית, צסיסית f. (עסס to stamp), pl. עססיות, עסיסי׳. pounded wheat or peas. Tosef. Bets. I, 23 מאכל שהן מפני ע׳ (ed. Zuck. ע׳ שנאכל מפני) because wheat may be eaten as a dish &c.; Y. ib. I, end, 61a; (Bab. ib. 14b לודיות). Sabb. 18b; Tosef. ib. III (IV), 1; Y. ib. III, 5a עסי׳; Y. Ter. II, 41c bot.
עסק (cmp. b. h. עשק) (with ב) to work at, be engaged in. Sifra K'dosh., ch. VIII, Par. 4 בו ועוסק; Yalk. Lev. 619 בו ועוסקני and busy myself with him (to punish him), v. עסק II. Ber. 11a (ref. to Deut. VI, 7, when thou sittest in thy house) במצוה לעוסק פרט this exempts (from reading the Sh'ma) him who is engaged in a religious work; Succ. 25a. Ib. וכ׳ נפקא מהכא המצוה מן פטור במצוה והעוסק s it from here (Deut. l. c.) that we derive the rule, that he who is engaged in a religious act is exempt from other religious duties? Ib. 26a. Pes. 50b בתורה אדם יעסוק לעולם וכ׳ let man by all means be engaged in the study of the Law and the pursuit of religious work, even if not for their own sake &c., v. שם. Ib. שמים במלאכת העוסקין וכל and all those who make a living of religious work (deal in objects used for religious ceremonies &c.); ib. עוסקין ואם וכ׳ לשמה but if they do so from a religious motive &c.; a. fr. -- Part. pass. עסוק; pl. עסוקין. Keth. 103b ע׳ חייא ר׳ הוה במצות R. H. was always engaged in some good work (charity). Tosef. Bicc. II, 15 לגבוה העסוקין וכל all whose business is connected with religion, v. supra. Ib. שמים לשום ע׳ היו אם, v. supra. Ex. R. s. 20 (ref. to Ex. XIII, 19) וכ׳ בכסף ע׳ היו ישראל כל while all Israel were busy taking along silver and gold, Moses was busy getting the bones of Joseph; a. fr. Hif. העסיק to engage, kesp interested, entertain. Yoma. I, 7 אותו ומשיקין and they entertain him (to keep him awake); ib. 19b וכ׳ אותו מעסיקין היו לא they did not entertain him with music, but with their mouth (speech); Tosef. ib. I, 9. Ib. בהברה לעסקו (not בהברא, Pi.) to keep him awake with noise (recitations). Midr. Till. to Ps. VII שמואל שיבוא ער אותו מעסיקות היו they kept him engaged (in talk) until Samuel came; a. e. Pi. עישק same, v. supra. Hithpa. התעק, Nithpa. נתעשק 1) to occupy one's self; to attend. Sot. I, 9 משה אלא בו ׳ שלא מיוסף גדול לנו מי who. is greater than Joseph, to whose body none attended but Moses himself? (v. supra); וכ׳ בו ׳ שלא ממשה גדול מי who is greater than Moses in whose burial none but the Lord himself was engaged? Lev. R. s. 25 לא . . . ברייתו מתחלת וכ׳ נ׳ soon after the creation the Lord was first of all engaged in planting (Gen. II, 8), וכ׳ תתעסקו לא אתם אאף even so, when you enter the land, you shall apply your- selves first of all to planting (Lev. XIX, 23). Y. Hag. II, 77b ונתעסקו וישבו, v. next w. Tanh. Vaera 5 (play on העשק, Koh. VII, 7) הטעהו ... שלמה שנ עסק (not הטעוהו) the occupation with vain things in which Solomon engaged, led him astray; ib. מערבבין הרבה בדברים מתעפק כשהחכם וכ׳ when a scholar engages in too many affairs, they confound him so that he loses his wisdom; ib. חכם וכ׳ משכחין צבור בצרכי המתעסק if a scholar busies himself with public afairs, they cause him to forget his learning; a. fr. - Tosef. Arakh. IV, 27 יום בכל בקדרה בירק מתעסק nmay arrange to have vegetables in the pot every day; וכ׳ ואלפם בקדרה ירק מתעסק (read; בירק) may have vege- tables in the pot and stew &c. - 2) to do a thing without a direct practuical purpose; to practice, experiment. Sabb. 157b אנא בעלמא מתעסק I was merely playing (without the intention of measuring). R. Hash. IV, 8 (32b) אבל שילמדו כדי בהם מתעסקין Ms. M. (ed. עד עמהם מתע׳) but you mmay practice with them that they may learn (to blow the Shofar); יצא לא והמתעסק and he who merely blows for practice, has not done his duty. Ib. 33a מתע׳ וכ׳ שילמדו עד בהן (Tosef. ib. IV (II), 10 לתקוע מתלמדין) you may practice with them . , even on the Sabbath; a. e. -- 3) to do one thing while intending to do another thing; to miss one's purpose, choose the wrong thing. Snh. 62b וכ׳ בחלבים המתעסק he that misses his purpose in selecting forbidden fat to eat (intending to reach out for a permitted piece), or in consanguineous connection (by mistaking the person) is bound tto bring a sin offering; בשבת המתע׳ who does a forbidden act by mistake on the Sabbath (meaning to do a different though forbidden act); Kerith. 19b. Ib. IV, 3 (19a) (ref. to בה חטא אשר, Lev. IV, 23) למתעסק פרט this is to exempt him who sinned by doing the thing which he had not intended to do. Ib.19b מתעסק דמאי to what kind of a mistaken act does this refer? Ib. מצוה דלאו בדבר מתע׳ if by mistake he did an act which was not commanded (for that day). Ib. בחבורה מתע׳ making a wound (on the Sabbath) by mistake (circum- cising the wrong child), opp. בחבורה מקלקל doing harm by making a wound; a. fr. -41) to dispute, argue. Gen. R. s. 8 אלו עם אלו ומתעסקין . . . מדיינין השרת שמלאכי עד וכ׳ while the ministering angels were arguing with one another, disputing with one another, God created him (Adam); a. e.