אָשָׁם, (b. h.) guilt; guilt-offering, asham, a special kind of offering.—א׳ תלוי (Lev. V, 18) an asham to be offered when you are in doubt as to the commission of a sinful act. Kerith. III, 1; a. fr.; (ib. 17ᵇ differ. opin. as to the nature of the doubt). Ib. VI, 3 אֲשַׁם חסידים the asham offered by the over-scrupulous because they may have transgressed.—א׳ ודאי the asham for the undoubted commission of certain offenses, which are: a) אֲ׳ גזילות for illegal appropriation of private property (after pecuniary reparation; Lev. V, 25); b) אֲ׳ מעילות for misappropriation of sacred property (Lev. V, 16); c) אֲ׳ שפחה חרופה for carnal connection with a slave betrothed to another man (Lev. XIX, 21) ;—d) אֲ׳ נזיר offering of a nazarite when interrupting the days of vowed nazaritism by levitical impurity (Num. VI, 12).—Deut. R. s. 1, beg. (alluding to וַאֲשִׂמֵם Deut. I, 13) וְאַשְׁמָם כתיב it is so written that you may read v’ashmam (and their guilt); if you listen not to them אשמה תלוי וכ׳ (read אשמם) their guilt shall fall upon your heads (you will be answerable for what offenses they may commit); differ. in Sifré Deut. 13. [Our Bible editions, however, read ואשימם, plene.]—Pl. אֲשָׁמוֹת. Kerith. VI, 4. Sifré l. c.; a. fr.