סָמַךְ (b. h.) [to close, join,] 1) to pack, make close, stamp. Shebi. III, 8 לא יִסְמוֹךְ בעפר one should not support the dam by packing earth upon it, v. סָבַךְ. Gen. R. s. 5 סְמָבָן וכ׳ he crowded them between &c. (Lev. R. s. 10 שָׂמָן); a. e. —2) to support, stem. Midr. Till. to Ps. CXXXVI, עוג היה … וסוֹמְכוֹ Og broke a mountain loose and threw it on the Israelites …, Moses took a pebble and mentioned the Holy Name over it and stemmed its fall; הידים שכך סוֹמְכוֹת the hands which thus stem (the mountain); Deut. R. s. 1, end; a. e. —3) to bring close, to join. Y. Sabb. III, 5ᵈ bot. אפי׳ לִסְמוֹךְ לו even to place a vessel close to it (to be warmed); Bab. Sabb. 38ᵇ. Y. Kil. II, 27ᵈ סוֹמְכִין עומרין וכ׳ you may put packed sheaves by the side of &c. Kil. II, 7 לסמוך לו וכ׳ to plant closely adjoining to it &c. Ib. 8; a. fr.—Esp. (sub. יד) a) to press hands on the head of a sacrifice (to indicate ownership). Men. IX, 8 הכל סוֹמְכִין וכ׳ all persons are entitled to lay hands on their sacrifices, except &c. Ḥag. II, 2 שלא לסמוך that the laying on of hands must not be done on the Holy Days. Ib. 3 ואין סומכין עליהם but hands must not be laid on them; a. fr.—b) to lay hands on the head of a scholar, in gen. to ordain. Snh. 14ᵃ the government decreed שכל הסומך יהרג וכ׳ that whosoever ordained a scholar should be put to death, and whosoever be ordained should be put to death, ועיר שסומכין וכ׳ and the town wherein the ordination takes place &c. Ib. וס׳ שם חמשה וכ׳ and he ordained there five elders. Ib. ר"מ לא סְמָכוֹ ר"ע that R. Akiba never ordained R. M.—Ib. סומכין בארץ ונִסְמָכִין וכ׳ if those ordaining stand on Palestinean ground, and those to be ordained outside of Palestine; a. fr. —4) to lean, to rely. Ber. 9ᵃ, a. fr., v. כְּדָיי. Erub. 65ᵇ נִסְמוֹךְ על וכ׳ let us rely on the opinion of &c.; a. fr.—Trnsf. a) to support; to find support for an opinion or a rule, (v. אַסְמַכְתָּא). Y. Shebi. X, 39ᶜ bot. (ref. to Deut. XV, 3) מיכן סָמְכוּ לפרוזבול וכ׳ here they found a support for the prosbol as a Biblical institution, expl. בשהתקין הלל סְמָכוּהוּ וכ׳ when Hillel had instituted it, they supported it by reference to &c.—b) (with ענין) to bring under the same rule laws which are joined in the Biblical text. Yeb. 4ᵃ (ref. to Ex. XXII, 17 a. 18) סמכו עניין לו וכ׳ they brought the subject (verse 17) close to it (verse 18) (to intimate) as the punishment for the one is stoning, so is it for the other. Ib. וכי מפני שסמכו וכ׳ can we put a person to death on an intimation suggested merely by the neighborhood of two subjects? (v. סְמוּכִים, infra).—Part. pass. סָמוּךְ; f. סְמוּכָה; pl. סְמוּכִים, סְמוּכִין; סְמוּכוֹת a) near, close by. Meg. 3ᵇ וכל הס׳ לו and all (the inhabited area) adjoining it. Men. 98ᵃ, a. e. על בס׳ the preposition ʿal means immediately on. Sifré Num. 131 הרבה פרשיות ס׳ וכ׳ many sections (in the Torah) adjoin one another, and yet are (mentally) as far from one another &c. Sabb. I, 2 ס׳ למנחה near Minḥah time; a. v. fr.—Esp. סְמוּכִין, סְמוּכִים the interpretation founded on the fact of local junction of texts (v. supra). Yeb. l. c. ס׳ מן התורה מנין where is it intimated that Biblical texts are to be interpreted on the basis of proximity? Answ. (ref. to Ps. CXI, 8): they are arranged &c. Ib. מאן דלא דריש ס׳ he who does not adopt the interpretation based on textual proximity. Ber. 10ᵃ; a. fr.—b) strong, hardened. Num. R. s. 9 לבה ס׳ עליהם her heart is hardened towards them (and their presence will prevent her from confessing her guilt); cmp. גּוּס I.
    Nif. - נִסְמַךְ 1) to be adjoined. Ber. l. c. למה נִסְמְכָה וכ׳ why has the section referring to Absalom (Ps. III) been joined to that relating to Gog and Magog (Ps. II)? Tanḥ. Ḥuck. 20 ונ׳ להר וכ׳ and is close to the mountain opposite. M. Kat. 28ᵃ; a. fr. —2) to be ordained. Snh. l. c., v. supra. Yoma 87ᵃ שראויין לִיסָּמֵךְ who are worthy to be ordained; a. fr.
    Pi. - סִימֵּךְ to support, prop. Y. Maasr. II, 50ᵃ top המְסַמֵּךְ בגפנים he who props vines. Yalk. Ex. 244 עוזר ומסמך אתה וכ׳ thou art a helper and supporter to all &c.; a. e.—Part. pass. מְסוּמָּךְ, pl. מְסוּמָּכִין. Kel. II, 2 יושבין שלא מ׳ (vessels or fragments of vessels) resting without the need of a support.
    Hif. - הִסְמִיךְ to pack, tread. Y. Maasr. l. c. ברגליו מַסְמִיךְ working with his feet is he who packs (sheaves &c.; Y. B. Mets. VII, beg. 11ᵇ מקמץ).
    Hithpa. - הִסְתַּמֵּךְ,
    Nithpa. - נִסְתַּמֵּךְ to lean one’s self. Gen. R. s. 45, end היתה מִסְתַּמֶּכֶת על וכ׳ was leaning on her handmaid. Sifré Num. 131 והיה מִסְתַּמֵּךְ וכ׳ and he went off leaning on his stick; a. e.