עָסַק (cmp. b. h. עָשַׂק) (with ב) to work at, be engaged in. Sifra K’dosh., ch. VIII, Par. 4 ועוֹסֵק בו; Yalk. Lev. 619 ועוֹסְקֵנִי בו and busy myself with him (to punish him), v. עֵסֶק II. Ber. 11ᵃ (ref. to Deut. VI, 7, ‘when thou sittest in thy house’) פרט לעוסק במצוה this exempts (from reading the Sh’ma) him who is engaged in a religious work; Succ. 25ᵃ. Ib. והעוסק במצוה פטור מן המצוה מהכא נפקא וכ׳ is 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 לעולם יַעֲסוֹק אדם בתורה 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. שֵׁם. Ib. וכל העוֹסְקִין במלאכת שמים and all those who make a living of religious work (deal in objects used for religious ceremonies &c.); ib. ואם עוסקין לשמה וכ׳ but if they do so from a religious motive &c.; a. fr.—Part. pass. עָסוּק; pl. עֲסוּקִין. Keth. 103ᵇ ר׳ חייא ע׳ במצות הוה R. Ḥ. was always engaged in some good work (charity). Tosef. Bicc. II, 15 וכל העסוקין לגבוה all whose business is connected with religion, v. supra. Ib. אם היו ע׳ לשום שמים, v. supra. Ex. R. s. 20 (ref. to Ex. XIII, 19) כל ישראל היו ע׳ בכסף וכ׳ while all Israel were busy taking along silver and gold, Moses was busy getting the bones of Joseph; a. fr.
    Hif. - הֶעֱסִיק to engage, keep interested, entertain. Yoma I, 7 ומַעֲסִיקִין אותו and they entertain him (to keep him awake); ib. 19ᵇ לא היו מעסיקין אותו וכ׳ they did not entertain him with music, but with their mouth (speech); Tosef. ib. I, 9. Ib. לעַסְּקוֹ בהברה (not בהברא, Pi.) to keep him awake with noise (recitations). Midr. Till. to Ps. VII היו מַעֲסִיקוֹת אותו עד שיבוא שמואל they kept him engaged (in talk) until Samuel came; a. e.
    Pi. - עִיסֵּק same, v. supra.
    Hithpa. - הִתְעַסֵּק,
    Nithpa. - נִתְעַסֵּק 1) to occupy one’s self; to attend. Sot. I, 9 מי לנו גדול מיוסף שלא נ׳ בו אלא משה who is greater than Joseph, to whose body none attended but Moses himself? (v. supra); מי גדול ממשה שלא ני בו וכ׳ who is greater than Moses in whose burial none but the Lord himself was engaged? Lev. R. s. 25 מתחלת ברייתו … לא נ׳ וכ׳ soon after the creation the Lord was first of all engaged in planting (Gen. II, 8), אף אתם לא תִתְעַסְּקוּ וכ׳ even so, when you enter the land, you shall apply yourselves first of all to planting (Lev. XIX, 23). Y. Ḥag. II, 77ᵇ וישבו ונִתְעַסְּקוּ, v. next w. Tanḥ. Vaëra 5 (play on הָעשֶׁק, Koh. VII, 7) עסק שנ׳ שלמה … הטעהו (not הטעוהו) the occupation with vain things in which Solomon engaged, led him astray; ib. כשהחכם מִתְעַסֵּק בדברים הרבה מערבבין וכ׳ when a scholar engages in too many affairs, they confound him so that he loses his wisdom; ib. חכם המתעסק בצרכי צבור משכחין וכ׳ if a scholar busies himself with public affairs, they cause him to forget his learning; a. fr.—Tosef. Arakh. IV, 27 מִתְעַסֵּק בירק בקדרה בכל יום may arrange to have vegetables in the pot every day; מתעסק ירק בקדרה ואלפס וכ׳ (read: בירק) may have vegetables in the pot and stew &c. —2) to do a thing without a direct practical purpose; to practice, experiment. Sabb. 157ᵇ מתעסק בעלמא אנא I was merely playing (without the intention of measuring). R. Hash. IV, 8 (32ᵇ) אבל מִתְעַסְּקִין בהם כדי שילמדו Ms. M. (ed. מתע׳ עמהם עד) but you may practice with them that they may learn (to blow the Shofar); והמתעסק לא יצא and he who merely blows for practice, has not done his duty. Ib. 33ᵃ מתע׳ בהן עד שילמדו וכ׳ (Tosef. ib. IV (II), 10 מתלמדין לתקוע) 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 המתעסק בחלבים וכ׳ 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 to bring a sin offering; המתע׳ בשבת 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 אשר חטא בה, Lev. IV, 23) פרט למתעסק 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. מתע׳ בדבר דלאו מצוה if by mistake he did an act which was not commanded (for that day). Ib. מתע׳ בחבורה making a wound (on the Sabbath) by mistake (circumcising the wrong child), opp. מקלקל בחבורה doing harm by making a wound; a. fr. —4) to dispute, argue. Gen. R. s. 8 עד שמלאכי השרת מדיינין … ומתעסקין אלו עם אלו וכ׳ while the ministering angels were arguing with one another, disputing with one another, God created him (Adam); a. e.