עֶצֶם m. (b. h.; preced.) [strength,] 1) bone. Tosef. Sabb. VII (VIII), 21 עמד ע׳ בגרונו if a bone sticks in one’s throat; Sabb. 67ᵃ. Pes. VII, 11 השובר את הע׳ וכ׳ he who breaks a bone of the Passover sacrifice. Ib. 12 שאין בו משום שבירת הע׳ because the prohibition to break a bone does not apply to it; a. v. fr.—Pl. עֲצָמוֹת. Ib. 10. Ib. VIII, 8 והמלקט לו ע׳ he who has the bones (of a parent) collected, v. לָקַט; a. v. fr. —2) substance, essence, self (v. עִיצּוּם). Ab. I, 14 וכשאני לעַצְמִי וכ׳ and if I am (I care) for myself only, what am I? Ib. II, 13 אל תהי רשע בפני עַצְמֶךָ be not a wicked man in thine own sight (despair not of thyself). Ber. 43ᵃ; Tosef. ib. IV, 8 כל אחד ואחד מברך לעַצְמוֹ each says the blessing for himself. Zeb. VIII, 10 כשהוא בעצמו when it (the addition to, or the diminution from the prescribed action) stands by itself (is clearly visible); R. Hash. 28ᵇ; Erub. 100ᵃ. Sifré Deut. 19 לא מעַצְמִי אני וכ׳ I did not say that of my own accord (as my idea), but at the command of God. Num. R. s. 20; Tanḥ. Bal. 13 בקש לילך לעצמו וכ׳ he wanted to go to himself (go home); a. v. fr.—Pl. constr. עַצְמֵי. Sifré Deut. 16 לשעבר … עַצְמֵיכֶם וכ׳ in the past you were your own masters, now you are servants and subjects of the community; a. fr. —3) substance, wealth, esp. live stock. Yalk. Gen. 111 (ref. to וַעֲבֻדָּה, Gen. XXVI, 14) וַעֲבָדָהּ כתיב אם אין אדם נעשה כעבד לעַצְמוֹ וכ׳ it may be read ‘and he shall serve it’, unless a man become like a slave to his stock, he does not own it; Gen. R. s. 64 כמו עבד לעבדו (read לעצמו; cmp. Snh. 58ᵇ).—Pl. as ab. Gen. R. l. c. (ref. to עצמת ממנו, Gen. XXVI, 16) כל אותן ע׳ שעצמת ממני היה לך all these possessions (herds and flocks) which thou hast obtained, are they not from us?; Yalk. l. c. עֲצוּמוֹת.