פָּסַק (b. h. פָּשַׂק) [to separate, part, distribute,] 1) to divide, split, interrupt. Taan. 27ᵇ; Meg. 22ᵃ פּוֹסֵק the reader divides (one verse), i.e. the first reads two verses and a half, leaving the other half to be read by his successor. Ib. לא התיר לי לִפְסוֹק וכ׳ he permitted me to cut a verse in two only in teaching the school children. Ib. 31ᵇ במשנה תורה פוסק the chapter in Deuteronomy containing the curses (Deut. XXVIII, 15—69) may be divided (to be read by two or more); a. fr.—[Gen. R. s. 10 כיון שפסקה; Yalk. ib. 16 שפוסקה, v. פָּתַק.]—Part. pass. פָּסוּק; f. פְּסוּקָה. Ḥull. III, 3 פְּסוּקַת הגרגרת, v. גַּרְגֶּרֶת. —2) (denom. of פָּסוּק) to recite a verse. Ḥag. 15ᵃ, sq. פְּסוֹק לי פְּסוּקְךָ (interch. with Chald. פסוק לי פסוקיך) recite to me thy Bible verse (recently learned). —3) (cmp. חָתַךְ, גָּזַר) to apportion, assign; to provide; to promise, agree. Keth. 65ᵃ אין פּוֹסְקִין יינות לאשה in decreeing alimentation for a woman we do not provide for wine. Ib. כך תִּפְסְקוּ לבנותיכם so much (and no more) may ye grant to your daughters. Ib. 107ᵃ פוסקין מזונות לאשת איש the court assigns alimentation (from the estate) to a deserted wife. Ib. V, 8 לא פ׳ … אלא וכ׳ only R. Y. decreed barley as a part of alimentation, because he lived near Edom. Ib. פוסק לעומתן וכ׳ he must give her &c., v. עוּמָּה. Ib. VI, 2 הפוסק מעות לחתנו if a man agrees to pay a certain amount to his intended son-in-law (on the date of marriage). Ib. 3 פָּסְקָה להכניס … הוא פוסק וכ׳ if she promises to bring to him one thousand Denars, he must assign to her (as settlement in the K’thubah) fifteen Manehs. Tosef. ib. XIII (XII), 1 אם פָּסְקוּ לה … מה שפסקו פסקו if the court has granted her (alimentation), what they have granted, is granted. Ib. פסקה היא לעצמה (not על עצמה) if she herself has promised (to bring her husband a certain sum, and now her father refuses to give it). Ib. אבה פ׳ עלי וכ׳ my father has promised for me; what can I do (if he retracts)?; Keth. XIII, 5. Y. Kidd. IV, 65ᶜ top פּוֹסְקֵי צדקה ברבים וכ׳ those who subscribe to a charity in public and refuse to pay; Taan. 8ᵇ; a. v. fr. —4) to fix a price; to buy on time. Gitt. 58ᵃ אפדנו בכל ממון שפוסקין עליו I will redeem him for any price that they may set on him. B. Mets. V, 7 אין פוסקין … עד שיצא השער you dare not fix a price on crops (buy on time), until the market price has been published. Ib. יצא השער פוסקין ואע"פ שאין לזה יש לזה (missing in Y. ed.) when the market price is out, you may buy, for although he (the seller) has no goods as yet, others have. Ib. פוסק עמו על הגדיש, v. גָּדִישׁ; a. v. fr. —5) פ׳ דברים [to split words,] to argue. Snh. 44ᵇ פיסקון שפוסק דברים כלפי מעלה Gabriel is surnamed Pisḳon, because he argues with the Lord. —6) (neut. verb) to be cut off; to cease, be stopped. Sot. IX, 9 משרבו … פסקו המים המרים … הפסיקן when the faithless men became frequent, the application of the waters of jealousy ceased, and it was R. J. ben Z. that abolished them. Ib. 12 פסקו אנשי אמונה the men of faith ceased to exist. Tanḥ. Sh’moth 16 אין אותה מצוה פוֹסֶקֶת מביתו that good deed shall never cease from (being practiced in) his house. Gen. R. s. 52 פסקו העוברים והשבים travellers ceased to pass by; a. v. fr.
    Nif. - נִפְסַק to be split, cut in two, broken. Tosef. B. Kam. XI, 15; B. Kam. 119ᵇ הנ׳ במגירה chips at planing, v. גָּרַר I. Ḥull. III, 1 נשברה השדרה ונ׳ החוט שלה if the spinal column is broken and the spinal cord severed. Sabb. 112ᵃ סנדל שנִפְסְקוּ שתי אזניו a sandal, both ears (loops) of which are torn off; Tosef. Kel. B. Bath. IV, 5 שנִתְפַּסְּקוּ; Kel. XXVI, 4; a. fr.—[Tosef. Mikv. III, 5, sq. ונפסקו, v. פָּתַק.]
    Hif. - הִפְסִיק 1) to separate, sever connection; to form a partition. Sot. 38ᵇ אפי׳ מחיצה … אינה מַפְסֶקֶת בין וכ׳ not even an iron wall forms a partition between Israel and his father in heaven (worshippers form a congregation even if separated by a partition); Pes. 85ᵇ. Peah. I, 2 ואלו מַפְסִיקִין לפאה the following things form a division of fields with regard to Peah: a brook &c. Ab. Zar. 52ᵃ את ה׳ הענין the word eth (before ĕlohehem Deut. XII, 2) divides the subject (so as not to allow an analogy between idolatrous utensils and the idols themselves), v. next w.; a. fr. —2) to interrupt; to cause to cease; to leave off; to pause. Ber. II, 2 בין ויאמר לאמת ויציב לא יַפְסִיק between the last portion of the Sh’mʿa (Num. XV, 37-41) and ‘Ĕmeth V’yatsib’ one must not pause (interrupt the prayer to greet a person &c.). Ib. 14ᵃ במגילה מהו שיפסיק may one interrupt one’s self during the reading of the M’gillah? [Ib. also פּוֹסֵק Kal.] Ib. V, 1. Ex. R. s. 2 עם כל הנביאים ה׳ מלדבר … לא ה׳ מימיו with all other prophets the Lord ceased from speaking at times, but with Moses he never ceased. Taan. 30ᵃ סעודה המַפְסִיק בה the meal with which one ceases (the last meal before beginning to fast, called סעודה המַפְסֶקֶת). Y. Nidd. I, 49ᶜ והִפְסִיקָה שלש עונות and ceased (to have menstruation) for three periods. Meg. III, 6 אין מַפְסִיקִין בקללות וכ׳ in reading the curses (Lev. XXVI, 14-44; Deut. XXVIII, 15-69) you must not break off, but one person must read the whole &c. Ib. 31ᵇ מקום שמפסיקין בשבת וכ׳ where they leave off reading on Sabbath morning, there they continue in the afternoon &c. Sot. IX, 9, v. supra. Gen. R. s. 52, beg. מה אני מפסיק צדקה מביתי shall I allow charity to cease in my house (to fall into desuetude from want of opportunity)?; a. fr. —3) to cut sprays off, trim, v. פָּסַג. —4) to dam. Tosef. Par. V (IV), 9 מפסיק ומנגב he makes a dam (cuts off the influx) and lays the cavity dry.
    Pi. - פִּיסֵּק 1) to trim. Tosef. B. Kam. XI, 18, v. פָּסַג. —2) to interrupt.—Part. pass. מְפוּסָּק; pl. מְפוּסָּקִין. Y. Pes. X, 37ᶜ; Y. Sabb. VIII, beg. 11ᵃ מהו לשתותן מפ׳ how about drinking them (the four cups of the Passover evening) in pauses (sipping)?, v. פִּיסָּק. —3) to cut down, ruin; to cut to pieces. Pesik. Naḥ., p. 128ᵃ קיצצוהו ופִיסְּקוּהוּ they cut it down and ruined it (the vineyard). Lam. R. to IV, 15 והיתה … עליהן ומְפַסַּקְתָּן the carriage passed over them and dismembered them; Pesik. Vattom., p. 133ᵇ ומפסקתה (corr. acc.); Yalk. Is. 266 והיתה … עליה ומְפַסַּקְתָּהּ; a. e.
    Hithpa. - הִתְפַּסֵּק,
    Nithpa. - נִתְפַּסֵּק 1) to be severed. Tosef. Kel. B. Bath. IV, 5, v. supra.— *2) (sub. בעינים, cmp. קרץ, Prov. X, 10; VI, 13) to blink. Deut. R. s. 5 עשה עצמו מִתְפַּסֵּק he pretended to be blinking (Y. Sot. I, 16ᵈ bot., a. e. עבד גרמיה חשש בעייניה).