פִּתְאוֹם, adv. (b. h.; unawares, suddenly. Nidd. 16ᵇ הנכנס לבית חבירו פ׳ who enters his neighbor’s house without notice. Ib. ארבעה … והנכנס לביתו פ׳ וכ׳ four the Lord hates, and I do not love: him who enters his own house suddenly (after a long absence), not to speak of him who enters his neighbor’s house &c.; Lev. R. s. 21; Yalk. Ex. 382; Pesik. Aḥăré, p. 177ᵃ. Ib.; Lev. R. l. c. אל תכנס לעיר פ׳ do not enter a city (in official capacity) without notice. Num. R. s. 10 (ref. to בפתע פתאם, Num. VI, 9) בפ׳ זה שוגג … פ׳ זה אונס b’fethʿa means unintentionally, as in Num. XXXV, 22, pithom means an unavoidable accident; דבר אחר פ׳ זה מזיד וכ׳ another explanation: pithom means in heat (being carried away by passion, as פתאים (Prov. XXII, 3). Num. R. s. 16 אני משלח להם מלאכי פ׳ I will send them my messenger suddenly (by surprise); a. e.