צָעַר (b. h.) 1) to be narrow, slender, young, v. צוֹעֵר, צׇעִיר. —2) to be restrained, suffer privation, pain. Taan. 11ᵃ, v. infra.
    Hif. - הִצְעִיר to lessen; to subordinate. Gen. R. s. 6 (ref. to הצעיר, Gen. XLVIII, 14) על ידי שהיה מַצְעִיר את עסקיו וכ׳ because he subordinated his affairs (was contented with lesser services), he was privileged to be invested with the rights of the firstborn; הגדול שהוא מצעיר וכ׳ if a great man applies himself to minor services, how much more (is he praiseworthy)!—Part. pass. מוּצְעָר, q. v.
    Pi. - צִיעֵר 1) to narrow, restrain; to inflict pain, annoy. Naz. 19ᵃ; 22ᵃ, a. e. (ref. to Num. VI, 11) ומה זה שלא צי׳ עצמו … המְצַעֵר עצמו וכ׳ if this (Nazarite) who denied himself only the enjoyment of wine is called a sinner, how much more so he who denies himself all enjoyments of life! Taan. 11ᵃ יִצְעַר … במשה רבינו שצי׳ עצמו וכ׳ man must suffer (deny himself enjoyments), when the community suffers; for thus we find that Moses afflicted himself (by sitting on a stone, Ex. XVII, 12) &c.; ib. וכל המצער עצמו עם וכ׳ (Ms. M. וכל המצער עם, insert עצמו, v. Rabb. D. S. a. l. note) and he who afflicts himself in sympathy with the community, will be allowed to see the comfort of the community; Yalk. Gen. 148, a. e. המִצְטַעֵר. Snh. 11ᵃ אתה הוא שצִיעַרְתָּ לאבא wast thou the one who annoyed my father (with the smell of garlic)? Ab. Zar. 40ᵇ ואתה מְצַעֲרֵינִי and thou didst let me be in pain (without telling me of the remedy)?; a. fr.—2) *to suffer. Yalk. Is. 333, v. צָרַר.
    Hithpa. - הִצְטַעֵר,
    Nithpa. - נִצְטַעֵר to feel pain; to suffer privation; to grieve, trouble one’s self. Yalk. Gen. l. c., a. e., v. supra. Ḥag. 15ᵇ בזמן שאדם מִצְטַעֵר וכ׳ when a man suffers (the penalty of the law), what does the Shekhinah say?; אם כך הקב"ה מצטער וכ׳ if the Lord thus grieves over the blood of the wicked (convict), how much more does he grieve over the blood of the righteous that is shed!; Ms. M. 1 אם כן מצטער אני וכ׳; Ms. M. 2 מִצְטַעֲרֵנִי if thus I (the Lord) grieve &c. Snh. 46ᵃ; Yalk. Deut. 930. Succ. 26ᵃ, a. e. מצטער פטור וכ׳ he that feels uncomfortable (cold) is exempt from sitting in the Succah (contrad. fr. חולה). Meg. 16ᵃ sq. אפשר דבר שנצ׳ בו … יכשל בו is it possible that this righteous man (Joseph) should commit the same wrong from which he himself had suffered (to make distinctions between brothers)? Yoma 74ᵇ; Y. ib. VIII, 44ᵈ top (ref. to Lev. XVI, 29) יכול ישב … ויִצְטַעֵר you may think, one must sit in the sun or in the cold in order to afflict one’s self. Bab. ib. 19ᵇ כל ימי הייתי מצט׳ על וכ׳ all my life-time have I been troubling myself about this verse (Lev. XVI, 2) thinking, when shall I have an opportunity to carry it into practice (in accordance with the Sadducean interpretation of it) &c. Sifré Deut. 354 הואיל ונִצְטַעַרְנוּ וכ׳ since we have gone to the trouble of coming here &c.; a. fr.