שָׁלִישׁ, captain, officer.— Pl. שָׁלִישִׁים. Mekh. B’shall. s. 1 (ref. to Ex. XIV, 7) אין ש׳ אלא גבוריםshalishim means mighty men; ד"א וש׳ … שהיו משוללין וכ׳ another definition: shalishim … because they were hung with arms; (anoth. opin.) זה השלישי וכ׳ the shalish is the third on the chariot; formerly there were only two, and Pharaoh added one &c.
שָׁלִישׁ, the third finger, middle-finger. Tanḥ. B’resh. 5 ומן אצבעו … וכל בש׳ וכ׳ and by his finger you can judge what he is (his strength), as we read (Is. XL, 12) and measured with the shalish (middle finger) &c.
שָׁלִישׁ, [the third person,] trustee, depositary. Gitt. 64ᵃ בעל … וש׳ אומר לגירושין if the husband says, the letter of divorce has been deposited to be kept in trust, but the trustee says, it has been given me for the purpose of divorce (I was the wife’s agent for receiving the divorce). Ib.; Tosef. B. Mets. I, 10 זה אומר כך … והש׳ … הש׳ נאמן משניהם if one of the contestants says thus, and the other thus, and the depositary says thus, the depositary’s evidence is accepted over against both. Keth. V, 8 המשרח … על ידי ש׳ if a husband for the time of his absence leaves the provision for his wife’s maintenance in the hands of a trustee; a. fr.—Num. R. s. 1338שלישה, read: שְׁלוּחָהּ.
שָׁלִישׁ, (traditional pronunciation שְׁלִישׁ) one third. Pes. 42ᵇ תבואה שלא הביאה ש׳ grain that has not yet grown one-third (not one-third ripe); Y. Peah II, 16ᵈ sq. Y. Shebi. V, beg. 35ᵈ הביא ש׳ קודם וכ׳ if the fruit reached the stage of one-third of maturity before the fifteenth of Shebat. Gitt. 70ᵃ אכול ש׳ ושתה ש׳ והניח ש׳ וכ׳ eat one-third (of the capacity of the stomach), and drink one-third, and leave vacant one-third &c., v. כָּעַס. Y. Peah II, end, 17ᵇ קיבלה הימנו למחצה לש׳ וכ׳ if he rented the field on shares of one-half, or one-third &c. B. Mets. 69ᵃ מותר ש׳ בשכרך whatever profit it may bring over one-third (of its present value) shall be thine for thy labor (and the rest we will divide equally); a. fr.
