תְּחִלָּה, חָלַל Hif.) beginning, start, first stage. Naz. 31ᵃ תְּחִילַּת הקדש the primary stage of consecration, i.e. the consecrated object itself, opp. סוף הקדש the secondary consecration, i.e. the exchange. B. Bath. 128ᵃ שתְּחִילָּתוֹ וכ׳, v. פַּסְלוּת; a. v. fr.—Esp. (sub. לטומאה) first degree of uncleanness (v. רִאשֹׁון). Zab. V, 1 מטמא … להיות ת׳ makes eatables and liquors unclean in the first degree, opp. שְׁנִיֹּות. Yad. III, 1 הידים ת׳ בכל מקום hands (touching an unclean object) become unclean in the first degree under all conditions. Tosef. Toh. II, 4. Ib. I, 4 ת׳ לקודש is unclean in the first degree with regard to consecrated things (sacrificial meat &c.); a. fr.—Pl. תְּחִלֹּות, תְּחִי׳. Yad. l. c.; Ḥull. 33ᵇ; a. fr.—בַּתְּחִלָּה, or ת׳ in the beginning, before, first. Ber. II, 2 עול … ת׳, v. עוֹל. Ib. 37ᵃ מברך עליו ת׳ וסוף he must say the benediction over it before and after eating. Ib. בת׳ מברך עליו וכ׳ before eating he must say &c.; a. fr.—מִתְּ׳ from the beginning, originally, in olden times. Pes. 116ᵃ מת׳ עובדי וכ׳ our forefathers in olden times were idolaters; a. e.—לְכַתְּ׳, לְכִתְ׳ a) in the start, directly, opp. דִּיעֲבַד. Ḥull. 2ᵃ, v. דִּיעֲבַד. Erub. 34ᵇ פוחת לכת׳ ונוטל he may directly dig out, and take; Bets. IV, 3, v. פָּחַת; a. fr.—b) at first. Gen. R. s. 49; a. fr.