תָּפַס, תָּפַשׂ (b. h.; cmp. תָּפַף) to seize, take hold on; to take effect. Keth. 84ᵇ את תּוֹפֵס לבעל חוב וכ׳ thou seizest property in behalf of a creditor when the debtor owes others, ואמר ר׳ י׳ התופס וכ׳ and R. J. has decided that he who seizes in behalf of a creditor when there are other claimants has not taken legal possession. Ib. top והוא שת׳ מחיים (his possession is effectual) when he has seized it during the decedent’s life-time. Ab. Zar. 8ᵇ (expl. קרטיסיס) יום שתָּפְסָה בו רומי מלכות the day when Rome took hold of the government (of the east, v. תְּפִיסָה). Y. Taan. IV, 68ᶜ top היה משה תוֹפְשָׂן Moses held fast on them (the tablets). R. Hash. 4ᵇ, a. fr. תָּפַסְתָּ מרובה וכ׳, v. מוּעָט. B. Mets. 102ᵇ, a. e. תְּפוֹס לשון אחרון hold to the latter expression, i.e. if an agreement contains two discrepant clauses, the second is legally recognized; Tem. 26ᵃ, a. e. תפוס לשון ראשון the first clause (of a vow) is legally recognized. Yeb. 10ᵇ, a. fr. אין קידושין תּוֹפְסִין וכ׳, v. קִידּוּשׁ. Y. Dem. VI, 25ᵇ תָּפְשָׂה מדת הדין וכ׳ justice takes hold on him &c., i.e. the full rigor of the law is applied against him &c. Num. R. s. 11¹ (ref. to Prov. III, 34) אלו הנזירים שתּוֹפְשִׂים ענוה בעצמן וכ׳ that means the Nazarites who choose humility for themselves, who abstain from wine &c. Ib. 10⁸ ותְפָשָׂם and arrested them, v. לוּפָר. Snh. 64ᵃ מפני מה תפסה תורה לשון מולך why does the Biblical text choose the word Molekh (in place of idol in general)? Y. Ber. VII, 11ᶜ top, a. e. תופסין אותו seize him, take him to task, v. נַקְדָּן. Ab. Zar. 64ᵃ דמי … מי תוֹפֶסֶת דמיה וכ׳ how about money which was realized by the sale of an idol, in the hands of a gentile? does the idol hold its equivalent in gentile hands or not?, i.e. does the money in gentile hands retain its character as compensation for an idol, and is it thus forbidden to a Jew? Ex. R. s. 15²⁰ היה שלמה תופס פיו וכ׳ Solomon controlled his mouth, in order not to speak before &c. Gen. R. s. 12 כל … תופסין את הלשון וזה אינו תופס וכ׳ all other letters catch the tongue (require an effort of the organs of speech), but this (the Hé) does not catch &c. (is merely a breathing sound).—Part. pass. תָּפוּס, תָּפוּשׂ; f. תְּפוּסָה, תְּפוּשָׂה &c. a) (cmp. אָחוּז s. v. אָחַז) holding. Y. Taan. l. c. היה משה ת׳ בטפחיים Moses was holding two handbreadths (of the tablets). Ex. R. s. 46, beg. היה ת׳ בלוחות וכ׳ he held the tablets, and would not believe that Israel had sinned. Sifra B’ḥuck. Par. 2, ch. VIII תְּפוּסֵי מעשה וכ׳ holding to the deeds of their fathers, generation after generation; a. e.—b) seized, captured. Mekh. Mishp., s. 17 תפוסה the outraged woman, opp. מפותה the seduced.
    Nif. - נִתְפַּס, נִתְפַּשׂ to be seized, arrested; to have one’s property seized; to be made responsible. Ex. R. s. 15¹⁸ בן בית שנ׳ על ידי בעל וכ׳ a domestic servant who was seized for his employer’s debt. Tosef. Ḥull. II, 24 נ׳ ע"ד מינות, v. מִינוּת. Ib. ונִתְפַּסְתִּי על וכ׳ and therefore I was arrested on the suspicion of heresy. Ab. Zar. 17ᵇ כשנִתְפְּסוּ ר׳ אלעזר וכ׳ when R. El. a. R. H. b. T. were arrested (by Roman officials, for rebellious conduct). Ib. אשריך שנִתְפַּסְתָּ על וכ׳ happy art thou, for thou hast been arrested on one charge only, and woe me that I have been arrested on five charges. B. Bath. 16ᵇ אין אדם נ׳ על צערו Ms. M. (ed. בשעת) no man is taken to account for what he speaks in his distress. Sabb. 33ᵇ נִתְפָּסִים על הדור are seized for the debt (die for the sins) of their generation. Y. Keth. XIII, 35ᵈ כל הנ׳ על חבירו חייב ליתן לו in every case if one’s property was seized for a neighbor’s debt, the latter has to reimburse him; ib. אין לך נ׳ וכ׳ in no case must he reimburse him, except in the case of annona and head-tax; Y. B. Kam. X, end, 7ᶜ; Y. Ned. IV, beg. 38ᶜ. Deut. R. s. 2, beg. (prov.) הוי זהיר שלא תִתָּפֵס מקום דבורך take care that thou be not caught on the spot where thou speakest (held to thy word); a. fr.
    Hif. - הִתְפִּיס to cause to be seized, cause to take hold. Y. Succ. IV, 54ᵈ top ראה שהִתְפִּיסָתְךָ התורה לשון וכ׳ behold, the Law has made thee use the expression of endearment &c. Tem. 2ᵃ הכל מַתְפִּיסִין בתמורה all persons can cause the seizure of the substitute together with the original by exchanging a consecrated animal (v. תְּמוּרָה). Ib. 9ᵃ מי מַתְפִּיס בדבר שאינו שלו can one cause the seizure of a thing which is not his?; a. e.—[Ned. 11ᵇ, sq. מתפיס, v. next w.]
    Pi. - תִּפֵּס, תִּפֵּשׂ (v. טָפַס) to climb, rise. Gen. R. s. 66, end (ref. to Prov. XXX, 28) באיזה זכות השממית מְתַפֶּשֶׂת בזכות וכ׳ for what merit does the spider (Esau-Rome) climb (rise to power)? For the merit of those hands (with which Esau nursed his father, by ref. to Gen. XXVII, 31); Yalk. ib. 115; Yalk. Prov. 963 תְּתַפֵּשׂ.
    Pirel. - תִּרְפֵּס, , Hithparel הִתַּרְפֵּס same. Y. Erub. V, 22ᵈ top רואה אותו כי מִיתַּרְפֵּס ועולה מְתַרְפֵּס ויורד, (v. טָפַס) you look upon it (measure the distance for Sabbath purposes) as if one would climb up and climb down (the wady).