חשךְ

חָשַׁךְ(b. h.; cmp. חשש) (to be pressed, thick, to be dark. Sabb.34a; 51a משחָשְׁכָה; ib. IV, 2 משתֶּחְשַׁךְ when it darkens (at nightfall, v. חֲשֵׁיכָה). Snh.22a עולם ח׳ בעדו the world around him is dark; Ab. Zar.8a (some ed. חָשוּךְ). Ber.16b אל יֶחְשְׁכוּוכ׳ let not our eyes, be obscured; a. fr. V. חָשוּךְ. Hif. הֶחְשִׁיךְ 1) to be overtaken by (the Sabbath) nightfall. Sabb.XXIV, 1 מי שה׳ בדרך he who is on the road at nightfall (on Friday). 2) to wait for the nightfall, to make preparations to be ready for work on the exit of the Sabbath, v. חֲשִׁיכָה. Ib. XXIII, 3 אין מַחְשִׁיכִין עלוכ׳ you must not, during the day, walk to the extreme end of the Sabbath limit to await the night there for the purpose of hiring workmen etc.; אבל מַחְשִׁיךְ הואוכ׳ but one may do so for the purpose of going at nightfall to watch his field, and then he may also take his fruits home. Ib. להַחְשִׁיךְ עליו to await the night at the Sabbath limit for the purpose of doing it. Ib. 4; a. fr. 3) to darken, obscure. Cant. R. to I, 1 (ref. to חשכים, Prov. 22:29) that is Potifar שה׳הקב״הוכ׳ whose eyes the Lord darkened etc. Ex. R. s. 51 (ref. to חשכה, Gen. 15:12) that is Media שהֶחְשִׁיכָהוכ׳ who made Israels eyes dim (with tears) by her decrees. Pesik R. S. 47 (ref. to Job 38:2) הֶחְשַׁכְתָּוכ׳ (not החשב׳) thou hast obscured the council which I held in heavens (when the Lord vouched for Jobs integrity); a. fr. 4) to become dark. Midr. Till. to Ps. 18:12 (ref. to the versions חשכת, Ps. l. c., and חשרת 2 Sam. 22:12) when the clouds are laden with the waters, הן מַחְשִׁיכִין מן המיםוכ׳ they receive a dark color from the waters, and afterwards they drop them as through a sieve.