נחש

נָחַש(b. h.; cmp. לחש) to whisper. Pi. נִיחֵש to divine, to make action dependent on an omen, to augur. Tosef.Sabb.VII (VIII), 13 איזהו מְנַחֵשוכ׳ a diviner (under the law, Lev. 19:26) is he who says, ‘my staff fell out of my hand (it portends evil) ; Snh.65b. Ib. 66a כגון אלו המְנַחֲשִׁים בחולדהוכ׳ like those who divine (evil or luck) from a weasel, birds Y.Sabb.VI, end, 8d כל המנחש סופו לבוא עליו if one believes in omens, what he fears will finally befall him (with ref. to לא נחש Num. 23:23, changed into לו נחש); Ned.32a כל המנחש לו נחש for him who believes in omens, the omen exists (will be realized). Ib. כל אדם שאינו מנ׳ he who rejects divination. Mekh. Bshall.s.2 שמא יְנַחֲשוּ ויחזרווכ׳ lest they consider it a bad omen and go back. Ib. וזקני מדין נִחֲשוּוכ׳ and the Midianite elders considered (Balaams death) a bad omen and went home; a. fr.Sifra Vayikra, Par. 9, ch. XIII (ref. to Lev. 18:3) (read:) שלא תְנַחֵש thou must not augur (v. however, נָקַר II).