ספת

סָפַת(cmp. סְפֵי) to cut, chip, slice; to take a chip, a slice. Tosef.Sabb.XIV (XV), 2 לא יִסְפּוֹת הימנהוכ׳ one must not take a chip of it (the broken cask) as a support to ; Sabb.124b ולא יספות ממנה שברוכ׳ he must not trim a fragment of it (break off its projecting points, Rashi) to cover with it Tosef.Kel.B. Mets.I, 12 ס׳ הימנו if he cut a piece off it. Ab. Zar.80b ס׳ לה צואה if he offered to it (the idol) excrements (in the place of cakes, flesh ); a. e.Esp. (with or without במלח) to cut slices (of melons) and salt them; to make an incision in olives and salt them. Sabb.145a המפצע … לסוֹפְתָן במלח (Ar. לסופגן) if one bursts olives open … with the intention of salting them. Maasr. II, 6 סוֹפֵת ואוכל (Var. כופף) he slices (and salts) and eats. Tosef. ib. II, 14 לא יספות במלחוכ׳ the laborer must not cut and salt (the fruits on which he works) and eat, unless the employer has given him permission. Y.Mass. Sh. II, 50a top אבטיח שס׳ בווכ׳ a melon in which he made a cut, however small (Midr. Till. to Ps. 4, ed. Bub. לספות, v. סָפָה.