פיחה

פִּיחָהf. (preced.) 1) wind, flatus. Ab. Zar.17a. 2) (blowing away, reduction, diminution. Ex. R. s. 43 (ref. to יפיחו, Prov. 29:8) אלו ישראל שנתנו פ׳ בעולםוכ׳ this means the Israelites who brought diminution into the world by the calf which they made, for … there is not a generation that suffers not at least a particle of punishment (v. אוּנְקְיָא). Cant. R. to II, 17 (play on שיפוח, ib.) עד שאכניס פ׳ בלילן של מלכיות until I allow a reduction to enter into the sufferings (v. לַיִל) from foreign governments, i. e. shorten the term of the exile. Ib. כבר הכנסתי פ׳וכ׳ I did once before shorten the exile in Egypt.