To dismiss him without an answer
Dismissed him without any penalty. Found him innocent in his judgment (originally: did not respond to his question. Dismissed him without an answer).
("A certain Gentile asked Rabbi Yehoshua ben Karcha: What did the Blessed One, Blessed be He, think of speaking to Moses from within the bush? He said to him: Whether from within the bush of Harub or from within the bush of Shechem, you would have asked Me, but to bring you out of the bush, I will not be able to do so" - Shemot Rava 2)
Translation
Expression (Hebrew)
הוֹצִיא אוֹתוֹ חָלָק
Definition (Hebrew)
פָּטַר אוֹתוֹ לְלֹא כָּל עֹנֶשׁ. הוֹצִיאוּ זַכַּאי בְּמִשְׁפָּטוֹ (בַּמָּקוֹר: לֹא הִתְיַחֵס לִפְנִיָּתוֹ. פָּטַר אוֹתוֹ בְּלֹא תְּשׁוּבָה).
("שָׁאַל גּוֹי אֶחָד אֶת ר' יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן קָרְחָה: מָה רָאָה הקב"ה לְדַבֵּר עִם מֹשֶׁה מִתּוֹךְ הַסְּנֶה? אָמַר לוֹ:אֵם מִתּוֹךְ חָרוּב אוֹ מִתּוֹךְ שִׁקְמָה, כָּךְ הָיִיתָ שׁוֹאֲלֵנִי , אֶלָּא לְהוֹצִיאֲךָ חָלָק אִי אֶפְשָׁר"- שְׁמוֹת רַבָּה ב)