| 1. And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: |
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א. וַיְדַבֵּר יְ־הֹוָ־ה אֶל מֹשֶׁה וְאֶל אַהֲרֹן לֵאמֹר: |
| 2. If a man has a se'eith, a sappachath, or a bahereth on the skin of his flesh, and it forms a lesion of tzara'ath on the skin of his flesh, he shall be brought to Aaron the kohen, or to one of his sons, the kohanim. |
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ב. אָדָם כִּי יִהְיֶה בְעוֹר בְּשָׂרוֹ שְׂאֵת אוֹ סַפַּחַת אוֹ בַהֶרֶת וְהָיָה בְעוֹר בְּשָׂרוֹ לְנֶגַע צָרָעַת וְהוּבָא אֶל אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֵן אוֹ אֶל אַחַד מִבָּנָיו הַכֹּהֲנִים: |
| bahereth: Heb. בַּהֶרֶת, spot, taye in Old French. This is similar to the verse, “it is [like] bright [clouds] (בָּהִיר) in the skies” (Job 37:21) [i.e., like the spots created by bright clouds in the blue sky]. |
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שאת או ספחת וגו': שמות נגעים הם ולבנות זו מזו: |
| [he shall be brought] to Aaron [the kohen, or to one of his sons]: It is a Scriptural decree that the uncleanness of lesions and their cleanness do not come about except by the pronouncement of a kohen. — [Torath Kohanim 13:43] |
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בהרת: חברבורות טיי"א בלע"ז [כתם] וכן (איוב לז כא) בהיר הוא בשחקים: |
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| 3. The kohen shall look at the lesion on the skin of his flesh, and [if] hair in the lesion has turned white and the appearance of the lesion is deeper than the skin of his flesh, it is a lesion of tzara'ath. When the kohen sees this, he shall pronounce him unclean. |
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ג. וְרָאָה הַכֹּהֵן אֶת הַנֶּגַע בְּעוֹר הַבָּשָׂר וְשֵׂעָר בַּנֶּגַע הָפַךְ לָבָן וּמַרְאֵה הַנֶּגַע עָמֹק מֵעוֹר בְּשָׂרוֹ נֶגַע צָרַעַת הוּא וְרָאָהוּ הַכֹּהֵן וְטִמֵּא אֹתוֹ: |
| [if] hair in the lesion has turned white: Heb. וְשֵׂעָר. At first [the hair] was black, and then it turned white in the lesion. The minimum [quantity referred to by the term] שֵׂעָר, hair, is two, [as opposed to שַׂעֲרָה, a hair, as in Jud. 20:16. Thus, there shall be a minimum of two hairs that turn white in the lesion for this law to apply]. — [Torath Kohanim 13:4547] |
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ושער בנגע הפך לבן: מתחלה שחור והפך ללבן בתוך הנגע, ומעוט שער שנים: |
| [and the appearance of the lesion] is deeper than the skin of his flesh: Anything with a white appearance seems deeper [in contrast to a darker object next to it], just as sunlight appears deeper than a shadow. — [Shev. 6b] |
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עמק מעור בשרו: כל מראה לבן עמוק הוא, כמראה חמה עמוקה מן הצל: |
| he shall pronounce him unclean: He shall say to him: “You are unclean,” for white hair is a sign of uncleanness by Scriptural decree. |
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וטמא אתו: יאמר לו טמא אתה, ששער לבן סימן טומאה הוא גזירת הכתוב: |
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| 4. But if it is a white bahereth on the skin of his flesh, and its appearance is not deeper than the skin, and its hair has not turned white, the kohen shall quarantine the [person with the] lesion for seven days. |
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ד. וְאִם בַּהֶרֶת לְבָנָה הִוא בְּעוֹר בְּשָׂרוֹ וְעָמֹק אֵין מַרְאֶהָ מִן הָעוֹר וּשְׂעָרָה לֹא הָפַךְ לָבָן וְהִסְגִּיר הַכֹּהֵן אֶת הַנֶּגַע שִׁבְעַת יָמִים: |
| [But if it is a white bahereth…] and its appearance is not deeper: I do not know its meaning [since a white bahereth should always appear deeper than the skin, as above, yet here the verse describes a case where it does not]. |
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ועמק אין מראה: לא ידעתי פירושו: |
| quarantine: He shall have him confined to one house, and the person shall not be seen [by the kohen] until the end of the week. [Only] then will his signs indicate about him [whether he is clean or unclean]. |
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והסגיר: יסגירנו בבית אחד ולא יראה עד סוף השבוע, ויוכיחו סימנים עליו: |
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| 5. And on the seventh day, the kohen shall see him. And, behold! the lesion has remained the same in its appearance; the lesion has not spread on the skin. So the kohen shall quarantine him for seven days a second time. |
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ה. וְרָאָהוּ הַכֹּהֵן בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי וְהִנֵּה הַנֶּגַע עָמַד בְּעֵינָיו לֹא פָשָׂה הַנֶּגַע בָּעוֹר וְהִסְגִּירוֹ הַכֹּהֵן שִׁבְעַת יָמִים שֵׁנִית: |
| in its appearance: In its original appearance and size. |
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בעיניו: במראהו ובשיעורו הראשון: |
| [The kohen] shall quarantine him… a second time: But if it [the lesion] spread in the first week, he is definitely unclean. - [See Nega’im 3:3] |
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והסגירו שנית: הא אם פשה בשבוע ראשון טמא מוחלט: |
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| 6. And the kohen shall see him on the seventh day a second time. And, behold! the lesion has become dimmer, and the lesion has not spread on the skin, the kohen shall pronounce him clean. It is a mispachath. He shall immerse his garments and become clean. |
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ו. וְרָאָה הַכֹּהֵן אֹתוֹ בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי שֵׁנִית וְהִנֵּה כֵּהָה הַנֶּגַע וְלֹא פָשָׂה הַנֶּגַע בָּעוֹר וְטִהֲרוֹ הַכֹּהֵן מִסְפַּחַת הִיא וְכִבֶּס בְּגָדָיו וְטָהֵר: |
| has become dimmer: [I.e.,] it became dimmer in its appearance. Hence, if it remained the same in its appearance or spread, he is unclean. |
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כהה: הוכהה מראיתו, הא אם עמד במראיתו או פשה טמא: |
| mispachath: The name of a clean lesion. |
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מספחת: שם נגע טהור: |
| He shall immerse his garments and become clean: Since he was required to be quarantined, he is considered unclean and requires immersion. |
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וכבס בגדיו וטהר: הואיל ונזקק להסגר נקרא טמא וצריך טבילה: |
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| 7. However, if the mispachath.spreads on the skin after it has been shown it to the kohen for its purification, it shall be shown to the kohen a second time. |
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ז. וְאִם פָּשֹׂה תִפְשֶׂה הַמִּסְפַּחַת בָּעוֹר אַחֲרֵי הֵרָאֹתוֹ אֶל הַכֹּהֵן לְטָהֳרָתוֹ וְנִרְאָה שֵׁנִית אֶל הַכֹּהֵן: |
| 8. The kohen shall look [at it]. And, behold! the mispachath has spread on the skin. The kohen shall pronounce him unclean. It is tzara'ath. |
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ח. וְרָאָה הַכֹּהֵן וְהִנֵּה פָּשְׂתָה הַמִּסְפַּחַת בָּעוֹר וְטִמְּאוֹ הַכֹּהֵן צָרַעַת הִוא: |
| The kohen shall pronounce him unclean: And as soon as [the kohen] has pronounced him unclean, he is then “definitely” [unclean, and when he is healed, he] requires the bird offerings, shaving, and the sacrifice, specified in the section commencing: “This shall be the law of the metzora ” (תּוֹרַת הַמְצֹרָע) זֹאת תִּהֶיה. — [see Lev., Chapter 14; Meg. 8b] |
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וטמאו הכהן: ומשטמאו הרי הוא מוחלט וזקוק לצפרים ולתגלחת ולקרבן האמור בפרשת זאת תהיה: |
| It is tzara’ath: I.e., this mispachath [is tzara’ath]. |
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צרעת הוא: המספחת הזאת: |
| tzara’ath: Heb. צָרַעַת. [The term] צָרַעַת is feminine [which is why the verse says צָרַעַת הִוא, using the feminine word for “it”]. [The term] נֶגַע, lesion, however, is masculine [thus in verse 3, for instance, it says צָרַעַת הוּא, using the masculine word for “it,” referring to the נֶגַע rather than to the tzara’ath]. |
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צרעת: לשון נקבה: |
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| 9. If a man has a lesion of tzara'ath, he shall be brought to the kohen. |
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ט. נֶגַע צָרַעַת כִּי תִהְיֶה בְּאָדָם וְהוּבָא אֶל הַכֹּהֵן: |
| 10. The kohen shall look [at it]. And, behold! there is a white se'eith on the skin, and either it has turned the hair white, or there is healthy, live flesh in the se'eith, |
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י. וְרָאָה הַכֹּהֵן וְהִנֵּה שְׂאֵת לְבָנָה בָּעוֹר וְהִיא הָפְכָה שֵׂעָר לָבָן וּמִחְיַת בָּשָׂר חַי בַּשְׂאֵת: |
| healthy flesh: Heb. מִחְיַת, sa(y)nement in Old French, a healing. [It means that] part of the white in the se’eith lesion reverts to appear like [healthy] flesh. This is also a sign of uncleanness. [Hence, a sign of uncleanness is] either white hair without a מִחְיַָה, or a מִחְיַָה, an area of normal flesh, even without white hair. And even though מִחְיַָה is mentioned only in connection with the se’eith, nevertheless, in all [major] manifestations [of the lesion of tzara’ath] and their related categories, it is a sign of uncleanness. — [Torath Kohanim 13:69] |
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ומחית: שינמינ"ט בלע"ז [רפוי], שנהפך מקצת הלובן שבתוך השאת למראה בשר, אף הוא סימן טומאה, שער לבן בלא מחיה, ומחיה בלא שער לבן, ואף על פי שלא נאמרה מחיה אלא בשאת, אף בכל המראות ותולדותיהן הוא סימן טומאה: |
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| 11. it is old tzara'ath on the skin of his flesh, and the kohen shall pronounce him unclean; he need not quarantine him because he is unclean. |
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יא. צָרַעַת נוֹשֶׁנֶת הִוא בְּעוֹר בְּשָׂרוֹ וְטִמְּאוֹ הַכֹּהֵן לֹא יַסְגִּרֶנּוּ כִּי טָמֵא הוּא: |
| it is an old tzara’ath: It is an old lesion which is under the area of normal skin. This wound appears healthy on the surface, but it is full of fluid underneath, so that one should not say, “Since healthy skin has appeared over [the lesion], I shall pronounce it clean!” |
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צרעת נושנת הוא: מכה ישנה היא תחת המחיה, וחבורה זו נראית בריאה מלמעלה ותחתיה מלאה לחה, שלא תאמר הואיל ועלתה מחיה אטהרנה: |
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| 12. And if the tzara'ath has spread over the skin, whereby the tzara'ath covers all the skin of the [person with the] lesion, from his head to his feet, wherever the eyes of the kohen can see it, |
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יב. וְאִם פָּרוֹחַ תִּפְרַח הַצָּרַעַת בָּעוֹר וְכִסְּתָה הַצָּרַעַת אֵת כָּל עוֹר הַנֶּגַע מֵרֹאשׁוֹ וְעַד רַגְלָיו לְכָל מַרְאֵה עֵינֵי הַכֹּהֵן: |
| from his head: [I.e., from the head] of the person [down] to his feet. |
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מראשו: של אדם ועד רגליו: |
| wherever the eyes of the kohen can see it: [This phrase] comes to exclude a kohen whose eyesight has dimmed. [I.e., a kohen with one blind eye or with impaired vision in both eyes may not pronounce the status of lesions.]- [Torath Kohanim 13:83] |
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לכל מראה עיני הכהן: פרט לכהן שחשך מאורו: |
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| 13. then the kohen shall look [at it]. And, behold! the tzara'ath has covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce [the person with] the lesion clean. He has turned completely white; he is clean. |
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יג. וְרָאָה הַכֹּהֵן וְהִנֵּה כִסְּתָה הַצָּרַעַת אֶת כָּל בְּשָׂרוֹ וְטִהַר אֶת הַנָּגַע כֻּלּוֹ הָפַךְ לָבָן טָהוֹר הוּא: |
| 14. But on the day that live flesh appears in it, he shall become unclean. |
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יד. וּבְיוֹם הֵרָאוֹת בּוֹ בָּשָׂר חַי יִטְמָא: |
| But on the day that live flesh appears in it: If healthy flesh grows on it, [Scripture] has already explained that healthy flesh is a sign of uncleanness. [Therefore, what is this verse telling us here?] However, a case where the lesion was located on one of twenty-four tips of the limbs is not deemed unclean on account of healthy flesh because the lesion cannot be seen all at one glance [once an area of healthy flesh appears within the lesion], since these [limb tips] slope down on either side. [Therefore it is not deemed unclean.] If, however, such a tip of a limb altered [in its form], allowing its slanted facet to appear through fat-for example, when the tip of a limb became fat and broadened, and the healthy flesh (מִחְיַָה) became visible within [the lesion, thereby allowing the lesion to become visible all at one glance], Scripture teaches us [here] that it becomes unclean. — [Torath Kohanim 13:86] |
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וביום הראות בו בשר חי: אם צמחה בו מחיה הרי כבר פירש שהמחיה סימן טומאה, אלא הרי שהיה הנגע באחד מעשרים וארבעה ראשי איברים שאין מטמאין משום מחיה, לפי שאין נראה הנגע כולו כאחד ששופע אילך ואילך, וחזר ראש האבר ונתגלה שפועו ע"י שומן, כגון שהבריא ונעשה רחב ונראית בו המחיה, למדנו הכתוב שתטמא: |
| But on the day [that live flesh] appears: [The verse could have simply said, “But when live flesh appears.”] What does Scripture teach us [by saying,] “on the day”]? It [comes] to teach that there is a day on which you [the kohen] look [i.e., examine the suspected lesion], and there is a day on which you do not look [i.e., when he may not examine it]. From here [our Rabbis] say that a bridegroom is exempt [from having a lesion examined] throughout all the seven days of the wedding feast, for himself, his garments, and his house. Similarly, during a Festival [people] are exempt [from having a lesion examined] throughout all the days of the Festival. - [Torath Kohanim 13:87] |
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וביום: מה תלמוד לומר, ללמד יש יום שאתה רואה בו ויש יום שאין אתה רואה בו, מכאן אמרו חתן נותנין לו כל שבעת ימי המשתה לו ולכסותו ולביתו, וכן ברגל נותנין לו כל ימי הרגל: |
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| 15. When the kohen sees the healthy, live flesh, he shall pronounce him unclean. The live flesh is unclean; it is tzara'ath. |
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טו. וְרָאָה הַכֹּהֵן אֶת הַבָּשָׂר הַחַי וְטִמְּאוֹ הַבָּשָׂר הַחַי טָמֵא הוּא צָרַעַת הוּא: |
| it is tzara’ath: meaning, that flesh. Flesh (בָּשָׂר) is grammatically masculine. [Hence, the wording: צָרַעַת הוּא, rather than צָרַעַת הִיא, as in verse 8.] |
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צרעת הוא: הבשר ההוא. בשר לשון זכר: |
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| 16. But, if the healthy, live flesh once again turns white, he shall come to the kohen. |
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טז. אוֹ כִי יָשׁוּב הַבָּשָׂר הַחַי וְנֶהְפַּךְ לְלָבָן וּבָא אֶל הַכֹּהֵן: |
| 17. And the kohen shall look at it. And, behold! the lesion has turned white; the kohen shall pronounce the lesion clean. He is clean. |
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יז. וְרָאָהוּ הַכֹּהֵן וְהִנֵּה נֶהְפַּךְ הַנֶּגַע לְלָבָן וְטִהַר הַכֹּהֵן אֶת הַנֶּגַע טָהוֹר הוּא: |
| 18. If [a person's] flesh has an inflammation on its skin, and it heals, |
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יח. וּבָשָׂר כִּי יִהְיֶה בוֹ בְעֹרוֹ שְׁחִין וְנִרְפָּא: |
| an inflammation: Heb. שְׁחִין. [This term] denotes heat, that the flesh became heated by the injury caused it by a blow, not by fire. — [Chul. 8a] |
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שחין: לשון חמום, שנתחמם הבשר בלקוי הבא לו מחמת מכה, שלא מחמת האור: |
| and it heals: The inflammation healed, and in its place, another lesion appeared. [Not that the flesh healed, because, were that the case, there would be no lesion.] |
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ונרפא: השחין העלה ארוכה ובמקומו העלה נגע אחר: |
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| 19. and on the place of the inflammation there is a white se'eith, or a reddish white bahereth, it shall be shown to the kohen. |
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יט. וְהָיָה בִּמְקוֹם הַשְּׁחִין שְׂאֵת לְבָנָה אוֹ בַהֶרֶת לְבָנָה אֲדַמְדָּמֶת וְנִרְאָה אֶל הַכֹּהֵן: |
| A reddish-white bahereth: [meaning] that the lesion is not solid white, but streaked and blended of two colors, white and red. |
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או בהרת לבנה אדמדמת: שאין הנגע לבן חלק אלא פתוך ומעורב בשתי מראות לובן ואודם: |
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| 20. The kohen shall look [at it]. And, behold! its appearance is lower than the skin, and its hair has turned white; so the kohen shall pronounce him unclean. It is a lesion of tzara'ath that has erupted on the inflammation. |
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כ. וְרָאָה הַכֹּהֵן וְהִנֵּה מַרְאֶהָ שָׁפָל מִן הָעוֹר וּשְׂעָרָהּ הָפַךְ לָבָן וְטִמְּאוֹ הַכֹּהֵן נֶגַע צָרַעַת הִוא בַּשְּׁחִין פָּרָחָה: |
| it appearance is lower than the skin: But its substance is not lower. Rather, because of its whiteness, the lesion [only] appears lower and deeper [than the skin], just as sunlight appears deeper than a shadow. - [Torath Kohanim 13:50] |
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מראה שפל: ואין ממשה שפל, אלא מתוך לבנוניתו הוא נראה שפל ועמוק, כמראה חמה עמוקה מן הצל: |
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| 21. But if the kohen looks at it, and behold! it does not contain white hair, nor does it appear to be lower than the skin, and it is dim, the kohen shall quarantine him for seven days. |
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כא. וְאִם יִרְאֶנָּה הַכֹּהֵן וְהִנֵּה אֵין בָּהּ שֵׂעָר לָבָן וּשְׁפָלָה אֵינֶנָּה מִן הָעוֹר וְהִיא כֵהָה וְהִסְגִּירוֹ הַכֹּהֵן שִׁבְעַת יָמִים: |
| 22. And if it spreads on the skin, the kohen shall pronounce him unclean. It is a lesion. |
|
כב. וְאִם פָּשֹׂה תִפְשֶׂה בָּעוֹר וְטִמֵּא הַכֹּהֵן אֹתוֹ נֶגַע הִוא: |
| It is a lesion: Heb. נֶגַע הִוא. [Here, the pronoun is feminine. Since נֶגַע is masculine, however, it requires the masculine pronoun הוּא. But our verse here uses the feminine הִיא because the word “it” is referring to] this se’eith or this bahereth [both of which are feminine]. |
|
נגע הוא: השאת הזאת או הבהרת: |
|
| 23. But if the bahereth remains in its place, not spreading, it is the scar tissue of the inflammation, and the kohen shall pronounce him clean. |
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כג. וְאִם תַּחְתֶּיהָ תַּעֲמֹד הַבַּהֶרֶת לֹא פָשָׂתָה צָרֶבֶת הַשְּׁחִין הִוא וְטִהֲרוֹ הַכֹּהֵן: |
| in its place: Heb. תַּחְתֶּיה, [lit., “under it,” here meaning:] In its place. |
|
תחתיה: במקומה: |
| it is the scar tissue of the inflamation: Heb. צָרֶבֶת הַשְּׁחִין, as the Targum [Onkelos] renders it: רוֹשַׁם שִׁיחִנָא, a residual impression of the inflammation, identifiable on the flesh [i.e., a scar]. Every expression of צָרֶבֶת [in Scripture] denotes the contraction of skin that has become shriveled because of heat. Similarly, the verse, “And all faces [from the south to the north] will be shriveled by it” (Ezek. 21:3), retrire in Old French, to contract. |
|
צרבת השחין: כתרגומו רושם שיחנא, אינו אלא רושם החמום הניכר בבשר. כל צרבת לשון רגיעת עור הנרגע מחמת חימום, כמו (יחזקאל כא ג) ונצרבו בה כל פנים, רייטרי"ר בלע"ז [לכווץ]: |
| it is scar tissue: Heb. צָרֶבֶת, retriyemant in Old French, shriveling. |
|
צרבת: ריטריימינ"ט בלע"ז [כיווץ]: |
|
| 24. If [a person's] flesh has a fire burn on its skin, and on the healed area of the burn, there is a reddish white or white bahereth, |
|
כד. אוֹ בָשָׂר כִּי יִהְיֶה בְעֹרוֹ מִכְוַת אֵשׁ וְהָיְתָה מִחְיַת הַמִּכְוָה בַּהֶרֶת לְבָנָה אֲדַמְדֶּמֶת אוֹ לְבָנָה: |
| the healed area of the burn: Saynement [in Old French]. When the burn healed, the area changed to become a blended bahereth [of white and red], or pure white one. The signs of a burn (מִכְוָה) and the signs of an inflammation (שְׁחִין) are the same. [If so,] why does Scripture separate them [into two sections]? To teach us that they do not become combined with each other, [i.e., while a griss, the area of a bean, is the minimum surface area of a lesion for it to be deemed unclean,] if a lesion the size of half a griss emerges in an inflammation, and [another] the size of half a griss in a burn, they are not judged as [though] a full griss [of lesion has emerged]. — [Chul. 8a] |
|
מחית המכוה: שיינימנ"ט בלע"ז [רפוי] כשחיתה המכוה נהפכה לבהרת פתוכה או לבנה חלקה. וסימני מכוה וסימני שחין שוים הם, ולמה חלקן הכתוב, לומר שאין מצטרפין זה עם זה, נולד חצי גריס בשחין וחצי גריס במכוה לא ידונו כגריס: |
|
| 25. the kohen shall look at it. And, behold! the hair has turned white in the bahereth, and its appearance is deeper than the skin, it is tzara'ath which has spread in the burn. So, the kohen shall pronounce him unclean. It is a lesion of tzara'ath. |
|
כה. וְרָאָה אֹתָהּ הַכֹּהֵן וְהִנֵּה נֶהְפַּךְ שֵׂעָר לָבָן בַּבַּהֶרֶת וּמַרְאֶהָ עָמֹק מִן הָעוֹר צָרַעַת הִוא בַּמִּכְוָה פָּרָחָה וְטִמֵּא אֹתוֹ הַכֹּהֵן נֶגַע צָרַעַת הִוא: |
| 26. But, if the kohen looks at it, and, behold! there is no white hair in the bahereth, and it is not lower than the skin and it is dim, the kohen shall quarantine him for seven days. |
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כו. וְאִם יִרְאֶנָּה הַכֹּהֵן וְהִנֵּה אֵין בַּבַּהֶרֶת שֵׂעָר לָבָן וּשְׁפָלָה אֵינֶנָּה מִן הָעוֹר וְהִוא כֵהָה וְהִסְגִּירוֹ הַכֹּהֵן שִׁבְעַת יָמִים: |
| 27. And the kohen shall look at it on the seventh day. If it has spread on the skin, the kohen shall pronounce him unclean. It is a lesion of tzara'ath. |
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כז. וְרָאָהוּ הַכֹּהֵן בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי אִם פָּשֹׂה תִפְשֶׂה בָּעוֹר וְטִמֵּא הַכֹּהֵן אֹתוֹ נֶגַע צָרַעַת הִוא: |
| 28. But if the bahereth remains in its place, not increasing on the skin, and it is dim, it is a se'eith of the burn, and the kohen shall pronounce him clean, because it is the scar tissue of the burn. |
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כח. וְאִם תַּחְתֶּיהָ תַעֲמֹד הַבַּהֶרֶת לֹא פָשְׂתָה בָעוֹר וְהִוא כֵהָה שְׂאֵת הַמִּכְוָה הִוא וְטִהֲרוֹ הַכֹּהֵן כִּי צָרֶבֶת הַמִּכְוָה הִוא: |
| 29. If a man or a woman has a lesion on the head or on the beard [area], |
|
כט. וְאִישׁ אוֹ אִשָּׁה כִּי יִהְיֶה בוֹ נָגַע בְּרֹאשׁ אוֹ בְזָקָן: |
| on the head or on the beard [area]: Scripture comes to distinguish between a lesion in a place where hair grows and a lesion in a place of flesh, namely, that in one [case, i.e., on flesh], the sign [of uncleanness] is white hair, while in the other [case, i.e., on the area of hair], the sign [of uncleanness] is golden-yellow hair. — [Torath Kohanim 5:5] |
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בראש או בזקן: בא הכתוב לחלק בין נגע שבמקום שער לנגע שבמקום בשר, שזה סימנו בשער לבן וזה סימנו בשער צהוב: |
|
| 30. the kohen shall look at the lesion, and, behold! its appearance is deeper than the skin, and in it is a thin golden yellow hair, the kohen shall pronounce him unclean. It is a nethek, which is tzara'ath of the head or the beard. |
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ל. וְרָאָה הַכֹּהֵן אֶת הַנֶּגַע וְהִנֵּה מַרְאֵהוּ עָמֹק מִן הָעוֹר וּבוֹ שֵׂעָר צָהֹב דָּק וְטִמֵּא אֹתוֹ הַכֹּהֵן נֶתֶק הוּא צָרַעַת הָרֹאשׁ אוֹ הַזָּקָן הוּא: |
| and in it is a… golden-yellow hair: [meaning] that the black hair in it has turned golden-yellow. |
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ובו שער צהב: שנהפך שער שחור שבו לצהוב: |
| It is a nethek: This is the name of the lesion [of tzara’ath when it occurs] on an area of [skin where] hair [grows]. |
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נתק הוא: כך שמו של נגע, שבמקום שער: |
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| 31. But when the kohen looks at the nethek lesion, and, behold! its appearance is not deeper than the skin, and there is no black hair in it, the kohen shall quarantine [the person with] the nethek lesion for seven days. |
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לא. וְכִי יִרְאֶה הַכֹּהֵן אֶת נֶגַע הַנֶּתֶק וְהִנֵּה אֵין מַרְאֵהוּ עָמֹק מִן הָעוֹר וְשֵׂעָר שָׁחֹר אֵין בּוֹ וְהִסְגִּיר הַכֹּהֵן אֶת נֶגַע הַנֶּתֶק שִׁבְעַת יָמִים: |
| and there is no black hair in it: Thus, if there was black hair inside it, he is clean and does not require quarantine, for black hair in a nethek is a sign of cleanness, as the verse (37) says, “or if black hair has grown in it, [the nethek has healed; it is clean].”[Torath Kohanim 13:125] |
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ושער שחר אין בו: הא אם היה בו שער שחור, טהור. ואין צריך להסגר ששער שחור סימן טהרה הוא בנתקים, כמו שנאמר (פסוק לז) ושער שחור צמח בו וגו': |
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| 32. And the kohen shall look at the lesion on the seventh day. And, behold! the nethek has not spread, and no golden yellow hair was in it, and the appearance of the nethek is not deeper than the skin, |
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לב. וְרָאָה הַכֹּהֵן אֶת הַנֶּגַע בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי וְהִנֵּה לֹא פָשָׂה הַנֶּתֶק וְלֹא הָיָה בוֹ שֵׂעָר צָהֹב וּמַרְאֵה הַנֶּתֶק אֵין עָמֹק מִן הָעוֹר: |
| And, behold! the nethek did not spread: Thus, if [the nethek] did spread, or if it had golden-yellow hair in it, he is unclean. |
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והנה לא פשה וגו': הא אם פשה או היה בו שער צהוב טמא: |
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| 33. he shall shave himself, but adjacent to the nethek he shall not shave, and the kohen shall quarantine [the person with] the nethek again for seven days. |
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לג. וְהִתְגַּלָּח וְאֶת הַנֶּתֶק לֹא יְגַלֵּחַ וְהִסְגִּיר הַכֹּהֵן אֶת הַנֶּתֶק שִׁבְעַת יָמִים שֵׁנִית: |
| he shall shave himself: around the nethek. \b but adjacent to the \b0nethek |
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והתגלח: סביבות הנתק: |
| he shall not shave: [I.e.,] he shall leave two hairs close to it all around, in order that any spread of the nethek will be discernible, so that, if it spreads, it will pass the hairs and go out to the shaven area. — [Torath Kohanim 13:133] |
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ואת הנתק לא יגלח: מניח שתי שערות סמוך לו סביב, כדי שיהא ניכר אם פשה, שאם יפשה ועבר השערות ויצא למקום הגילוח, טמא: |
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| 34. Then the kohen shall look at the nethek on the seventh day. And, behold! the nethek did not spread on the skin, and its appearance is not deeper than the skin, the kohen shall pronounce him clean, and he shall immerse his garments and become clean. |
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לד. וְרָאָה הַכֹּהֵן אֶת הַנֶּתֶק בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי וְהִנֵּה לֹא פָשָׂה הַנֶּתֶק בָּעוֹר וּמַרְאֵהוּ אֵינֶנּוּ עָמֹק מִן הָעוֹר וְטִהַר אֹתוֹ הַכֹּהֵן וְכִבֶּס בְּגָדָיו וְטָהֵר: |
| 35. But if the nethek spreads on the skin, after he has been declared clean, |
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לה. וְאִם פָּשֹׂה יִפְשֶׂה הַנֶּתֶק בָּעוֹר אַחֲרֵי טָהֳרָתוֹ: |
| after he has been declared clean: From here, we know only that [the lesion is pronounced unclean] if it spreads after dismissal. How do we know [that it is unclean if it spreads] at the end of the first week [of quarantine] or at the end of the second week [of quarantine]? Because Scripture [uses a double expression and] says, פָּשׂה יִפְשֶׂה, “it spreads,” [denoting that he is unclean if it spreads] in any case. — [Torath Kohanim 13:134] |
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אחרי טהרתו: אין לי אלא פושה לאחר הפטור, מנין אף בסוף שבוע ראשון ובסוף שבוע שני, תלמוד לומר פשה יפשה: |
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| 36. the kohen shall look at it, and, behold! the nethek has spread on the skin, the kohen need not examine for golden yellow hair; it is unclean! |
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לו. וְרָאָהוּ הַכֹּהֵן וְהִנֵּה פָּשָׂה הַנֶּתֶק בָּעוֹר לֹא יְבַקֵּר הַכֹּהֵן לַשֵּׂעָר הַצָּהֹב טָמֵא הוּא: |
| 37. But if the appearance of the nethek has remained the same, or if black hair has grown in it, the nethek has healed; he is clean. So the kohen shall pronounce him clean. |
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לז. וְאִם בְּעֵינָיו עָמַד הַנֶּתֶק וְשֵׂעָר שָׁחֹר צָמַח בּוֹ נִרְפָּא הַנֶּתֶק טָהוֹר הוּא וְטִהֲרוֹ הַכֹּהֵן: |
| black hair: How do we know that even yellow or red [hair], which are not golden-yellow? Because Scripture says, [שָׁחֹר] וְשֵׂעָר [lit., “ and black hair,” but here meaning, “ or if black hair.” Instead of using the expected אוֹ, “or,” the Torah used וְ, an inclusive term, which comes to include yellow and red hair in the nethek as signs of cleanness, just like black hair. See Be’er Basadeh] (Torath Kohanim 13:137). The term צָהֹב means: resembling the appearance of gold (Torath Kohanim 13:122). צָהֹב is the same as זָהֹב, golden [because צ and ז are interchangeable], orable in Old French, gold-colored, or orpale, pale gold. |
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ושער שחר: מנין אף הירוק והאדום שאינו צהוב, תלמוד לומר ושער. ולמה צהוב דומה, לתבנית הזהב. צהוב, כמו זהוב אורבל"א בלע"ז [זהוב]: |
| he is clean. So the kohen shall pronounce him clean: But, an unclean person whom the kohen pronounces clean, is not clean. - [Torath Kohanim 13:140] |
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טהור הוא וטהרו הכהן: הא טמא שטהרו הכהן, לא טהור: |
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| 38. If a man or a woman has spots on the skin of their flesh, white spots, |
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לח. וְאִישׁ אוֹ אִשָּׁה כִּי יִהְיֶה בְעוֹר בְּשָׂרָם בֶּהָרֹת בֶּהָרֹת לְבָנֹת: |
| בהרת: חברבורות: |
| 39. the kohen shall look, and, behold! there are dim white spots on the skin of their flesh, it is a bohak [pigmentation] which has spread on the skin. He is clean. |
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לט. וְרָאָה הַכֹּהֵן וְהִנֵּה בְעוֹר בְּשָׂרָם בֶּהָרֹת כֵּהוֹת לְבָנֹת בֹּהַק הוּא פָּרַח בָּעוֹר טָהוֹר הוּא: |
| dim white: I.e., their whiteness is not bright, but dim. |
|
כהות לבנת: שאין לובן שלהן עז אלא כהה: |
| it is a bohak: Like the whiteness that appears on the flesh of a red man, called ros [in Old French, rosso in Italian], between the areas of his redness [i.e., flesh color]. This [white pigmentation] is called בֹּהַק, just like a freckled man, whose skin between one freckle and another shines brightly (מַבְהִיק) with pure whiteness. |
|
בהק: כמין לובן הנראה בבשר אדם אדום, שקורין רו"ש [אדמוני], בין חברבורות אדמימותו, קרוי בהק, כאיש עדשן שבין עדשה לעדשה מבהיק הבשר בלובן צח: |
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| 40. If a man loses the hair on [the back of] his head, he is bald. He is clean. |
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מ. וְאִישׁ כִּי יִמָּרֵט רֹאשׁוֹ קֵרֵחַ הוּא טָהוֹר הוּא: |
| he is bald. He is clean: Clean of the uncleanness of nethek lesions (Torath Kohanim; Baraitha of Rabbi Ishmael 1:5). I.e., this case is not judged by the signs of the head and beard, which are places of hair (see verses 2937). Rather, [it is judged] by the signs of a lesion on the skin of the flesh, namely: 1) white hair, 2) healthy flesh, and 3) spread. |
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קרח הוא טהור הוא: טהור מטומאת נתקין, שאינו נדון בסימני ראש וזקן, שהם מקום שער, אלא בסימני נגע עור בשר בשער לבן, מחיה ופשיון: |
|
| 41. And if he loses his hair on the side toward his face, he is bald at the front. He is clean. |
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מא. וְאִם מִפְּאַת פָּנָיו יִמָּרֵט רֹאשׁוֹ גִּבֵּחַ הוּא טָהוֹר הוּא: |
| at the front of his head: [The area] from the slope of the crown toward one’s face is called גַּבַּחַת \'82 “forehead,” and included in this are the temples on either side as well. [The area] from the slope of the crown toward one’s back is called קָרַחַת, the “back of the head.” - [Torath Kohanim 13:144] |
|
ואם מפאת פניו: משפוע קדקד כלפי פניו קרוי גבחת, ואף הצדעין שמכאן ומכאן בכלל. ומשפוע קדקד כלפי אחוריו, קרוי קרחת: |
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| 42. If there is a reddish white lesion on the back or front bald area, it is a spreading tzara'ath in his back or front bald area. |
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מב. וְכִי יִהְיֶה בַקָּרַחַת אוֹ בַגַּבַּחַת נֶגַע לָבָן אֲדַמְדָּם צָרַעַת פֹּרַחַת הִוא בְּקָרַחְתּוֹ אוֹ בְגַבַּחְתּוֹ: |
| a reddish-white lesion: blended [of red and white]. How do we know [that the lesion is also unclean if it has] other colors? Because Scripture says, “like the appearance of tzara’ath on the skin of the flesh” (verse 43), i.e., appearing like the tzara’ath dealt with in the passage of [lesions of the] skin of the flesh, [which begins with] “If a man has [se’eith, sapachat or bahereth] on the skin of his flesh” (verse 13:2). And what is stated regarding it [i.e., regarding a lesion on the skin]? That one becomes unclean through [it, if it appears as one of] four shades [namely: 1) the snow-white of bahereth ; 2) the white as “lime of the Holy Temple” of the secondary form (sapachat) of bahereth ; 3) the white as white wool of se’eith; and 4) the white as a “membrane that covers an egg” of the secondary (sapachat) form of se’eith (Nega’im 1:1), and that it is judged with [a possible] two weeks [of quarantine], and not like the appearance of tzara’ath stated concerning inflamed areas and burns, which is judged with [only] one [possible] week [of quarantine], and is also unlike the appearance of nethek lesions, [which are tzara’ath found] in hairy places, which do not become unclean through the four shades [as above]. |
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נגע לבן אדמדם: פתוך. מנין שאר המראות, תלמוד לומר נגע: |
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| 43. So the kohen shall look at it. And, behold! there is a reddish white se'eith lesion on his back or front bald area, like the appearance of tzara'ath on the skin of the flesh, |
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מג. וְרָאָה אֹתוֹ הַכֹּהֵן וְהִנֵּה שְׂאֵת הַנֶּגַע לְבָנָה אֲדַמְדֶּמֶת בְּקָרַחְתּוֹ אוֹ בְגַבַּחְתּוֹ כְּמַרְאֵה צָרַעַת עוֹר בָּשָׂר: |
| כמראה צרעת עור בשר: כמראה הצרעת האמור בפרשת עור בשר (פסוק ב) אדם כי יהיה בעור בשרו. ומה אמור בו, שמטמא בארבע מראות ונדון בשני שבועות, ולא כמראה צרעת האמור בשחין ומכוה, שהוא נדון בשבוע אחד, ולא כמראה נתקין של מקום שער שאין מטמאין בארבע מראות שאת ותולדתה, בהרת ותולדתה: |
| 44. He is a man afflicted with tzara'ath; he is unclean. The kohen shall surely pronounce him unclean; his lesion is on his head. |
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מד. אִישׁ צָרוּעַ הוּא טָמֵא הוּא טַמֵּא יְטַמְּאֶנּוּ הַכֹּהֵן בְּרֹאשׁוֹ נִגְעוֹ: |
| His lesion is on his head: I know only that [these laws apply to those stricken with] nethek lesions [the tzara’ath of the head]. From where [do I know] to include other afflicted people? Therefore, Scripture says: טַמֵּא יְטַמְּאֶנּוּ, shall surely pronounce him unclean. [The double expression comes] to include them all. Concerning them all, Scripture says: “ his garments shall be torn…” (verses 4546). - [Torath Kohanim 13:154] |
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בראשו נגעו: אין לי אלא נתקין, מנין לרבות שאר המנוגעים, תלמוד לומר טמא יטמאנו, לרבות את כולן. על כולן הוא אומר בגדיו יהיו פרומים וגו': |
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| 45. And the person with tzara'ath, in whom there is the lesion, his garments shall be torn, his head shall be unshorn, he shall cover himself down to his mustache and call out, "Unclean! Unclean!" |
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מה. וְהַצָּרוּעַ אֲשֶׁר בּוֹ הַנֶּגַע בְּגָדָיו יִהְיוּ פְרֻמִים וְרֹאשׁוֹ יִהְיֶה פָרוּעַ וְעַל שָׂפָם יַעְטֶה וְטָמֵא טָמֵא יִקְרָא: |
| torn: Heb. פְרֻמִים, torn. — [Mo’ed Katan 15a] |
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פרמים: קרועים: |
| unshorn: Heb. פָּרוּעַ, with hair grown long. — [Mo’ed Katan 15a] |
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פרוע: מגודל שער: |
| He shall cover himself down to his mustache: like a mourner. — [Torath Kohanim 13:154] |
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ועל שפם יעטה: כאבל: |
| mustache: Heb. שָָׂפָם, the hair on the lips (שְׂפָתַיִם) [i.e., the mustache], grenon in Old French. |
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שפם: שער השפתים גירנו"ן בלע"ז [שפם]: |
| and he shall call out,“ Unclean! Unclean!”: He announces that he is unclean, so that everyone should stay away from him. — [Torath Kohanim 13:155] |
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וטמא טמא יקרא: משמיע שהוא טמא ויפרשו ממנו: |
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| 46. All the days the lesion is upon him, he shall remain unclean. He is unclean; he shall dwell isolated; his dwelling shall be outside the camp. |
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מו. כָּל יְמֵי אֲשֶׁר הַנֶּגַע בּוֹ יִטְמָא טָמֵא הוּא בָּדָד יֵשֵׁב מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה מוֹשָׁבוֹ: |
| He shall dwell isolated: [meaning] that other unclean people [not stricken with tzara’ath] shall not abide with him. Our Sages said: “Why is he different from other unclean people, that he must remain isolated? Since, with his slander, he caused a separation [i.e., a rift] between man and wife or between man and his fellow, he too, shall be separated [from society].”- [Arachin 16b] [This rationale is based on the premise that a person is stricken with tzara’ath as a result of his talking לְשׁוֹן הָרַע, i.e., speaking derogatorily of others, although he may be telling the truth.] |
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בדד ישב: שלא יהיו שאר טמאים יושבים עמו. ואמרו רבותינו מה נשתנה משאר טמאים לישב בדד, הואיל והוא הבדיל בלשון הרע בין איש לאשתו ובין איש לרעהו, אף הוא יבדל: |
| outside the camp: Outside the three camps [of Israel, namely: 1) the camp of the Shechinah, in which the Mishkan was located; 2) the Levite camp, and 3) the camp of the Israelites]. — [Torath Kohanim 13:157, Pes. 67a] |
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מחוץ למחנה: חוץ לשלש מחנות: |
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| 47. [And as for] the garment that has the lesion of tzara'ath upon it, on a woolen garment, or on a linen garment, |
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מז. וְהַבֶּגֶד כִּי יִהְיֶה בוֹ נֶגַע צָרָעַת בְּבֶגֶד צֶמֶר אוֹ בְּבֶגֶד פִּשְׁתִּים: |
| 48. or on [threads prepared for the] warp or the woof of linen or of wool, or on leather or on anything made from leather. |
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מח. אוֹ בִשְׁתִי אוֹ בְעֵרֶב לַפִּשְׁתִּים וְלַצָּמֶר אוֹ בְעוֹר אוֹ בְּכָל מְלֶאכֶת עוֹר: |
| of linen or of wool: Heb. וְלַצָּמֶר לַפִּשְׁתִּים, of linen or of wool. [Here the ל, usually meaning “to,” means “of.”] |
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| or the leather: This [refers to] leather upon which no work has been performed. |
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| or anything made from leather: This [refers] to leather upon which work has been performed. |
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| 49. If the lesion on the garment, the leather, the warp or woof [threads] or on any leather article, is deep green or deep red, it is a lesion of tzara'ath, and it shall be shown to the kohen. |
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מט. וְהָיָה הַנֶּגַע יְרַקְרַק אוֹ אֲדַמְדָּם בַּבֶּגֶד אוֹ בָעוֹר אוֹ בַשְּׁתִי אוֹ בָעֵרֶב אוֹ בְכָל כְּלִי עוֹר נֶגַע צָרַעַת הוּא וְהָרְאָה אֶת הַכֹּהֵן: |
| deep green: Heb. יְרַקְרַק, the greenest of greens. — [Torath Kohanim 13:161] |
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ירקרק: ירוק שבירוקין: |
| deep red: אֲדַמְדָָּם, the reddest of reds. — [Torath Kohanim 13:161] |
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אדמדם: אדום שבאדומים: |
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| 50. The kohen shall look at the lesion, and he shall quarantine [the article with] the lesion for seven days. |
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נ. וְרָאָה הַכֹּהֵן אֶת הַנָּגַע וְהִסְגִּיר אֶת הַנֶּגַע שִׁבְעַת יָמִים: |
| 51. And he shall look at the lesion on the seventh day. [If] the lesion has spread on the garment, or on the warp or woof [threads], or on the leather or on any article made from leather, the lesion is a malignanttzara'ath ; it is unclean. |
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נא. וְרָאָה אֶת הַנֶּגַע בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי כִּי פָשָׂה הַנֶּגַע בַּבֶּגֶד אוֹ בַשְּׁתִי אוֹ בָעֵרֶב אוֹ בָעוֹר לְכֹל אֲשֶׁר יֵעָשֶׂה הָעוֹר לִמְלָאכָה צָרַעַת מַמְאֶרֶת הַנֶּגַע טָמֵא הוּא: |
| a malignant tzara’th: Heb. צָרַעַת מַמְאֶרֶת, an expression similar to “a pricking briar (סִלּוֹן מַמְאִיר), (Ezek. 28: 24),” po\'f1ant in Old French, stinging, pricking. The midrashic explanation is: Place a curse (מְאֵרָה) upon it [the item afflicted with tzara’ath], that you shall not derive benefit from it. — [Torath Kohanim 13:166] |
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צרעת ממארת: לשון סילון ממאיר (יחזקאל כח כד). פוינינ"ט בלע"ז [דוקר]. ומדרשו תן בו מארה שלא תהנה הימנו: |
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| 52. And he shall burn the garment, the warp or woof [threads] of wool or of linen, or any leather article which has the lesion upon it, for it is a malignant tzara'ath ; it shall be burned in fire. |
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נב. וְשָׂרַף אֶת הַבֶּגֶד אוֹ אֶת הַשְּׁתִי אוֹ אֶת הָעֵרֶב בַּצֶּמֶר אוֹ בַפִּשְׁתִּים אוֹ אֶת כָּל כְּלִי הָעוֹר אֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה בוֹ הַנָּגַע כִּי צָרַעַת מַמְאֶרֶת הִוא בָּאֵשׁ תִּשָּׂרֵף: |
| of wool or of linen: Heb. בַּצֶּמֶר אוֹ בַפִּשְׁתִּים, of wool or of linen. [The ב, which usually means “in,” here means “of.”] This is its simple meaning. Its midrashic explanation is, however: [The words, בַּצֶּמֶר אוֹ בַפִּשְׁתִּים וְשָָׂרַף אֶת בֶּגֶד, can be understood literally, as: “And he shall burn the garment…in the wool or in the linen.” Thus,] one might think that [when burning the unclean garment,] one is required to bring wool shearings and stalks of flax and burn them along with it. Scripture, therefore, says [at the end of this verse], “for it…; it shall be burned in fire. ” [I.e., it alone] it does not require anything else [to be burned] along with it. If so, why does Scripture say, “in the wool or the linen”? To exclude [from the requirement of burning] the edges (אִימְרִיּוֹת) if they are of another material (Torath Kohanim 13:167). אִימְרִיּוֹת means “edges,” like אִימְרָא, border. |
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בצמר או בפשתים: של צמר או של פשתים, זהו פשוטו. ומדרשו יכול יביא גיזי צמר ואניצי פשתן וישרפם עמו, תלמוד לומר היא באש תשרף, אינה צריכה דבר אחר עמה. אם כן מה תלמוד לומר בצמר או בפשתים, להוציא את האימריות שבו, שהן ממין אחר. אימריות לשון שפה, כמו אימרא: |
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| 53. But if the kohen looks, and, behold! the lesion has not spread on the garment, the warp or woof [threads], or any leather article, |
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נג. וְאִם יִרְאֶה הַכֹּהֵן וְהִנֵּה לֹא פָשָׂה הַנֶּגַע בַּבֶּגֶד אוֹ בַשְּׁתִי אוֹ בָעֵרֶב אוֹ בְּכָל כְּלִי עוֹר: |
| 54. the kohen shall order, and they shall wash what the lesion is upon, and he shall quarantine it again for seven days. |
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נד. וְצִוָּה הַכֹּהֵן וְכִבְּסוּ אֵת אֲשֶׁר בּוֹ הַנָּגַע וְהִסְגִּירוֹ שִׁבְעַת יָמִים שֵׁנִית: |
| what the lesion is upon: One might think that [one need wash] the area of the lesion alone. Scripture, therefore, says, “what the lesion is upon,” [meaning, the garment upon which the lesion is found. But if so,] one might think that the entire garment requires washing. Scripture, therefore, says, “[after] the lesion [has been washed],” (verse 55) [teaching us that only the lesion must be washed, not the entire garment]. So how [do we reconcile this apparent discrepancy]? He must wash part of the garment with it. — [see Torath Kohanim 13:169] |
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לפשתים ולצמר: של פשתים או של צמר: |
| what the lesion is upon: One might think that [one need wash] the area of the lesion alone. Scripture, therefore, says, “what the lesion is upon,” [meaning, the garment upon which the lesion is found. But if so,] one might think that the entire garment requires washing. Scripture, therefore, says, “[after] the lesion [has been washed],” (verse 55) [teaching us that only the lesion must be washed, not the entire garment]. So how [do we reconcile this apparent discrepancy]? He must wash part of the garment with it. — [see Torath Kohanim 13:169] |
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| 55. Then the kohen shall look [at it] after the lesion has been washed. And, behold! the lesion has not changed in appearance, and the lesion has not spread; it is unclean. You shall burn it in fire. It is a penetrating lesion on the worn or new [article]. |
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נה. וְרָאָה הַכֹּהֵן אַחֲרֵי הֻכַּבֵּס אֶת הַנֶּגַע וְהִנֵּה לֹא הָפַךְ הַנֶּגַע אֶת עֵינוֹ וְהַנֶּגַע לֹא פָשָׂה טָמֵא הוּא בָּאֵשׁ תִּשְׂרְפֶנּוּ פְּחֶתֶת הִוא בְּקָרַחְתּוֹ אוֹ בְגַבַּחְתּוֹ: |
| after [the lesion] has been washed: Heb. הֻכַּבֵּס. This is an expression of “having been done,” [i.e., the passive voice]. |
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אחרי הכבס: לשון העשות: |
| the lesion has not changed in appearance: i.e., it has not become dimmer in color. |
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לא הפך הנגע את עינו: לא הוכהה ממראיתו: |
| and the lesion has not spread: We understand that if the lesion neither changed [in color] nor spread, it is unclean, and it goes without saying that if it did not change in color but did spread, [it is unclean]. If it changed in color [but still was a shade that makes it unclean] yet did not spread, we do not know what one should do with it. Therefore, Scripture says, “he shall quarantine [the article with] the lesion” (verse 50), in any case. That is what Rabbi Judah says. [However,] the Sages say [that since the change in color was still within the unclean shades, the lesion is not considered to be changed at all; it is the same lesion that has already had two weeks of quarantine, and is now deemed definitely unclean], as is stated in Torath Kohanim (13:171). I have alluded to [only a portion of] this [Midrash] here in order to explain all the different aspects of this verse. |
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והנגע לא פשה: שמענו שאם לא הפך ולא פשה טמא, ואין צריך לומר לא הפך ופשה. הפך ולא פשה איני יודע מה יעשה לו, תלמוד לומר והסגיר את הנגע, מכל מקום, דברי רבי יהודה. וחכמים אומרים וכו', כדאיתא בתורת כהנים. ורמזתיה כאן ליישב המקרא על אופניו: |
| it is a penetrating lesion: Heb. פְּחֶתֶת הִוא. [This expression] denotes holes [i.e., penetrations], as the verse says, “in one of the pits (פְּחָתִים)” (II Sam. 17:9). That is to say, [in this context it means that the lesion] is deep, [i.e.,] it appears as if it is sunken. — [Torath Kohanim 13:172] |
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פחתת היא: לשון גומא, כמו (שמואל ב' יז ט) באחת הפחתים, כלומר שפלה היא, נגע שמראיו שוקעין: |
| on the worn or new [article]: בְּקָרַחְתּוֹ אוֹ בְגַבַּחְתּוֹ, as the Targum [Onkelos] renders: בִּשְׁחִיקוּתֵיהּ אוֹ בְּחַדְתּוּתֵהּ, “in its worn state or in its new state.” |
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בקרחתו או בגבחתו: כתרגומו בשחיקותיה או בחדתותיה: |
| the worn: Heb. בְּקָרַחְתּוֹ. Old, worn out garments, and because of the midrashic explanation, that this language is necessary for a שָׁוָה גְּזֵרָה here [i.e., a link between two seemingly unrelated passages through common terms, thereby inferring the laws of one passage from the laws of the other, as follows]: How do we know that if a lesion on a garment spreads [throughout the entire garment], it is clean? Because [Scripture] states קָרַחַת and גַּבַּחַת in the context of [lesions that appear on] man (verse 42), and here, in the context of [lesion on] garments, [Scripture] also states קָרַחַת and גַּבַּחַת; just as there [in the case of lesions on man], if it spread over the entire body, he is clean (verses 1213), so too, here, [in the case of lesion on garments,] if it spread over the entire garment, it is clean (San. 88a), Scripture adopts the [unusual] expressions קָרַחַת and גַּבַּחַת. However, concerning the explanation and translation [of these terms], the simple meaning is that קָרַחַת means “old” and גַּבַּחַת means “new.” It is as though it were written, “[It is a lesion on] its end or its beginning,” for קָרַחַת means “back” [i.e., at the end of the garment’s life, when it is old,] and גַּבַּחַת means “front” [i.e., the beginning of its life, when it is new]. This is just as is written, “And if [he loses hair] at the front of his head, [he is bald at the front (גַּבַּח)]” (verse 41). And קָרַחַת refers from the crown toward his back. Thus it is explained in Torath Kohanim (13:144). |
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קרחתו: שחקים ישנים. ומפני המדרש שהוצרך לגזרה שוה מנין לפריחה בבגדים שהיא טהורה, נאמרה קרחת וגבחת באדם, ונאמרה קרחת וגבחת בבגדים, מה להלן פרח בכולו טהור, אף כאן פרח בכולו טהור, לכך אחז הכתוב לשון קרחת וגבחת. ולענין פירושו ותרגומו זהו משמעו קרחת לשון ישנים, וגבחת לשון חדשים, כאלו נכתב באחריתו או בקדמותו, שהקרחת לשון אחוריים והגבחת לשון פנים, כמו שכתוב (פסוק מא) ואם מפאת פניו וגו', והקרחת כל ששופע ויורד מן הקדקד ולאחריו, כך מפורש בתורת כהנים: |
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| 56. But if the kohen looks [at it] after it has been washed, and behold! the lesion has become dimmer, he shall tear it out of the garment, out of the leather, or out of the warp or woof [threads]. |
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נו. וְאִם רָאָה הַכֹּהֵן וְהִנֵּה כֵּהָה הַנֶּגַע אַחֲרֵי הֻכַּבֵּס אֹתוֹ וְקָרַע אֹתוֹ מִן הַבֶּגֶד אוֹ מִן הָעוֹר אוֹ מִן הַשְּׁתִי אוֹ מִן הָעֵרֶב: |
| he shall tear it: He shall tear the afflicted area from the garment and burn that area [of garment]. — [Torath Kohanim 13:174] |
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וקרע אתו: יקרע מקום הנגע מן הבגד וישרפנו: |
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| 57. And if it appears again on the garment, the warp or woof [threads] or any leather article, it is a recurrent growth [of the lesion]. You shall burn it in fire [the article] upon which the lesion is [found]. |
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נז. וְאִם תֵּרָאֶה עוֹד בַּבֶּגֶד אוֹ בַשְּׁתִי אוֹ בָעֵרֶב אוֹ בְכָל כְּלִי עוֹר פֹּרַחַת הִוא בָּאֵשׁ תִּשְׂרְפֶנּוּ אֵת אֲשֶׁר בּוֹ הַנָּגַע: |
| it is a recurrent growth: פֹּרַחַת, something that grows recurrently. |
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פרחת הוא: דבר החוזר וצומח: |
| You shall burn it in fire: the entire garment. |
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באש תשרפנו: את כל הבגד: |
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| 58. But the garment, the warp or woof [threads] or any leather article which is washed, and the lesion disappears from them, shall be immersed a second time, and it shall be clean. |
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נח. וְהַבֶּגֶד אוֹ הַשְּׁתִי אוֹ הָעֵרֶב אוֹ כָל כְּלִי הָעוֹר אֲשֶׁר תְּכַבֵּס וְסָר מֵהֶם הַנָּגַע וְכֻבַּס שֵׁנִית וְטָהֵר: |
| and the lesion disappears from them: If, after they first washed [the article] by order of the kohen, the lesion disappeared completely from it… [then] |
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וסר מהם הנגע: אם כשכבסוהו בתחלה על פי כהן, סר ממנו הנגע לגמרי: |
| shall be immersed a second time: [The word וְכֻבַּס in this verse] means immersion [in a mikvah. See Torath Kohanim 13:179]. In Targum [Onkelos], the translation of all the instances of כִּבּוּס in this whole section is “to cleanse, clean” (וְיִתְחַוֵּר), with this one exception [in our verse]. Here the meaning is not “cleansing” but rather “immersion [in a mikvah].” Thus Targum [Onkelos] here [in translating the word וְכֻבַּס] says וְיִצְטַבַּע, “and it shall be immersed.” Likewise, wherever the כִבּוּס of garments refers to immersion [in a mikvah], it is translated in the Targum as וְיִצְטַבַּע. |
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וכבס שנית: לשון טבילה. תרגום של כבוסין שבפרשה זו לשון לבון ויתחוור, חוץ מזה שאינו ללבון אלא לטבול, לכך תרגומו ויצטבע, וכן כל כבוסי בגדים שהן לטבילה מתורגמין ויצטבע: |
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| 59. This is the law of a lesion of tzara'ath on a woolen or linen garment, warp or woof threads, or any leather article, to render it clean or unclean. |
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נט. זֹאת תּוֹרַת נֶגַע צָרַעַת בֶּגֶד הַצֶּמֶר אוֹ הַפִּשְׁתִּים אוֹ הַשְּׁתִי אוֹ הָעֵרֶב אוֹ כָּל כְּלִי עוֹר לְטַהֲרוֹ אוֹ לְטַמְּאוֹ: |