Tazria תזריע

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

אשה כי תזריע IF A WOMAN HAVE CONCEIVED SEED — R. Simlai said: Even as the formation of man took place after that of every cattle, beast and fowl when the world was created, so, too, the law regarding him is set forth after the law regarding cattle, beast and fowl (contained in the previous chapter) (Leviticus Rabbah 14:1).

כי תזריע — These words are superfluous, כי ילדה would suffice — they mean literally, ”if she bringeth forth seed” and are employed to include the case that if she gave birth to him (the male child) as a pulpy mass which had dissolved, having become liquified like seed, even then its mother becomes unclean as though it were a normal birth (Niddah 27b).

כימי נדת דותה תטמא AS IN THE DAYS OF THE SEPARATION FOR HER IMPURITY SHALL SHE BECOME UNCLEAN — According to the regulation of every uncleanness which is mentioned in the case of a נדה does she become unclean in respect to the uncleanness resulting from child-birth — even though the womb opened without any issue of blood (cf. Niddah 21a).

דותה — This is an expression for anything which flows from her body (‎‎‏זב = דו, “flowing”), and the translation is: “as in the days of separation due to her flux”. Another explanation is: it has the same meaning as .מדוה (root דוה), malady and sickness, and this is termed דותה, “her sickness”, because no woman sees an issue of blood from herself except that, as a result of it, she becomes unwell and her head and limbs feel heavy (cf. Niddah 9a).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

תשב — The word תשב signifies here “remaining”, just as in (Deuteronomy 1:46) “And ye stayed (ותשבו) at Kadesh”, and (Genesis 13:18) “and he stayed (‎‎‎וישב) in the Plain of Mamre”

בדמי טהרה IN THE BLOOD OF PURIFICATION — Even though she see an issue of blood she is nevertheless clean (Sifra, Tazria Parashat Yoledet, Chapter 1 7).

בדמי טהרה — There is no Mappik in the last 'ה‎ of טהרה (as there is in the last word of this verse): it (the word) is an uninflected noun similar in meaning to טֹהַר (being a feminine form of it).

ימי טהרה — the 'ה here has a Mappik and the meaning is: the days of her טֹהַר, her purification.

בכל קדש [SHE SHALL NOT TOUCH] ANYTHING THAT IS HOLY — not anything: this serves to include the heave-offering (Makkot 14b; Yevamot 75a). The Torah prescribes this because such a woman must be regarded as one who has taken the immersion on a very long day (טבולת יום ארוך), because she immersed herself at the end of the first seven days whilst her sun does not set to bring about her purification until sunset of the fortieth day since it is only on the morrow that she has to bring the atonement offering in connection with her purification, as it is stated in v. 6.

לא תגע SHE SHALL NOT TOUCH — This is a prohibition addressed to anyone who would eat holy things in a state of uncleanness, as it is stated in a Baraitha in Yevamot 75a.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

והקריבו AND HE SHALL OFFER IT — Two offerings have been mentioned, a lamb and a bird, but it states here ,,and he shall offer it and so make an atonement for her” — this teaches you that only the omission to sacrifice a particular one of these two precludes her from eating the sacrificial food. And which is this? It is the sin-offering, because it is stated immediately afterwards: “he shall make expiation for her and she shall be clean” — that which is intended as expiation (i. e. the sin-offering), upon it does the purification depend (Sifra, Tazria Parashat Yoledet, Chapter 3 4).

וטהרה AND SHE SHALL BE CLEAN — it follows, therefore, that until now (until she has brought the atonement offering) she is termed ‘‘unclean” (i.e. she is regarded as טמאה) although she is actually טהרה.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

אחד לעלה ואחד לחטאת THE ONE FOR A BURNT-OFFERING AND THE OTHER FOR A SIN-OFFERING — Scripture puts it (the עולה) first only by way of mention, but so far as offering it is concerned the sin-offering precedes the burnt-offering; thus do we learn in the Treatise Zevachim 90a, in the chapter commencing כל התדיר .

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

'שאת או ספחת וגו‎ — These are the names of leprous plagues — A RISING, A SCAB etc., — and they are the one whiter than the other (cf. Shevuot 5b; Sifra, Tazria Parashat Nega'im, Section 1 4).

בהרת means SPOTS, taie in O. F. — Similar is (Job 37:21) “It is a spot (בהיר) in the skies”.

'אל אהרון וגו‎ [HE SHALL BE BROUGHT] TO AARON etc. — It is an enactment of Scripture that the uncleanness and purification of leprous plagues are pronounced only by the mouth of a priest (Sifra, Tazria Parashat Nega'im, Section 1 9).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

הפך לבן [THE HAIR …] IS TURNED WHITE — This means that at first it was dark, and it turned white within the plague. The smallest number of hairs implied by the term שער is two (Sifra, Tazria Parashat Nega'im, Chapter 2 2).

עמק מעור בשרו [THE PLAGUE] IS DEEPER THAN THE SKIN OF HIS FLESH — Every white colour is deep (in contrast to a dark colour surrounding it) just as the colour of anything illuminated by the sun is deeper than the shadow (Shevuot 6b).

וטמא אתו HE SHALL PRONOUNCE HIM UNCLEAN — He (the priest) shall say to him. “Thou art unclean” — for it is an enactment of Scripture that hair that has become white is a symptom of uncleanness.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

ועמק אין מראה AND ITS APPEARANCE BE NOT DEEPER [THAN THE SKIN] — I do not know the meaning of this.

והסגיר HE SHALL SHUT [HIM UP] — He shall shut him up in one house and shall not see him again until the end of the week. Then the symptom that show themselves shall decide regarding him whether he is unclean or not.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

בעניו means in its original colour and size.

שנית … ‎והסגירו HE SHALL SHUT HIM UP … A SECOND TIME — Consequently if it has spread during the first week, he is decidedly unclean, and no further quarantine is required.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

כֵּהֶה means it has become paler than its former color — consequently if it remains in its color or if it has spread he is unclean.

מספחת — This is the name of a clean leprous disease.

וכבס את בגדיו וטהר AND HE SHALL WASH HIS GARMENTS AND BE CLEAN — Since he required shutting up he was termed (was regarded as coming under the term) “unclean” (although it now transpires that he was clean), and he must undergo immersion in a ritual bath.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

וטמאו הכהן AND THE PRIEST SHALL PRONOUNCE HIM UNCLEAN — and as soon as he has pronounced him unclean he is a decided leper and he is obliged when he recovers from his leprosy to bring two birds (as a means of his purification) and to shave his flesh and to bring the offering which is mentioned in the section beginning זאת תהיה — Leviticus ch. 14 (cf. Megillah 8b).

צרעת הוא IT IS A LEPROSY — this מספחת is a leprosy (while the מספחת mentioned in v. 6 is a clean scab)

The word צרעת is feminine; נגע is masculine.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

ומחית A QUICK [RAW FLESH] — sainement in old French English healing; — it means that the part of the white within the “higher-lying white spot” (השאת) has turned to a flesh-colour; this, too, is a symptom of uncleanness; — white hair without healthy flesh, and healthy flesh without white hair . Although healthy flesh is mentioned only in connection with a spot of higher-lying colour, in the case of all pure white colours (snow-white and wool-white) and their shades (lit., derivations) it is also a symptom of uncleanness(cf. Sifra, Tazria Parashat Nega'im, Section 3 1; Mishnah Negaim 4:6).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

צרעת נשנת הוא IT IS AN OLD LEPROSY — i. e. it is an old leprous malady beneath the sound flesh, and this wound appears healthy above, but underneath it is full of moisture (pus), therefore the priest shall pronounce it unclean. Scripture states this in order that you should not say: since healthy flesh has come over it I shall pronounce it clean.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

מראשו FROM THE HEAD of the man ועד רגליו AND UNTO HIS FEET,

לכל מראה עיני הכהן WHERESOEVER THE PRIEST LOOKETH (lit., to the whole sight of the priest’s eyes) — This excludes a priest the sight of whose eyes is darkened (whose sight is imperfect) (Sifra, Tazria Parashat Nega'im, Chapter 4 4).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

בו בשר חי‎‎‎‏‎‎ וביום הראות ‎‎ BUT ON THE DAY WHEN RAW FLESH APPEARETH IN HIM [HE SHALL BE UNCLEAN] — If this means that a healthy spot sprang up in it and that on this account it is unclean, surely, however, it has already been stated that the healthy spot is a symptom of uncleanness! Why repeat it here? But it is the following case: that the plague was on one of the “twenty-four tips of the limbs” that project from the body (cf. Rashi on Exodus 21:26), — which cannot become unclean (i. e. be declared unclean) because it has healthy flesh since the leprous plague as a whole cannot be seen at one time, (as is required by Scripture stating: לכל מראה עיני הכהן cf. Kiddushin 25a),because they (the two sides of the affected limb) slope in different directions (Mishnah Negaim 6:7; Kiddushin 25a) — and the tip of the limb altered, so that its sloping side became visible through fat, as e. g., if it (the tip of the limb) became thick and broadened (so that the sloping sides flattened out to form one surface with the limb) and the healthy flesh thus becomes visible in it, Scripture informs us that it (such healthy flesh) makes it unclean on the day when it is seen in it (Sifra, Tazria Parashat Nega'im, Chapter 5 1). ‎

וביום — Why is this word used (it might have said ובהראות)? To inform us that there are days when you may see (examine) the plague and there are days when you may not examine. On this account they (the Rabbis) said: A bridegroom is given a respite of all the seven days of the marriage festivities — to him, and to his clothing and his house (i.e. whether he himself or his clothing, cf. v. 17, or his house, cf. Leviticus 14:33 ff., has been affected by a leprous disease), and similarly on a festival he (everyone) is given a respite all the days of that festival — and during these periods the priest may not come to examine him or his clothing or his house (Mishnah Negaim 3:2; Moed Katan 7b; Sifra, Tazria Parashat Nega'im, Chapter 5 2; cf. Bekhorot 43b).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

צרעת הוא IT IS A LEPROSY — that flesh is a leprosy; בשר is masc., and therefore the pronoun הוּא is used as its copula.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

שחין A BOIL — The word expresses the idea of heat. It is so called because the flesh has become inflamed by an injury which came about as the result of a blow and not as the result of fire (the latter case being mentioned in v. 24 and being termed a מכוה) (Chullin 8a).

ונרפא AND IT BECAME HEALED — the boil (not the flesh also mentioned in this verse) became healed and in its place it produced another plague (the שאת mentioned in the next verse).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

או בהרת לבנה אדמדמת in OR A BRIGHT SPOT REDDISH-WHITE — It means that the plague is not evenly white but it is compounded and intermingled with two colours — white and red.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

מראה שפל IT BE IN SIGHT LOWER [THAN THE SKIN] — it itself is not deeper, but on account of its whiteness it appears lower and deeper ‎(מראה שפל), just as the colour of anything illuminated by the sun is deeper than the shadow (see Rashi v. 3).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

נגע הִוא IT IS A PLAGUE — this rising or bright spot is a plague (שאת and בהרת are fem., hence the fem. adj. הִיא).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

.תחתיה means IN ITS PLACE (and not “beneath it”).

צרבת שחין [IT IS] A BURNING BOIL — Understand this as the Targum does: רשם שחנא — i. e. it is only a mark (a scar) of the inflammation, discernible in the flesh. Wherever צרבת occurs it denotes the contraction of skin which has become shrivelled through inflammation. Similar is, (Ezekiel 21:3) “and every face shall become shrivelled (ונצרבו)” through the heat mentioned in the verse, retrecir in old French, to contract.

צרבת is retrecissement in old French, (English = contraction).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

מחית המכוה IIEALED FLESH OF THE BURNT PART — sainement in old French The text means that when the burnt part was healed it turned into a bright spot variegated or evenly white (i.e. ‎'וכו‎‎ והיתה denotes “and the healed flesh became a white bright spot etc.”). The symptoms of cleanness or uncleanness of a burn and the symptoms of a boil are exactly similar. Why, then, has Scripture mentioned them separately (in two paragraphs, instead of saying ואדם כי יהיה בעור בשרו שחין ומכוה )? To tell us that they cannot be combined one with the other to make up the minimum size of a spot which is a symptom of leprosy — if, e. g., there develops a leprous spot the size of a half of a גריס (a גריס is a half-bean; חצי גריס is a half of this), in a boil (שחין), and one of the size of a half גריס in a burn (מכוה), they do not come under the law of a full ‎‎‏ גריס(the minimum size for an unclean spot) (Chullin 8a).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

בראש או בזקן UPON THE HEAD OR UPON THE BEARD — Scripture intends to make a difference between a plague which is on a place where hair grows and a plague which is on a place where flesh is (already mentioned v. 38) — that as regards this (that on the flesh) its symptom of uncleanness consists in white hair, and as regards the other its symptom consists in gold-coloured hair (Sifra, Braita d'Rabbi Yishmael 14).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

ובו שער צהוב AND THERE BE IN IT A GOLD-COLOURED HAIR — This means that the black hair that was in it has turned into gold-coloured (cf. Rashi on v. 3).

נתק הוא — this (נתק) is the name of a plague which is on the spot where hair grows.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

ושער שחור אין בו AND THERE IS NO BLACK HAIR IN IT [THE PRIEST SHALL SHUT HIM UP] — Consequently, if there is black hair in it, he is clean, and does not require to be shut up — for black hair is a characteristic of cleanness in cases of נתקים, as it is stated, (v. 37) “if there is black hair grown up in it … [he is clean]” (Sifra, Tazria Parashat Nega'im, Chapter 8 9).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

'והנה לא פשה וגו‏‎‎‎ AND BEHOLD IF [THE SCAB] SPREAD NOT etc. — Consequently, if it spreads or there is in it gold-coloured hair it is unclean.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

והתגלח AND HE SHALL CUT HIS HAIR around the scall,

ואת הנתק לא יגלח BUT THE SCALL ITSELF HE SHALL NOT CUT THE HAIR OF — this means that he leaves a row of two hairs quite close to it around it in order that it may become discernible if it (the scall) spreads, for if it spreads it passes the hair and will extend to the spot where the hair has been cut off (Mishnah Negaim 10:5; Sifra, Tazria Parashat Nega'im, Chapter 9 7).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

אחרי טהרתו [AND IF THE SCALL SPREADS AT ALL …] AFTER HIS BEING PRONOUNCED CLEAN — I have here only the statement that he is unclean if it spreads after he has been freed from the quarantine; whence do I know that the same applies if it has spread by the end of the first week and or by the end of the second week? Because it states here: “if it spreads at all” (Sifra, Tazria Parashat Nega'im, Chapter 9 9).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

ושער שחור AND [THERE BE] BLACK HAIR — Whence do I know that this applies also to yellow or reddish hair which also, like black hair here mentioned, are not gold-coloured? Because it states ושער “and hair” (whatever its colour may be) (Sifra, Tazria Parashat Nega'im, Chapter 9 14). The expression צָהוֹב denotes anything like the appearance of gold, and צהוב is equivalent to זהוב, orpàle in old French (English = pale gold).

טהור הוא וטהרו הכהן HE IS CLEAN AND THE PRIEST SHALL PRONOUNCE HIM CLEAN — Consequently a person who is really unclean whom the priest pronounces clean is not clean. [It is true that the declaration is left to the priest — as pointed out by Rashi on v. 2 — but if he erred or willfully pronounced the unclean person clean it is of no effect for Scripture states: he is clean and the priest then — and then only — shall pronounce him clean] (Sifra, Tazria Parashat Nega'im, Chapter 9 16).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

בהרות are SPOTS.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

כהות לבנות DULL WHITE — It means that their whiteness is not intense but a dull white.

בהק A BRIGHTNESS — just like the white which shows itself in the flesh of a ruddy man, who is termed rouge in old French, between his red spots: this is called בהק “brightness” — like a man who is covered with lentil-like spots, when between one lentil-like spot and another the flesh shows bright with a pure brightness.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

קרח הוא טהור הוא HE IS BALD, HE IS CLEAN — clean from the uncleanness of נתק (a scall in a hairy spot) (Sifra, Braita d'Rabbi Yishmael 15), for he is not subject to the law about the symptoms of the head or the beard, which are places where hair grows, but to that about the symptoms of a plague on the skin of the flesh — [white hair], healthy flesh or the spreading of the plague.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

ואם מפאת בניו AND IF FROM THE CORNER OF HIS FACE [THERE FALLS OFF THE HAIR OF HIS HEAD] — The area from the slope of one’s skull in the direction of the face is called גבחת (and that explains why the man suffering from such a malady is here called גבח) — and the temples on both sides are also included; and the area from the slope of one’s skull in the direction of the back of his head is termed קרחת (hence the term קרח in v. 40) (Sifra, Tazria Parashat Nega'im, Chapter 10 7).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

נגע לבן אדמדם A RISING OF THE SORE REDDISH-WHITE — variegated (the term לבנה אדמדמת does not signify white and red each separately, but mingled: reddish-white). Whence may we learn that the plague is unclean too if it has the other colours (not variegated, but plain white shades of white which are the distinguishing characteristics of the plagues)? Because it states here: נגע, a plague (it describes it as a ‘‘plague” and therefore all colors applicable to a “plague” apply to it also).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

כמראה צרעת עור בשר AS THE COLOUR OF LEPROSY IN THE SKIN OF THE FLESH — it is like the colour of the leprosy which is mentioned in the section dealing with the plague on the skin of the flesh (v. 2): “When a man hath in the skin of his flesh …”.What is stated about that? That it makes one unclean by reason of four shades of white, and that it is subject to the law of quarantine during two weeks. And it is not to be treated like the colour of the leprosy mentioned in the case of the boil (v 18) or burn (v. 24) which though also unclean by reason of four shades of white are, however, subject to the law of quarantine for one week only, (i. e if at the end of the week there is neither white hair, nor has it spread the priest at once declares him clean); nor must it be treated as the colour of נתקין on a spot where hair grows — which do not make a person unclean by cause of four colours: a שאת and its subspecies, and that of a בהרת and its subspecies.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

בראשו נגעו HIS PLAGUE IS ON HIS HEAD — I have only a statement that the following laws apply to the case of נתקין, plagues on hairy places! Whence may we learn that there are included the sufferers from all other kinds of leprous plagues? Because it states מא יטמאנו‎ט, “he shall in any case proclaim him unclean” (Sifra, Tazria Parashat Nega'im, Chapter 12 2)— thus including all of these: regarding all of these it says: “his garments shall be rent etc.”.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

פרומים signifies TORN.

פרוע means his head shall be over-grown with hair (Sifra, Tazria Parashat Nega'im, Chapter 13 6).

ועל שפם יעטה AND HE SHALL COVER HIS LIPS as one who mourns for the dead (Sifra, Tazria Parashat Nega'im, Chapter 13 7; cf. Onkelos).

שפם denotes the hair on the lips; grenon in old French, (English = moustache).

וטמא טמא יקרא AND HE SHALL CALL OUT, UNCLEAN, UNCLEAN — he must proclaim aloud that he is unclean, so that people may keep away from him (Sifra, Tazria Parashat Nega'im, Chapter 13 7; Moed Katan 5a).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

בדד ישב HE SHALL ABIDE SOLITARY — This means that people who are unclean from other causes than that of leprosy shall not abide with him (Pesachim 67a; cf. Sifra). Our Rabbis said: Why is he (the leper) treated differently from other unclean persons that he should abide solitary? They replied: Because he, by slanderous statements, (cf. Numbers 12:10) parted man and wife, or a man from his friend, he must be parted from everybody (Arakhin 16b).

מחוץ למחנה WITHOUT THE CAMP — outside the three camps (see Rashi on Leviticus 4:12; cf. Sifra, Tazria Parashat Nega'im, Chapter 13 14 and Pesachim 67a).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

לפשתים ולצמר‎ means OF FLAX OR OF WOOL.

או בעור WHETHER IN A SKIN — this is a skin which has not been manufactured (of which no article has been made).

או במלאכת עור OR IN ANYTHING MADE OF SKIN — this is a skin which has been manufactured.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

ירקרק denotes green amongst the greens (the deepest green).

אדמדם — the deepest red (Sifra, Tazria Parashat Nega'im, Chapter 14 2).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

צרעת ממארת A FRETTING LEPROSY — The word ממארת has the same meaning as. (Ezekiel 28:24) “a pricking (ממאיר) brier”; point (poignant) in old French The Midrashic explanation is: Attach a curse (מארה) to it, — that you will make no use of it (and therefore it must be burnt) (Sifra, Tazria Parashat Nega'im, Chapter 14 11).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

בצמר ובפשתים means OF WOOL OR OF FLAX. This is the plain meaning. And the Midrashic explanation is: One might think that he must bring fleeces of wool or stalks of flax and burn them together with it, (the garment, in order to make a flame in which to burn it; then the verse will mean: he shall burn the garment with wool etc.) Scripture, however, states, in this verse, היא באש תשרף “it (the garment) shall be burnt in fire” — no other thing being required with it. If this be so why does it state בצמר או בפשתים? To exclude from being burnt the אומריות, the hems, that are on it if these are made of a different material than wool or flax respectively. The word אומריות means a hem; it is the same as the better-known word אימרא. (The translation is therefore: he shall burn [apply fire to] the garment etc., on the woolen parts only) (Sifra, Tazria Parashat Nega'im, Chapter 15 1).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

את אשר בו הנגע THAT WHEREIN THE PLAGUE IS — One might think that he has to wash only that spot in which is the plague and not the garment itself! It. however, states: Not, “he shall wash the plague, but “that where in the plague is”. If this be so, then one might think that the entire garment requires washing! It, however, states, (v. 55) הנגע “the plague” (after the plague has been washed), and not the garment. How shall it be done? He washes some of the garment with it (the plague) (Sifra, Tazria Parashat Nega'im, Chapter 15 5).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

הֻכַּבֵּס‎ ‎ ‎‎‎‏ אחרי AFTER IT IS WASHED — The verbal form is an expression of something done (a passive infinitive).

לא הפך הנגע את עינו THE PLAGUE HATH NOT CHANGED ITS COLOR — i. e. it has not become paler than its former colour.

והנגע לא פשה AND THE PLAGUE HATH NOT SPREAD — We understand from this that if it has not changed its color and has not spread it is unclean, (although the fact that it has not spread might lead us to suppose that it is clean;here, however, the color has not changed, and so it is unclean). It is, of course, not necessary to state that it is unclean if the colour has not changed but the plague has spread (for the spreading is an additional reason for declaring it unclean). If, however, it has changed its colour, but it has not spread, I would not know what one should do with it. Therefore it states, (v. 50) “And he shall shut up the plague” for a period and examine it again — shut it up whatever the circumstances of doubt may be. This is the opinion of Rabbi Jehuda. But other Sages say that in this case it is undoubtedly unclean as is stated in Torath Cohanim (Sifra, Tazria Parashat Nega'im, Chapter 15 7): and I make mention of this here (instead of doing so on v. 50), in order to explain that verse in its connection with this text.

פחתת היא — This is an expression denoting a pit (anything cut out) as in, (II Samuel 17:9) “in one of the pits (פחתים)”. It is as much as to say, it is low-lying — a plague the colour of which is sunk deep (Sifra, Tazria Parashat Nega'im, Chapter 15 8).

בגבחתו ‎‎‎ או‎ בקרחתו — Understand this as the Targum does: in its old state (lit., rubbed condition) or in its new state.

קרחתו is therefore שחקים (clothes rubbed by wear), old (and consequently ,שחיקותיה is a proper contrast to חדתותיה in the Targum). These words, קרחת and גבחת, although not properly applicable to garments are used here to afford an opportunity for an Halachic derivation, for which there is required an argument deduced from the similarity of phrases: Whence do we know in regard to a plague spreading over the entire surface in the case of garments that it is c1ean? Because the, terms קרחת and גבחת are used in the case of a human being and the terms קרחת and גבחת are used in the case of garments. How is it in the former case? If it has spread over all his body, he is clean (v.13)! So here, also, if it has spread over all the garment it is clean (Niddah 19a). For this reason Scripture here purposely avails itself of the expressions קרחת and גבחת, to make the גז"ש possible. And in regard to its interpretation and its translation in the Targum the following is what it implies: קרחת is an expression denoting “old”, and גבחת is an expression denoting “new” (Sifra, Tazria Parashat Nega'im, Chapter 15 9); and the meaning is just the same as though it were written באחריתו או בקדמותו. at its end or at its beginning, — for קרחת has the meaning of the back- parts (i. e. the end), since גבחת has the meaning of face (front-side, i. e. beginning), as it is written, (v. 41) “And if from the corner towards his face [the hair of his head be fallen] … he is a גבח” — so that קרחת must be all that part which slopes downwards on the skull towards the back. Thus is it explained in Torath Cohanim (Sifra, Tazria Parashat Nega'im, Chapter 10 7).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

וקרע אתו THEN SHALL HE REND IT OUT — i. e. he shall tear out the plague-spot from the garment and burn it (just as he is commanded in the case mentioned in the next verse) (cf. Sifra, Tazria Parashat Nega'im, Chapter 16 2).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

פרחת היא IT IS A SPREADING PLAGUE — it is a thing which breaks out again and again.

באש תשרפנו THOU SHALT BURN IT IN FIRE — “it” — the entire garment (in contradistinction to v. 56).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

וסר מהם הנגע IF THE PLAGUE BE DEPARTED FROM THEM — if when they washed it at first by the order of the priest (Leviticus 13:54), the plague departed from it entirely (cf. Sifra, Tazria Parashat Nega'im, Chapter 16 10),

וכבס שנית IT SHALL BE WASHED A SECOND TIME — here this expression denotes immersion in a ritual bath (not washing of the garment). The words used in the translation of the Targum for the expressions derived from the root כבס occurring in this section denote making white (cleaning, — e. g. ויתחור), “and it shall be made white” — except for this (וְכֻבַּס) which is not intended to mean making white but to mean immersion. For this reason it is translated in the Targum by ויצטבע — “it shall be dipped”. Similarly wherever it speaks of כבוס בגדים which intend “immersion” the Targum translation is ויצטבע, (this is the Targum of וְכֻבַּס‎ here and in Leviticus 15:17; the active וְכִבֶּס, is, of course, translated by ויצבע).