ב"ה
Rambam - 1 Chapter a Day
Tum'at Tsara'at - Chapter 3
Tum'at Tsara'at - Chapter 3
1Flesh that heals is not considered as a sign of impurity unless it is the size of a lentil when a square is imposed upon it1 or more.אאֵין הַמִּחְיָה סִימַן טֻמְאָה עַד שֶׁתִּהְיֶה כַּעֲדָשָׁה מְרֻבַּעַת אוֹ יָתֵר עַל זֶה.
How large is that? Enough for four hairs to grow, two lengthwise and two widthwise.וְכַמָּה שִׁעוּרָהּ? כְּדֵי צְמִיחַת אַרְבַּע שְׂעָרוֹת, שְׁתַּיִם אֹרֶךְ וּשְׁתַּיִם רֹחַב.
The flesh that heals must be in the center of the baheret and the baheret must surround it on all sides with there being a margin of the size of two hairs or more between the healthy flesh and the edge of the baheret. If, however, the healthy flesh is at the side of the baheret, it is not a sign of impurity.וְהוּא שֶׁתִּהְיֶה הַמִּחְיָה בְּאֶמְצַע הַבַּהֶרֶת, וְהַבַּהֶרֶת מַקֶּפֶת אוֹתָהּ מִכָּל צַד, וְהִיא יְתֵרָה עַל הַמִּחְיָה רֹחַב שְׁתֵּי שְׂעָרוֹת [מִכָּל צַד] אוֹ יָתֵר. אֲבָל אִם הָיְתָה הַמִּחְיָה בְּצַד הַבַּהֶרֶת - אֵינָהּ סִימַן טֻמְאָה.
If the healthy flesh was scattered in different places in the baheret, e.g., there was healthy flesh the size of a mustard seed in one place and healthy flesh the size of a mustard seed in another place, they are not combined to be considered as the size of a lentil even though they are both in the midst of the same baheret. Instead, there must be healthy flesh the size of a lentil when a square is imposed upon it or more in one place in the midst of the baheret.2הָיְתָה מְפֻזֶּרֶת, כְּגוֹן שֶׁהָיָה בָּשָׂר חַי כַּחַרְדָּל בְּמָקוֹם זֶה וּבָשָׂר חַי כַּחַרְדָּל בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהַכֹּל בְּאֶמְצַע הַבַּהֶרֶת - אֵינָן מִצְטָרְפִין לְכַעֲדָשָׁה, עַד שֶׁיִּהְיֶה בְּמָקוֹם אֶחָד בְּאֶמְצַע הַבַּהֶרֶת כַּעֲדָשָׁה מְרֻבָּע אוֹ יָתֵר.
2Healthy flesh imparts impurity regardless of its shade; it can be red, black, or white provided it is not one of the four shades of whiteness that we described.3בהַמִּחְיָה מְטַמְּאָה בְּכָל מַרְאֶה - בֵּין שֶׁהָיָה מַרְאֵה הַמִּחְיָה אָדֹם אוֹ שָׁחוֹר אוֹ לָבָן. וְהוּא, שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה הַלֹּבֶן מֵאַרְבַּע הַמַּרְאוֹת שֶׁבֵּאַרְנוּ.
3Flesh that healed is not a sign of impurity unless it is in the baheret itself.4גאֵין הַמִּחְיָה סִימַן טֻמְאָה עַד שֶׁתִּהְיֶה בְּגוּפָהּ שֶׁל בַּהֶרֶת.
What is implied? In the midst of a baheret, there was a boil, burnt flesh, or a healed boil or burnt flesh, or a bohak and there was totally healthy flesh in the midst of these abnormal skin features. Even though the healthy flesh is in the midst of the baheret, it is not a sign of impurity, because it is within the boil, the burnt flesh, the bohak, or their healed flesh.5כֵּיצַד? בַּהֶרֶת (שהיתה באמצע) [שֶׁהָיָה בְּאֶמְצָעָהּ] שְׁחִין אוֹ מִכְוָה אוֹ מִחְיָה אוֹ בֹּהַק, וְהַמִּחְיָה בְּתוֹךְ הַשְּׁחִין אוֹ בְּתוֹךְ הַמִּכְוָה אוֹ בְּתוֹךְ מִחְיָתָן אוֹ בְּתוֹךְ הַבֹּהַק, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהַמִּחְיָה בְּאֶמְצַע הַבַּהֶרֶת - אֵינָהּ סִימַן טֻמְאָה, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהִיא בְּתוֹךְ הַשְּׁחִין אוֹ הַמִּכְוָה אוֹ בְּתוֹךְ הַבֹּהַק אוֹ מִחְיָתָן.
Similarly, if a boil or its healed flesh, burnt flesh or its healed flesh, or a bohak surrounds the healthy flesh,6 or one of these abnormal skin features is directly next to the healthy flesh at its side, or one of these abnormal skin features divides the healthy flesh and enters within it, it is not a sign of impurity. This is like a baheret that does not have any sign of impurity and the person should be isolated.וְכֵן אִם הִקִּיף הַשְּׁחִין (את) [אוֹ] מִחְיָתוֹ וְהַמִּכְוָה (את) [אוֹ] מִחְיָתָהּ וְהַבֹּהַק אֶת הַמִּחְיָה, אוֹ שֶׁנִּסְמַךְ אֶחָד מֵהֶן לַמִּחְיָה מִצִּדָּהּ, אוֹ שֶׁחָלַק אֶחָד מֵהֶן אֶת הַמִּחְיָה וְנִכְנַס לְתוֹכָהּ - אֵינָהּ סִימַן טֻמְאָה, וַהֲרֵי זוֹ כְּבַהֶרֶת שֶׁאֵין בָּהּ סִימָן וְיַסְגִּיר.
If the boil, the burnt flesh, or the bohak in which the healthy flesh was found, that was at its side, that surrounded it, or that entered it disappeared and thus the healthy flesh alone was found within the baheret at the end of the first week or at the end of the second week, the person should be deemed definitively impure. If they did not depart, he should be released from the process of inspection.7הָלְכוּ לָהֶן הַשְּׁחִין אוֹ הַמִּכְוָה אוֹ הַבֹּהַק שֶׁהָיָה תַּחַת הַמִּחְיָה, אוֹ שֶׁהָיוּ בְּצִדָּהּ, אוֹ שֶׁהָיוּ מַקִּיפִין, אוֹ שֶׁהָיוּ נִכְנָסִין לְתוֹכָהּ, וְנִמְצֵאת הַמִּחְיָה לְבַדָּהּ בְּתוֹךְ הַבַּהֶרֶת בְּסוֹף שָׁבוּעַ רִאשׁוֹן אוֹ בְּסוֹף שָׁבוּעַ שֵׁנִי - הֲרֵי זֶה יַחְלִיט; אִם לֹא הָלְכוּ לָהֶן, יִפְטֹר.
4Healthy flesh is always a sign of impurity, whether the healthy flesh existed before the baheret or the baheret existed before the healthy flesh, because concerning it,8 the Torah does not state: “And it turned.”9דהַמִּחְיָה סִימַן טֻמְאָה לְעוֹלָם - בֵּין שֶׁקָּדְמָה מִחְיָה אֶת הַבַּהֶרֶת, בֵּין שֶׁקָּדְמָה בַּהֶרֶת אֶת הַמִּחְיָה, לְפִי שֶׁלֹּא נֶאֱמַר בָּהּ "וְהִיא הָפְכָה".
Although the Torah does state Leviticus 13:10: “And it turned hair to white and there was healthy flesh in the si’ait,” there is no need for a blemish to have both white hair and healthy flesh.10 Instead, each one independently is a sign of impurity. They were mentioned together only to identify the measure of healthy flesh that imparts impurity: enough to contain enough white hair to cause a person to be deemed impure, i.e., two hairs.זֶה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בַּתּוֹרָה "וְהִיא הָפְכָה שֵׂעָר לָבָן וּמִחְיַת בָּשָׂר חַי בַּשְׂאֵת" - אֵינוֹ צָרִיךְ לִשְׁנֵיהֶן, לַשֵּׂעָר וְלַמִּחְיָה, אֶלָּא כָּל אֶחָד מֵהֶן סִימַן טֻמְאָה. וְלֹא נֶאֱמַר שֵׂעָר לָבָן עִם הַמִּחְיָה אֶלָּא לִתֵּן שִׁעוּר לַמִּחְיָה - שֶׁתִּהְיֶה כְּדֵי לְקַבֵּל שֵׂעָר לָבָן, שֶׁהוּא שְׁתֵּי שְׂעָרוֹת.
5When a baheret is exactly the size of a gris and, in its midst, there is healthy flesh exactly the size of a lentil, the afflicted person should be deemed definitively impure.11 If the size of the baheret or the size of the healthy flesh was diminished, he is pure.12הבַּהֶרֶת כִּגְרִיס מְצֻמְצָם, וּבְאֶמְצָעָהּ מִחְיָה כַּעֲדָשָׁה מְצֻמְצֶמֶת - הֲרֵי זֶה מֻחְלָט. נִתְמַעֲטָה הַבַּהֶרֶת אוֹ שֶׁנִּתְמַעֲטָה הַמִּחְיָה - טָהוֹר.
Similarly, if the size of the healthy flesh in this baheret increased, he is pure. The rationale is that a baheret does not impart impurity because of healthy flesh until it has a margin of afflicted flesh the width of two hairs on every side.13וְכֵן אִם רָבְתָה הַמִּחְיָה שֶׁבְּתוֹךְ בַּהֶרֶת זוֹ, טָהוֹר; שֶׁאֵין הַבַּהֶרֶת מְטַמֵּא בַּמִּחְיָה עַד שֶׁתִּהְיֶה יְתֵרָה עַל הַמִּחְיָה רֹחַב שְׁתֵּי שְׂעָרוֹת מִכָּל צַד.
If the healthy flesh was less than a lentil and then it increased until it reached the size of a lentil, the afflicted person should be deemed definitively impure. If the size of the healthy flesh then diminished or disappeared,14 its status returns to its initial state and there is no sign of impurity.15הָיְתָה הַמִּחְיָה פְּחוּתָה מִכַּעֲדָשָׁה, וְרָבְתָה הַמִּחְיָה עַד שֶׁנַּעֲשֵׂית כַּעֲדָשָׁה - הֲרֵי זֶה מֻחְלָט. נִתְמַעֲטָה הַמִּחְיָה מִמַּה שֶּׁהָיְתָה, אוֹ שֶׁהָלְכָה לָהּ - הֲרֵי זוֹ כְּמוֹת שֶׁהָיְתָה, וְאֵין כַּאן סִימַן טֻמְאָה.
6If a baheret is larger than a gris and it contains healthy flesh that is larger than a lentil, the afflicted person is impure whether they increase or decrease in size, provided the size of the baheret does not decrease to less than a gris, the size of the healthy flesh does not decrease to less than a lentil, and the healthy flesh does not come within two hairsbreadth of edge of the baheret, as we explained.16ובַּהֶרֶת יְתֵרָה מִכִּגְרִיס, וּבָהּ מִחְיָה יְתֵרָה מִכַּעֲדָשָׁה, וְרַבּוּ אוֹ שֶׁנִּתְמַעֲטוּ - טָמֵא; וּבִלְבָד שֶׁלֹּא יִתְמַעֵט בַּהֶרֶת מִכִּגְרִיס, וְלֹא תִתְמַעֵט הַמִּחְיָה מִכַּעֲדָשָׁה, וְלֹא תִקְרַב הַמִּחְיָה לְסוֹף הַבַּהֶרֶת בְּפָחוֹת מִכְּדֵי צְמִיחַת שְׁתֵּי שְׂעָרוֹת כְּמוֹ שֶׁבֵּאַרְנוּ.
7When the baheret is the size of gris and there is healthy flesh the size of a lentil or more surrounding it from the outside and a second baheret surrounding the healthy flesh, the inner baheret would cause the afflicted person to be isolated, for it does not have a sign of impurity.17 The outer baheret causes him to be deemed definitively impure, because there is healthy flesh in its midst.18זבַּהֶרֶת כִּגְרִיס, וּבָשָׂר חַי כַּעֲדָשָׁה אוֹ יָתֵר מַקִּיפָהּ מִבַּחוּץ, וּבַהֶרֶת שְׁנִיָּה מַקֶּפֶת אֶת הַבָּשָׂר הַחַי - הֲרֵי הַבַּהֶרֶת הַפְּנִימִית לְהַסְגִּיר, שֶׁהֲרֵי אֵין בָּהּ סִימַן טֻמְאָה; וּבַהֶרֶת הַחִיצוֹנָה לְהַחְלִיט, שֶׁהֲרֵי הַמִּחְיָה בְּאֶמְצָעָהּ.
If the healthy flesh that was between the two blemishes was diminished or disappeared entirely—whether it was diminished or reduced from the inside19 or was diminished from the outside, the two are considered as one baheret that does not have a sign of impurity.נִתְמַעֵט הַבָּשָׂר הַחַי שֶׁבֵּינֵיהֶן, אוֹ שֶׁהָלַךְ כֻּלּוֹ, בֵּין שֶׁהָיָה מִתְמַעֵט וְכָלֶה מִבִּפְנִים בֵּין שֶׁהָיָה מִתְמַעֵט מִבַּחוּץ - הֲרֵי שְׁתֵּיהֶן כְּבַהֶרֶת אַחַת שֶׁאֵין בָּהּ סִימַן טֻמְאָה.
8When a baheret is located at the tip of one of the limbs20 and there is healthy flesh in its midst at the tip, it is not considered as a sign of impurity, because the healthy flesh divides the blemish into two. Thus one portion streams down one side of the limb and another portion streams down the other. The person is thus not deemed impure, because Leviticus 13:5 states: “And the priest shall see it.” Implied is that he shall see the entire blemish as a single entity.21חבַּהֶרֶת שֶׁהָיְתָה בְּרֹאשׁ אֵבֶר מִן הָאֵיבָרִים, וְהַמִּחְיָה בְּאֶמְצַע הַבַּהֶרֶת בְּרֹאשׁ הָאֵבֶר - אֵינָהּ סִימַן טֻמְאָה, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהַמִּחְיָה חוֹלֶקֶת אֶת הַנֶּגַע, וְנִמְצָא מִקְצָתוֹ שׁוֹפֵעַ וְיוֹרֵד מִכַּאן וּמִקְצָתוֹ שׁוֹפֵעַ וְיוֹרֵד מִכַּאן, וְנֶאֱמַר בַּנְּגָעִים "וְרָאָהוּ הַכֹּהֵן" - שֶׁיִּהְיֶה רוֹאֵה הַנֶּגַע כֻּלּוֹ כְּאַחַת.
These are the 24 tips of the limbs that do not impart impurity when healthy flesh is found upon them: the tips of the fingers and the toes, the tips of the ear and the nose, the tip of the corona of the male organ, and the tips of a woman’s breasts.22 The tips of a man’s breasts, warts, and blisters, by contrast, impart impurity if there is a baheret and healthy flesh upon them.וְאֵלּוּ הֵן רָאשֵׁי אֵיבָרִים שֶׁאֵינָם מְטַמְּאִין בְּמִחְיָה׃ רָאשֵׁי אֶצְבְּעוֹת יָדַיִם וְרַגְלַיִם, וְרָאשֵׁי אָזְנַיִם, וְרֹאשׁ הַחֹטֶם, וְרֹאשׁ הָעֲטָרָה, וְרָאשֵׁי דַדִּין שֶׁל אִשָּׁה; אֲבָל רָאשֵׁי דַדִּין שֶׁל אִישׁ, וְהַיַּבֹּלֶת, וְהַדִּלְדּוּלִין - מְטַמְּאִין בְּמִחְיָה.
9When there was a flat surface the size of a gris at the tip of any of these limbs, a blemish imparts impurity. If they were round as is the case for most people, blemishes are pure.טוְכָל רָאשֵׁי אֵיבָרִים אֵלּוּ שֶׁהָיָה מְקוֹמָן יוֹשֵׁב כִּגְרִיס - מְטַמְּאִין בַּנְּגָעִים; אֲבָל אִם הָיוּ עֲגֻלִּין כְּרֹב בְּרִיַּת בְּנֵי אָדָם, טְהוֹרִין.
What is implied? If there is a baheret the size of a gris at the tip of one’s nose or the tip of one’s finger, descending to either direction, he is pure, as implied by the phrase: “And the priest shall see it.” Implied is that he shall see the entire blemish as a single entity.כֵּיצַד? בַּהֶרֶת כִּגְרִיס בְּרֹאשׁ חָטְמוֹ אוֹ בְּרֹאשׁ אֶצְבָּעוֹ, שׁוֹפַעַת אֵילַךְ וְאֵילַךְ - טָהוֹר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וְרָאָהוּ הַכֹּהֵן" - עַד שֶׁיִּרְאֵהוּ כֻּלּוֹ כְּאַחַת.
Footnotes
1.
I.e., a lentil is oval. A square is superimposed over it to reach the desired measure.
2.
The Kessef Mishneh emphasizes that the healthy flesh does not reduce the size of the baheret. Thus if there was a baheret exactly the size of a gris and it contained healthy flesh the size of a lentil, it is not considered to have been reduced less than the minimum size, as the Rambam states in Halachah 5.
3.
I.e., the four shades of whiteness that impart impurity described in Chapter 1, Halachah 2.
4.
See Chapter 2, Halachah 4, where a parallel to this law is explained with regard to white hairs. All of the terms mentioned here are described in the notes to that halachah.
5.
Thus the healthy flesh is not within the baheret itself.
6.
And thus the healthy flesh is still not considered as within the baheret.
7.
And he is considered as pure.
8.
In contrast to white hair which must be turned white by the blemish, as implied by the use of such an expression concerning it, as stated in Chapter 2, Halachah 6.
9.
The Sifra derives this concept from the exegesis of another verse. The commentaries explain that the Rambam derives it in this manner, because, as is his practice in other instances, he uses the method of derivation most obvious from the words of the Torah.
10.
And thus "and it turned" refers only to the hair and not to the healthy flesh.
11.
The fact that there is not a gris of afflicted flesh is not significant.
12.
Because either the baheret or the healthy flesh lack the minimum measure to impart impurity.
13.
And if the baheret is exactly a gris and the healthy flesh larger than a lentil, there will not be margins of this size, for a gris is six hairs in size and a lentil is two hairs in size.
14.
I.e., the baheret penetrated or totally covered the healthy flesh.
15.
The person is not considered pure (Ra’avad). Instead, he should be isolated. Even though the baheret increased, since the increase came within its original boundaries and did not extend beyond them, the person is not deemed impure [see the Rambam’s Commentary to the Mishnah (Nega’im 6:3)].
16.
Halachot 1 and 5.
17.
Because the healthy flesh is outside of it.
18.
The fact that there is an inner baheret is not of consequence.
19.
Even though the size of the inner baheret increased and that would be sufficient to cause the person to be deemed impure, since it spread into healthy flesh that was in the midst of a baheret, that ruling is not given [see the Rambam’s Commentary to the Mishnah (Nega’im 6:5)]. Instead, the person is isolated.
20.
I.e., the limbs enumerated below.
21.
In his Commentary to the Mishnah (Nega’im 6:7), the Rambam writes that the blemish does not impart impurity, because: “He does not see the blemish as a whole and the healthy flesh on the same surface.” This leads to the interpretation advanced by the Kessef Mishneh and Rav Yosef Corcus, that according to the Rambam, the difficulty is that there was a blemish and healthy flesh. Generally, if there is a blemish on a flat surface at the tip of a limb, the person is impure, as explained in the following halachah. Nevertheless, if there is healthy flesh there, it divides the blemish.
22.
The two breasts and the two ears are considered as one (the Rambam’s Commentary to the Mishnah, op. cit.). Diagram
Rabbi Eliyahu Touger is a noted author and translator, widely published for his works on Chassidut and Maimonides.
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Vowelized Hebrew text courtesy Torat Emet under CC 2.5 license.
The text on this page contains sacred literature. Please do not deface or discard.
