| 1God spoke to Moses, saying, |
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אוַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־משֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר: |
| 2“The following is the law regarding the person afflicted with tzara’at. His purification must take place during the day. He must be brought to the priest. |
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בזֹ֤את תִּֽהְיֶה֙ תּוֹרַ֣ת הַמְּצֹרָ֔ע בְּי֖וֹם טָֽהֳרָת֑וֹ וְהוּבָ֖א אֶל־הַכֹּהֵֽן: |
| זֹאת תִּֽהְיֶה תּוֹרַת וגו' - (lit.) This must be the law of the metzora [on the day of his purification]. The wording implies a precise procedure, teaching that one may not purify him at night. |
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זֹאת תִּֽהְיֶה תּוֹרַת וגו'.
מְלַמֵּד שֶׁאֵין מְטַהֲרִין אוֹתוֹ בַּלַּיְלָה (ספרא):
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| 3The priest must go outside the camp. The priest must examine him, and if the tzara’at-lesion has healed on the afflicted person, |
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גוְיָצָא֙ הַכֹּהֵ֔ן אֶל־מִח֖וּץ לַמַּֽחֲנֶ֑ה וְרָאָה֙ הַכֹּהֵ֔ן וְהִנֵּ֛ה נִרְפָּ֥א נֶֽגַע־הַצָּרַ֖עַת מִן־הַצָּרֽוּעַ: |
| אֶל־מִחוּץ לַמַּֽחֲנֶה - Outside the camp - i.e., outside the three camps, to the place where the metzora had been banished during the period he was conclusively defiled. |
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אֶל־מִחוּץ לַמַּֽחֲנֶה.
חוּץ לִשְׁלוֹשָׁה מַחֲנוֹת שֶׁנִּשְׁתַּלַח שָׁם בִּימֵי חֲלוּטוֹ:
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| 4the priest must order someone to take for the person who is to be purified two live birds of a species that does not render one spiritually defiled, plus a cedar stick, a strip of scarlet wool, and some hyssop. |
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דוְצִוָּה֙ הַכֹּהֵ֔ן וְלָקַ֧ח לַמִּטַּהֵ֛ר שְׁתֵּֽי־צִפֳּרִ֥ים חַיּ֖וֹת טְהֹר֑וֹת וְעֵ֣ץ אֶ֔רֶז וּשְׁנִ֥י תוֹלַ֖עַת וְאֵזֹֽב: |
| חַיּוֹת - Live. This excludes those suffering from a fatal disease. |
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חַיּוֹת.
פְּרָט לִטְרֵפוֹת:
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| טְהֹרוֹת - (lit.) [Ritually] pure. This excludes a spiritually impure bird, i.e., unfit for consumption. Since tzara’at-lesions come as a punishment for slander, spoken during idle chatter, birds are required for a metzora’s purification, since they chatter continuously, with loud chirping. |
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טְהֹרוֹת.
פְּרָט לְעוֹף טָמֵא, לְפִי שֶׁהַנְּגָעִים בָּאִין עַל לָשׁוֹן הָרַע שֶׁהוּא מַעֲשֵׂה פִטְפּוּטֵי דְבָרִים, לְפִיכָךְ הֻזְקְקוּ לְטָהֳרָתוֹ צִפֳּרִים שֶׁמְּפַטְפְּטִין תָּמִיד בְּצִפְצוּף קוֹל (ערכין ט"ז):
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| וְעֵץ אֶרֶז - Plus a cedar stick - for tzara’at-lesions come because of haughtiness. |
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וְעֵץ אֶרֶז.
לְפִי שֶׁהַנְּגָעִים בָּאִין עַל גַּסּוּת הָרוּחַ (שם):
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| וּשְׁנִי תוֹלַעַת וְאֵזֹֽב - A strip of scarlet wool and some hyssop. How can he improve himself, in order that he be cured? Let him humble himself from his haughtiness like a worm (תּוֹלַעַת) and like hyssop. |
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וּשְׁנִי תוֹלַעַת וְאֵזֹֽב.
מַה תַּקָּנָתוֹ וְיִתְרַפֵּא? יַשְׁפִּיל עַצְמוֹ מִגַּאֲוָתוֹ כְּתוֹלַעַת וּכְאֵזוֹב:
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| עץ אֶרֶז - means a stick of cedar wood. |
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עץ אֶרֶז.
מַקֵּל שֶׁל אֶרֶז:
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| שני תוֹלַעַת - i.e., a long strip of wool dyed scarlet. |
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שני תוֹלַעַת.
לָשׁוֹן שֶׁל צֶמֶר צָבוּעַ זְהוֹרִית:
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| 5The priest must order someone to slaughter one bird such that its blood drip onto spring water in an earthenware vessel. |
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הוְצִוָּה֙ הַכֹּהֵ֔ן וְשָׁחַ֖ט אֶת־הַצִּפּ֣וֹר הָֽאֶחָ֑ת אֶל־כְּלִי־חֶ֖רֶשׂ עַל־מַ֥יִם חַיִּֽים: |
| עַל־מַיִם חַיִּֽים - Onto spring water. He first places the water in the vessel, enough that the blood of the bird be noticeable in it. And how much water is this? A quarter of a log. |
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עַל־מַיִם חַיִּֽים.
נוֹתֵן אוֹתָם תְּחִלָּה בִּכְלִי, כְּדֵי שֶׁיְּהֵא דַם צִפּוֹר נִכָּר בָּהֶם, וְכַמָּה הֵם? רְבִיעִית (סוטה ט"ז):
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| 6As for the live bird, the priest must take it, along with the cedar stick, the strip of scarlet wool, and the hyssop, and dip them along with the live bird into the blood of the slaughtered bird that previously dripped onto the spring water. |
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ואֶת־הַצִּפֹּ֤ר הַֽחַיָּה֙ יִקַּ֣ח אֹתָ֔הּ וְאֶת־עֵ֥ץ הָאֶ֛רֶז וְאֶת־שְׁנִ֥י הַתּוֹלַ֖עַת וְאֶת־הָֽאֵזֹ֑ב וְטָבַ֨ל אוֹתָ֜ם וְאֵ֣ת | הַצִּפֹּ֣ר הַֽחַיָּ֗ה בְּדַם֙ הַצִּפֹּ֣ר הַשְּׁחֻטָ֔ה עַ֖ל הַמַּ֥יִם הַחַיִּֽים: |
| אֶת־הַצִּפֹּר הַֽחַיָּה יִקַּח אֹתָהּ - As for the live bird, he must take it. This teaches us that he does not bind it together with the other objects, but takes it on its own. The cedar stick and the hyssop, however, are tied together with the scarlet strip, like that which it says: “along with the cedar stick, the strip of scarlet wool, and the hyssop” – one “taking” for the three of them. I might think that just as the bird is not included in the binding, so is it not included in the dipping? In order to preclude this, Scripture states: “and dip them along with the live bird,” making the bird included with the dipping. |
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אֶת־הַצִּפֹּר הַֽחַיָּה יִקַּח אֹתָהּ.
מְלַמֵּד שֶׁאֵינוֹ אוֹגְדָהּ עִמָּהֶם, אֶלָּא מַפְרִישָׁהּ לְעַצְמָהּ, אֲבָל הָעֵץ וְהָאֵזוֹב כְּרוּכִין יַחַד בִּלְשׁוֹן הַזְּהוֹרִית, כָּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְאֶת עֵץ הָאֶרֶז וְאֶת שְׁנִי הַתּוֹלַעַת וְאֶת הָאֵזֹב — קִיחָה אַחַת לִשְׁלָשְׁתָּן; יָכוֹל כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאֵינָהּ בִּכְלַל אֲגֻדָּה, כָּךְ לֹא תְהֵא בִכְלַל טְבִילָה, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמָר וְטָבַל אוֹתָם וְאֵת הַצִּפֹּר הַחַיָּה — הֶחֱזִיר אֶת הַצִּפּוֹר לִכְלַל טְבִילָה (ספרא):
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| 7He must then dash some of the blood and water seven times upon the person being purified from tzara’at, and he will thereby purify him. The priest must then send away the live bird into the open field. |
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זוְהִזָּ֗ה עַ֧ל הַמִּטַּהֵ֛ר מִן־הַצָּרַ֖עַת שֶׁ֣בַע פְּעָמִ֑ים וְטִ֣הֲר֔וֹ וְשִׁלַּ֛ח אֶת־הַצִּפֹּ֥ר הַֽחַיָּ֖ה עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הַשָּׂדֶֽה: |
| 8The person being purified must then immerse his garments in the water of a mikveh, shave off all his hair and immerse himself in the water of a mikveh, and he will thus be purified. After this, he may enter the camp, but he must remain outside his tent for seven days. |
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חוְכִבֶּס֩ הַמִּטַּהֵ֨ר אֶת־בְּגָדָ֜יו וְגִלַּ֣ח אֶת־כָּל־שְׂעָר֗וֹ וְרָחַ֤ץ בַּמַּ֨יִם֙ וְטָהֵ֔ר וְאַחַ֖ר יָב֣וֹא אֶל־הַמַּֽחֲנֶ֑ה וְיָשַׁ֛ב מִח֥וּץ לְאָֽהֳל֖וֹ שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִֽים: |
| וְיָשַׁב מִחוּץ לְאָֽהֳלוֹ - He must remain outside his tent. This teaches us that he may not engage in marital relations. |
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וְיָשַׁב מִחוּץ לְאָֽהֳלוֹ.
מְלַמֵּד שֶׁאָסוּר בְּתַשְׁמִישׁ הַמִּטָּה (שם):
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| 9On the seventh day, he must shave off all his hair—his head, his beard, and his eyebrows—and he must shave off all his hair. He must then immerse his garments and immerse his flesh in the water of a mikveh, and thus be purified. |
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טוְהָיָה֩ בַיּ֨וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֜י יְגַלַּ֣ח אֶת־כָּל־שְׂעָר֗וֹ אֶת־רֹאשׁ֤וֹ וְאֶת־זְקָנוֹ֙ וְאֵת֙ גַּבֹּ֣ת עֵינָ֔יו וְאֶת־כָּל־שְׂעָר֖וֹ יְגַלֵּ֑חַ וְכִבֶּ֣ס אֶת־בְּגָדָ֗יו וְרָחַ֧ץ אֶת־בְּשָׂר֛וֹ בַּמַּ֖יִם וְטָהֵֽר: |
| אֶת־כָּל־שְׂעָרוֹ וגו' - All his hair… In this verse, there is a general statement (“all his hair”), followed by a qualification (“his head, his beard, and his eyebrows”), followed by another general statement (“all his hair”). This sentence-formation teaches us to include any place where there is a dense growth of hair that is visible. |
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אֶת־כָּל־שְׂעָרוֹ וגו'.
כְּלָל וּפְרָט וּכְלָל, לְהָבִיא כָּל מְקוֹם כִּנּוּס שֵׂעָר וְנִרְאֶה (סוטה ט"ז):
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| 10On the eighth day, he must take two unblemished male lambs and one unblemished female lamb in its first year, three tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain-offering, and one log of oil. |
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יוּבַיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁמִינִ֗י יִקַּ֤ח שְׁנֵֽי־כְבָשִׂים֙ תְּמִימִ֔ם וְכַבְשָׂ֥ה אַחַ֛ת בַּת־שְׁנָתָ֖הּ תְּמִימָ֑ה וּשְׁלשָׁ֣ה עֶשְׂרֹנִ֗ים סֹ֤לֶת מִנְחָה֙ בְּלוּלָ֣ה בַשֶּׁ֔מֶן וְלֹ֥ג אֶחָ֖ד שָֽׁמֶן: |
| וְכַבְשָׂה אַחַת - And one female lamb - as a sin-offering. |
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וְכַבְשָׂה אַחַת.
לְחַטָּאת:
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| וּשְׁלשָׁה עֶשְׂרֹנִים - Three-tenths [of an ephah] - as grain-offerings to accompany the libations of these three lambs, for the sin-offering and guilt-offering of a metzora also require libations. |
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וּשְׁלשָׁה עֶשְׂרֹנִים.
לְנִסְכֵּי שְׁלוֹשָׁה כְבָשִֹים הַלָּלוּ, שֶׁחַטָּאתוֹ וַאֲשָׁמוֹ שֶׁל מְצֹרָע טְעוּנִין נְסָכִים (מנחות צ"א):
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| וְלֹג אֶחָד שָֽׁמֶן - And one log of oil - for dashing upon him seven times, and for applying to the antihelix of his ear, thumb, and big toe. |
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וְלֹג אֶחָד שָֽׁמֶן.
לְהַזּוֹת עָלָיו שֶׁבַע, וְלִתֵּן מִמֶּנּוּ עַל תְּנוּךְ אָזְנוֹ וּמַתַּן בְּהוֹנוֹת:
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| 11The priest who is performing the purification must position the person being purified, together with these things, before God, i.e., in front of the entrance to the Courtyard of the Tent of Meeting. |
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יאוְהֶֽעֱמִ֞יד הַכֹּהֵ֣ן הַֽמְטַהֵ֗ר אֵ֛ת הָאִ֥ישׁ הַמִּטַּהֵ֖ר וְאֹתָ֑ם לִפְנֵ֣י יְהֹוָ֔ה פֶּ֖תַח אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵֽד: |
| לִפְנֵי ה' - Before God - i.e., at the Nikanor Gate, but not in the Courtyard itself, for he still lacks atonement, i.e., he requires bringing his sacrifices to be fully rid of ritual defilement. |
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לִפְנֵי ה'.
בְּשַׁעַר נִקָּנוֹר, וְלֹא בָעֲזָרָה עַצְמָהּ, לְפִי שֶׁהוּא מְחֻסָּר כִּפּוּרִים (כלים פ"א):
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| 12The priest must take one of the two male lambs and bring it as a guilt-offering, along with the log of oil. He must wave them as a wave-offering before God. |
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יבוְלָקַ֨ח הַכֹּהֵ֜ן אֶת־הַכֶּ֣בֶשׂ הָֽאֶחָ֗ד וְהִקְרִ֥יב אֹת֛וֹ לְאָשָׁ֖ם וְאֶת־לֹ֣ג הַשָּׁ֑מֶן וְהֵנִ֥יף אֹתָ֛ם תְּנוּפָ֖ה לִפְנֵ֥י יְהֹוָֽה: |
| וְהִקְרִיב אֹתוֹ לְאָשָׁם - And bring it as a guilt-offering - i.e., he must bring it into the Courtyard with the purpose in mind that it be a guilt-offering. |
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וְהִקְרִיב אֹתוֹ לְאָשָׁם.
יַקְרִיבֶנּוּ לְתוֹךְ הָעֲזָרָה לְשֵׁם אָשָׁם לְהָנִיף, שֶׁהוּא טָעוּן תְּנוּפָה חָי (מנחות ס"ב):
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| והניף - He must wave - for it requires waving while still alive. |
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והניף.
שהוא טעון תנופה חי:
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| וְהֵנִיף אֹתָם - He must wave them - i.e., the guilt-offering and the log of oil. |
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וְהֵנִיף אֹתָם.
אֶת הָאָשָׁם וְאֶת הַלֹּג (שם ס"א):
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