Chumashחומש

אחרי הכבס. לְשׁוֹן הֵעָשׂוֹת:

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

לא הפך הנגע את עינו. לֹא הָכְהָה מִמַּרְאִיתוֹ:

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. שָׁמַעְנוּ שֶׁאִם לֹא הָפַךְ וְלֹא פָשָׂה טָמֵא — וְאֵין צָרִיךְ לוֹמַר לֹא הָפַךְ וּפָשָׂה — הָפַךְ וְלֹא פָשָׂה אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ מַה יֵּעָשֶׂה לוֹ, תַּ"ל "וְהִסְגִּיר אֶת הַנֶּגַע" — מִכָּל מָקוֹם, דִּבְרֵי רַ' יְהוּדָה, וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים וְכוּ', כִּדְאִיתָא בְת"כֹּ, וּרְמַזְתִּיהָ כָּאן לְיַשֵּׁב הַמִּקְרָא עַל אָפְנָיו:

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 הוא. לְשׁוֹן גֻּמָּא, כְּמוֹ בְּאַחַת הַפְּחָתִים (שמואל ב י"ז), כְּלוֹמַר שְׁפֵלָה הִיא — נֶגַע שֶׁמַּרְאָיו שׁוֹקְעִין (ספרא):

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).

בקרחתו או בגבחתו. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ בִּשְׁחִיקוּתֵהּ אוֹ בְחַדָּתוּתֵהּ:

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

קרחתו. שְׁחָקִים, יְשָׁנִים; וּמִפְּנֵי הַמִּדְרָשׁ שֶׁהֻצְרַךְ לִגְזֵרָה שָׁוָה — מִנַּיִן לִפְרִיחָה בַבְּגָדִים שֶׁהִיא טְהוֹרָה? נֶאֶמְרָה קָרַחַת וְגַבַּחַת בָּאָדָם, וְנֶאֶמְרָה קָרַחַת וְגַבַּחַת בַּבְּגָדִים, מַה לְּהַלָּן פָּרַח בְּכֻלּוֹ טָהוֹר אַף כָּאן פָּרַח בְּכֻלּוֹ טָהוֹר — לְכָךְ אָחַז הַכָּתוּב לְשׁוֹן קָרַחַת וְגַבַּחַת; וּלְעִנְיַן פֵּרוּשׁוֹ וְתַרְגּוּמוֹ זֶהוּ מַשְׁמָעוֹ: קָרַחַת לְשׁוֹן יְשָׁנִים וְגַבַּחַת לְשׁוֹן חֲדָשִׁים — כְּאִלּוּ נִכְתַּב בְּאַחֲרִיתוֹ אוֹ בְקַדְמוּתוֹ — שֶׁהַקָּרַחַת לְשׁוֹן אֲחוֹרַיִם וְגַּבַּחַת לְשׁוֹן פָּנִים, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב וְאִם מִפְּאַת פָּנָיו וְגוֹ', וְהַקָּרַחַת כָּל שֶׁשּׁוֹפֵעַ וְיוֹרֵד מִן הַקָּדְקֹד וּלְאַחֲרָיו, כָּךְ מְפֹרָשׁ בְּתֹ"כֹּ:

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).

וקרע אתו. יִקְרַע מְקוֹם הַנֶּגַע מִן הַבֶּגֶד וְיִשְׂרְפֶנּוּ:

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).

פרחת הוא. דָּבָר הַחוֹזֵר וְצוֹמֵחַ:

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

באש תשרפנו. אֶת כָּל הַבֶּגֶד:

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

וסר מהם הנגע. אִם כְּשֶׁכִּבְּסוּהוּ בַתְּחִלָּה עַל פִּי כֹהֵן סָר מִמֶּנּוּ הַנֶּגַע לְגַמְרֵי.

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. לְשׁוֹן טְבִילָה; תַּרְגּוּם שֶׁל כִּבּוּסִין שֶׁבְּפָרָשָׁה זוֹ לְשׁוֹן לִבּוּן, "וְיִתְחַוַּר", חוּץ מִזֶּה, שֶׁאֵינוֹ לְלִבּוּן אֶלָּא לִטְבֹּל, לְכָךְ תַּרְגּוּמוֹ "וְיִצְטַבַּע", וְכֵן כָּל כִּבּוּסֵי בְגָדִים שֶׁהֵן לִטְבִילָה מְתֻרְגָּמִין וְיִצְטַבַּע:

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).

זאת תהיה תורת וגו'. מְלַמֵּד שֶׁאֵין מְטַהֲרִין אוֹתוֹ בַּלַּיְלָה (ספרא):

'תהיה תורת וגו ‎זאת THIS SHALL BE THE LAW [OF THE LEPER IN THE DAY OF HIS BEING PRONOUNCED CLEAN] — The words “in the day” inform us that we may not pronounce him clean at night (Sifra, Metzora, Section 1 3; Megillah 21a).

אל מחוץ למחנה. חוּץ לִשְׁלוֹשָׁה מַחֲנוֹת שֶׁנִּשְׁתַּלַח שָׁם בִּימֵי חֲלוּטוֹ:

אל מחוץ למחנה OUT OF THE CAMP — outside the three camps to where he (the leper) had been sent during the days he was decidedly a leper (cf. Rashi on Leviticus 13:46).

חיות. פְּרָט לִטְרֵפוֹת:

חיות LIVING [BIRDS] — This term excludes רפות‎ט, birds that suffer from some fatal organic disease (חיות does not only mean “living”, but also “capable of continuing to live”).

טהרות. פְּרָט לְעוֹף טָמֵא, לְפִי שֶׁהַנְּגָעִים בָּאִין עַל לָשׁוֹן הָרַע שֶׁהוּא מַעֲשֵׂה פִטְפּוּטֵי דְבָרִים, לְפִיכָךְ הֻזְקְקוּ לְטָהֳרָתוֹ צִפֳּרִים שֶׁמְּפַטְפְּטִין תָּמִיד בְּצִפְצוּף קוֹל (ערכין ט"ז):

הרות‎ט CLEAN — This term excludes an unclean bird (of a species that may not be eaten) (cf. Chullin 140a). Because the plagues of leprosy come as a punishment for slander, which is done by chattering, therefore birds are compulsory for his (the leper’s) purification, because these chatter, as it were, continuously with a twittering sound (Arakhin 16b).

ועץ ארז. לְפִי שֶׁהַנְּגָעִים בָּאִין עַל גַּסּוּת הָרוּחַ (שם):

ועץ ארז AND CEDAR WOOD — This lofty tree was used because plagues come also as a punishment for haughtiness (cf. Arakhin 16a).

ושני תולעת ואזב. מַה תַּקָּנָתוֹ וְיִתְרַפֵּא? יַשְׁפִּיל עַצְמוֹ מִגַּאֲוָתוֹ כְּתוֹלַעַת וּכְאֵזוֹב:

ושני תולעת ואזוב AND CRIMSON AND HYSSOP — What is the remedy he should use, that he may be healed? Let him, abandoning pride, regard himself lowly as a worm (תולעת) and as hyssop (cf. Midrash Tanchuma, Metzora 3).

עץ ארז. מַקֵּל שֶׁל אֶרֶז:

עץ ארז means a stick of cedar wood (not a cedar tree).

שני תולעת. לָשׁוֹן שֶׁל צֶמֶר צָבוּעַ זְהוֹרִית:

שני תולעת — a strip of wool dyed crimson.

על מים חיים. נוֹתֵן אוֹתָם תְּחִלָּה בִּכְלִי, כְּדֵי שֶׁיְּהֵא דַם צִפּוֹר נִכָּר בָּהֶם, וְכַמָּה הֵם? רְבִיעִית (סוטה ט"ז):

אל מים חיים OVER RUNNING WATER — He first places it (the water) in the vessel but only, just enough that the bird’s blood may remain discernible in it. And how much is this? The fourth of a log (Sotah 16b).

את הצפר החיה יקח אתה. 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, תַּ"ל וְטָבַל אוֹתָם וְאֵת הַצִּפֹּר הַחַיָּה — הֶחֱזִיר אֶת הַצִּפּוֹר לִכְלַל טְבִילָה (ספרא):

את הצפור החיה יקח אתה AS FOR THE LIVING BIRD HE SHALL‎ TAKE IT — The phrasing (since it does not state ‘‘the living bird and the cedar wood etc. he shall take”, but, “the living bird, he shall take it, and the cedar stick etc.”) informs us that he does not bind it (the bird) together with them (the cedar wood etc.) but keeps it apart by itself. The cedar stick, however, and the hyssop are tied together by the crimson slip, just as it is stated: “and the cedar wood and the crimson slip and the hyssop” — one “taking” for the three (since these three are grouped together after the word יקח). One might think that just as it (the bird) does not come under the regulation as regards binding, so, too, it does not come under the regulation as regards “dipping”; it therefore states “and he shall dip them and the living bird” — thus it (Scripture) mentions the bird again in connection with them to bring it, too, under the regulation of dipping (cf. Sifra, Metzora, Chapter 1 6).

וישב מחוץ לאהלו. מְלַמֵּד שֶׁאָסוּר בְּתַשְׁמִישׁ הַמִּטָּה (שם):

וישב מחוץ לאהלו AND HE SHALL ABIDE OUTSIDE HIS TENT — This informs us that matrimonial intercourse is forbidden to him (מחוץ לאהלו implies outside his home — his family life; cf. Deuteronomy 5:27: שובו לכם לאהליכם) (Sifra, Metzora, Section 2 11).

את כל שערו וגו'. כְּלָל וּפְרָט וּכְלָל, לְהָבִיא כָּל מְקוֹם כִּנּוּס שֵׂעָר וְנִרְאֶה (סוטה ט"ז):

את כל שערו [HE SHALL CUT OFF] ALL HIS HAIR etc. — We have a generalisation (“all his hair”), a particularisation (“his head and his beard and his eyebrows”), and again a generalisation (“and all his hair”). According to the rule of interpretation (מדה ו' י״ג מדות) the purpose of this is to include in the generalisation only such things as are similar to those contained in the particularisation; here it intends to include every spot of the body where there is a collection of hair, it (the hair) being visible (these being the characteristics of the head, beard and eyebrows) (Sotah 16a).

וכבשה אחת. לְחַטָּאת:

וכבשה אחת AND ONE EWE-LAMB for a sin-offering.

ושלשה עשרנים. לְנִסְכֵּי שְׁלוֹשָׁה כְבָשִֹים הַלָּלוּ, שֶׁחַטָּאתוֹ וַאֲשָׁמוֹ שֶׁל מְצֹרָע טְעוּנִין נְסָכִים (מנחות צ"א):

ושלשה עשרנים AND THREE TENTH DEALS [OF FLOUR] — as the drink-offerings of these three he-lambs (Menachot 91a) — because the sin-offering and the guilt-offering of the leper require drink-offerings (although they are not required with other sin- and guilt-offerings).

ולג אחד שמן. לְהַזּוֹת עָלָיו שֶׁבַע, וְלִתֵּן מִמֶּנּוּ עַל תְּנוּךְ אָזְנוֹ וּמַתַּן בְּהוֹנוֹת:

ולג אחד שמן AND ONE LOG OF OIL — to sprinkle on his behalf before the Lord seven times (cf. v. 17), and to put of it upon the tip of his ear and for putting it upon his thumbs (v. 25).

לפני ה'. בְּשַׁעַר נִקָּנוֹר, וְלֹא בָעֲזָרָה עַצְמָהּ, לְפִי שֶׁהוּא מְחֻסָּר כִּפּוּרִים (כלים פ"א):

'לפני ה BEFORE THE LORD — i. e. in the gate of Nicanor and not in the court itself (Sifra, Metzora, Section 3 6; Sotah 8a), since he was still short of atonement (as the sin-offering had not yet been brought, and under such circumstances he was not permitted to enter the court).

והקריב אתו לאשם. יַקְרִיבֶנּוּ לְתוֹךְ הָעֲזָרָה לְשֵׁם אָשָׁם לְהָנִיף, שֶׁהוּא טָעוּן תְּנוּפָה חָי (מנחות ס"ב):

והקריב אתו לאשם AND HE SHALL BRING IT FOR A GUILT-OFFERING - This means: he shall bring it inside the court as a guilt-offering to wave it, for it required waving whilst alive (for it states that he shall bring it “and the log of oil” and the latter was not brought as a sacrifice; besides, the act of slaughtering is mentioned in v. 13) (Menachot 62b),

והניף אתם. אֶת הָאָשָׁם וְאֶת הַלֹּג (שם ס"א):

והניף אתם AND HE SHALL WAVE THEM — the guilt-offering and the log of oil.

במקום אשר ישחט וגו'. עַל יֶרֶךְ הַמִּזְבֵּחַ בַּצָּפוֹן, וּמַה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר? וַהֲלֹא כְבָר נֶאֱמַר בְּתוֹרַת אָשָׁם בְפָרָשַׁת צַו אֶת אַהֲרֹן שֶׁהָאָשָׁם טָעוּן שְׁחִיטָה בַצָּפוֹן? לְפִי שֶׁיָּצָא זֶה מִכְּלַל אֲשָׁמוֹת לִדּוֹן בְּהַעֲמָדָה, יָכוֹל תְּהֵא שְׁחִיטָתוֹ בִּמְקוֹם הַעֲמָדָתוֹ, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר "וְשָׁחַט … בִּמְקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִשְׁחַט וְגוֹ'" (ספרא):

‎ ‎'במקום אשר ישחט וגו‎‎‎ IN THE PLACE WHERE HE SHALL SLAUGHTER etc. — i.e. on the side of the altar on the north. But why is this stated at all? Has it not already been stated in in the law about the guilt-offering in the section צו את אהרן that the guilt-offering requires slaughtering on the north side of the altar? But because this guilt-offering has gone forth from (was made an exception to) the general rule of the guilt- offerings in that it is subject to the law of being placed before the Lord (v. 11), one might think that its slaughtering should be in the spot where it was placed (in the gateway of Nicanor; i. e. it shall be made an exception also in respect to the place where it should be slaughtered); on that account it states, “and he shall slaughter [the lamb] in the place where he slaughters [the sin-offering] etc ” (Sifra, Metzora, Section 3 8).

כי כחטאת. כִּי כְּכָל הַחַטָּאוֹת האשם הַזֶּה הוא לכהן — בְּכָל עֲבוֹדוֹת הַתְּלוּיוֹת בַּכֹּהֵן הֻשְׁוָה אָשָׁם זֶה לְחַטָּאת. שֶׁלֹּא תֹאמַר הוֹאִיל וְיָצָא דָמוֹ מִכְּלַל שְׁאָר אֲשָׁמוֹת לִנָּתֵן עַל תְּנוּךְ וּבְהוֹנוֹת, לֹא יְהֵא טָעוּן מַתַּן דָּמִים וְאֵמוּרִים לְגַבֵּי מִזְבֵּחַ, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר כִּי כַּחַטָּאת הָאָשָׁם הוּא לַכֹּהֵן יָכוֹל יְהֵא דָמוֹ נִתָּן לְמַעְלָה כַּחַטָּאת, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר וְכוּ' בְּתוֹרַת כֹּהֲנִים:

‎י כחטאת‏‎כ FOR AS THE SIN-OFFERING [SO IS THE GUILT-OFFERING TO THE PRIEST] — This means, for as all sin-offerings so this guilt-offering הוא לכהן is to the priest, i. e. as regards all sacrificial rites which depend upon the priest this guilt-offering is made exactly similar to the sin-offering. In order that you should not say: Since its blood is made an exception to the general rule governing other guilt-offerings in that this is placed upon the tip of the ear and upon the thumbs, it must also form an exception in that it should not require the placing of the blood and the fat portions upon the altar, it therefore expressly states, “for as all sin-offerings so is this guilt-offering to the priest” (לכהן, in reference to the priest, so far as he is concerned). One might also think that its blood must be sprinkled on the upper part of the altar as is the case with the sin-offering! Therefore it says: (Leviticus 7:1, 2) “it is most holy … and its blood shall he sprinkle round about the altar”. So it is set forth in Torath Cohanim (cf. Sifra, Metzora, Chapter 3 1; Zevachim 49a).

תנוך. גָּדֵר אֶמְצָעִי שֶׁבָּאֹזֶן, וּלְשׁוֹן תְּנוּךְ לֹא נוֹדַע לִי, וְהַפּוֹתְרִים קוֹרִים לוֹ טנד"רום:

תנוך is the inner wall of the ear. The etymology of the word תנוך is unknown to me, and the compilers of glossaries call it (translate it by) tendron (cf. Rashi on Exodus 29:22).

בהן. גּוּדָל:

בהן means THUMB.

לפני ה'. כְּנֶגֶד בֵּית קָדְשֵׁי הַקֳּדָשִׁים (ספרא):

'לפני ה‎ [AND HE SHALL SPRINKLE …] BEFORE THE LORD — in the direction of the Holy of Holies (cf. Sifra, Metzora, Chapter 3 9).

ואת המנחה. מִנְחַת נְסָכִים שֶׁל בְּהֵמָה:

ואת המנחה AND THE MEAL-OFFERING — the meal-offering of the drink-offering that accompanies an animal sacrifice.