Skin of the flesh [that has a <i>Nega</i>] is made impure after two weeks or through three signs: white hair, a healed patch [of skin], or expansion. Regarding white hair and a healed patch, [they cause impurity] initially, at the end of the first week [of quarantine], at the end of the second week, or after the exemption. Regarding expansion, at the end of the first week, at the end of the second week, or after the exemption. And it is made impure after two weeks, which are [actually] thirteen days.
Bartenura on Mishnah Negaim
עור הבשר – that appeared upon it one from the four appearances of plagues (see Tractate Negaim, Chapter 1, Mishnah 1).
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English Explanation of Mishnah Negaim
Introduction
The remaining mishnayot of chapter three all deal with various types of negaim, what their signs are and how long their period of impurity lasts. The Mishnah will go into greater detail concerning these negaim later on in the tractate. These are just introductory mishnayot. The pattern and meaning of these mishnayot is quite repetitive so I will comment more on the first few examples and then reference those comments as we proceed.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Negaim
בתחילה – when he is brought before the Kohen without locking up the leper for trial, he becomes defiled through white hair and through raw flesh. But regarding spreading of a leprous spot he does not become defiled until the end of the first week, or the end of the second week, or after the release at the end of the second week when it remained unchanged and he was released, if after this it spread, he (i.e., the Kohen) goes back and declares him a certified leper.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Negaim
The skin of the flesh becomes unclean for two weeks and by one of three signs: by white hair or by quick flesh or by a spreading. A person can be isolated and then declared impure within a period of two weeks based on a nega seen on his skin. Such a nega is determined by one of three signs: by a white hair, by some quick flesh, or by some sort of spreading. One of these signs will cause him to be declared impure.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Negaim
שלשה עשר יום – that the seventh day of the first week counts for here (i.e., the first week) and there (i.e., the second week).
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English Explanation of Mishnah Negaim
"By white hair or by quick flesh" in the beginning, at the end of the first week, at the end of the second week, or after it had been pronounced clean. A white hair or quick flesh will cause him to be declared impure whether seen during the first examination, after the first week of isolation, after the second week of isolation or even after he has been declared pure. In other words, these two signs will always cause him to be impure.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Negaim
"Or by a spreading," at the end of the first week, at the end of the second week, or after it had been pronounced clean. In contrast, the spreading of the nega will cause him to be declared impure only if it is seen after the first week, after the second week or after he has been declared clean. If the nega has spread before he was even isolated, he is still pure.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Negaim
It becomes unclean for two weeks which are thirteen days. The impurity lasts for thirteen days, and not the full two weeks because the last day of the first isolation count towards the first week and to the second week, as we learned in1:4.
