Commentary for Negaim 4:1
יֵשׁ בְּשֵׂעָר לָבָן מַה שֶּׁאֵין בְּפִשְׂיוֹן, וְיֵשׁ בְּפִשְׂיוֹן מַה שֶּׁאֵין בְּשֵׂעָר לָבָן. שֶׁשֵּׂעָר לָבָן מְטַמֵּא בַתְּחִלָּה, וּמְטַמֵּא בְכָל מַרְאֵה לֹבֶן, וְאֵין בּוֹ סִימַן טָהֳרָה. יֵשׁ בְּפִשְׂיוֹן, שֶׁהַפִּשְׂיוֹן מְטַמֵּא בְכָל שֶׁהוּא, וּמְטַמֵּא בְכָל הַנְּגָעִים, חוּץ לַנֶּגַע, מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן בְּשֵׂעָר לָבָן:
There are [laws] that apply to white hair that do not apply to spreading, and there are [laws] that apply to spreading that do not apply to white hairs. For white hair makes [the diseased patch] impure initially and makes it impure with any appearance of whiteness and has in it no [corresponding] sign of purity. There are [also unique laws] by spreading, for spreading makes it impure with any amount, and makes any <i>Nega</i> [diseased patch on skin, clothes, or houses that creates impurity] impure, [as well as if it spread] outside the <i>Nega</i>, which is not true by white hair.
Bartenura on Mishnah Negaim
יש בשער. ששער לבן מטמא בתחילה – when it is brought to the Kohen [for inspection] and there is in the plague a white hair, it is impure. What is not the case regarding spreading of a leprous spot which does not defile other than at the end of a week.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Negaim
Introduction
The first three mishnayot of this chapter compare the laws that apply to different signs of negaim and it demonstrates how each nega has different rules and regulations.
Our mishnah begins by covering the sign of the white hair with the sign of the spreading of the nega.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Negaim
ומטמא בכל מראה לובן (and defiles in any appearance of the white color [of leprosy] – even below/less from four appearances, as it is written (Leviticus 13:3): "ומראה הנגע עמוק"/“and the affection appears to be deeper than [the skin of his body, it is a leprous affection],” the appearance of the plague is deeper, but the appearance of white hair does not appear to be deep. Which is not the case with spreading of the plague/פסיון, for the spreading does not defile below/less than four appearances, for in those appearances that the starting point of leprosy/the substance defiles, the spreading of a leprous spot defiles.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Negaim
There are [laws] that apply to the white hair that do not apply to the spreading, while others apply to the spreading and do not apply to the white hair. This sets up the comparison that shall be fleshed out (pun intended) below.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Negaim
ואין בו סימן טהרה (no token of cleanness applies to it) – whereas with the spreading of a leprous spot there is a token of cleanness that applies to it, for if it spread all over, it is pure.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Negaim
That white hair causes uncleanness at the beginning, it causes uncleanness whatever the state of its whiteness, and it is never a sign of cleanness. As we learned in 3:3, a white hair is a sign of a nega when it is first examined by the priest, even before any period of isolation. In contrast, spreading can be a sign only after the afflicted person has been isolated for a week. A white hair is a sign of uncleanness even if its white is duller than any of the shades listed in mishnah 1:1. However, for the spreading to be a sign of uncleanness it must be one of these shades. Even if the whole body became full of white hairs, it is not a sign that the person is clean. In contrast, if the nega spreads to the whole body, the person is deemed clean (see Leviticus 13:13).
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Bartenura on Mishnah Negaim
מטמא בכל שהוא – but the white hair does not defile with less than two hairs, for the least of hair is two.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Negaim
There are laws that apply to the spreading, for the spreading causes uncleanness however small its extent, it causes uncleanness for all negaim and even when it is outside the nega, and these laws do not apply to the white hair. Even the smallest spread of the nega will cause him to be unclean. In contrast, there must be two at least white hairs for them to be unclean. The spreading applies to all negaim, whereas the white hair only applies to skin, boils and burns. The spreading is a sign of impurity when it extends beyond the nega, whereas white hairs are a sign of impurity only within the nega.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Negaim
חוץ מן הנגע – that when it spread outside of the plague, it is impure But regarding the white hair we require that it be in the plague, as it is written (Leviticus 13:3): "ושער בנגע הפך לבן"/“if hair in the affected patch turned white.”
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