Commentaire sur Nega'im 2:5
כָּל הַנְּגָעִים אָדָם רוֹאֶה, חוּץ מִנִּגְעֵי עַצְמוֹ. רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר, אַף לֹא נִגְעֵי קְרוֹבָיו. כָּל הַנְּדָרִים אָדָם מַתִּיר, חוּץ מִנִּדְרֵי עַצְמוֹ. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, אַף לֹא נִדְרֵי אִשְׁתּוֹ שֶׁבֵּינָהּ לְבֵין אֲחֵרִים. כָּל הַבְּכוֹרוֹת אָדָם רוֹאֶה, חוּץ מִבְּכוֹרוֹת עַצְמוֹ:
Un homme peut examiner tous les Negaim à l' exception de son propre Negaim . Le rabbin Meir dit: Même pas le Negaim de ses proches. Un homme peut révoquer tous ses vœux à l'exception de ses propres vœux. Rabbi Yehudah dit: Même pas les vœux de sa femme qui sont entre elle et les autres. Un homme peut examiner tous les premiers-nés [animaux pour voir s'ils ont une tache qui les invaliderait en tant que sacrifices] à l'exception de son propre premier-né.
Bartenura on Mishnah Negaim
רבי מאיר אומר אף לא נגעי קרוביו – there is an analogy made between plagues and quarrels, as it is written (Deuteronomy 21:5: “[The priests, sons of Levi, shall come forward; for the LORD your God has chosen them to minister to Him and pronounce blessing in the name of the LORD,] and every lawsuit and case of assault is subject to their ruling”/"ועל-פיהם יהיה כל-ריב וכל-נגע" . Just as lawsuits are not with relatives, so also plagues are not with relatives. But the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Meir.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Negaim
Introduction
Today's mishnah teaches that a person is not allowed to rule on a situation that effects his own status or possessions.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Negaim
חוץ מנדרי עצמו – as it is written (Numbers 30:3): “he shall not break his pledge.” He cannot remit/pardon but others can pardon him.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Negaim
All negaim may be examined by a person, except his own. Rabbi Meir ruled: not even the negaim of his relatives. According to the first opinion, a priest can examine all negaim except his own. Rabbi Meir adds that he may also not inspect his relatives' negaim. Since being determined to have a nega would entail becoming impure for a potentially long period of time, allowing one to rule on his own negaim or those of his family would create a serious conflict of interest.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Negaim
אף לא נדרי אשתו שבינה לבין אחרים – as for example, vows which are not of afflictions of the soul and matters that are not between him (i.e., the husband) and her, that they required the investigation of a Sage, for lest he be lenient concerning his wife and not examine her well, and specifically on his own for he is not able to release [someone from a vow] and even if he is singular specialist [in Jewish law], but he combines/joins in a group of three commoners, for since there is a panel of three, they are not suspected lest they don’t examine/cross-examine well.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Negaim
All vows may be released by a person, except his own. Rabbi Judah says: not even those vows of his wife that affect relationships between her and others. A sage has the ability to release others from their vows. However, he cannot release his own vows. Rabbi Judah says that he can't release his wife's vows either, unless they are concerning matters that would affect their relationship. This is a topic that is discussed at length in Tractate Nedarim.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Negaim
כל הבכורות אדם רואה – if they are able to eat them with their blemishes.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Negaim
All firstlings may be examined by a person, except his own firstlings. First-born animals are examined to see if they have a blemish. If they do, they may be slaughtered and eaten as if they were non-sacred animals. One may not examine his own first-born animals because this is an obvious conflict of interest.
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