Comentário sobre Negaim 3:15

הכל מיטמאין (all are made unclean) – and even a minor. For you might have thought that (Leviticus 13:44): “The man is leprous.”/"איש-צרוע", it comes to teach us that, as it is written (Leviticus 13:2): “[When a person has] on the skin of his body.”

Everyone can become impure from negaim, except for a non-Jew and a resident alien. The laws of negaim apply to all Jews, even to minors and even to slaves. They do not apply to non-Jews or to the "resident alien (ger toshav)." According to one, common, definition of this category is that it refers to a non-Jew who has accepted upon himself to observe the seven Noahide laws.

הכל כשרים לראות את הנגעים – and even though he is not an expert in them and in their names/designations, if a Sage is with him, he may examine, but on his own if he is not an expert in them and in their names/designations, he doesn’t examine the plagues.

All are qualified to inspect negaim, but only a priest may declare them unclean or clean. He is told, "Say: 'unclean,'" and he repeats "unclean," or "Say: 'clean,'" and he repeats "clean." In light of the Torah, we would think that only a priest is qualified to examine a nega. However, the rabbis say that while the priest must declare whether the person has a nega or not, anyone can determine whether it is a nega or not. The mishnah goes on to describe a priest being told by a sage whether to pronounce the nega clean or unclean. This seems to be part of the general rabbinic tendency to make the priests subservient to the sage. We need the priest, but the priest does not have the learning (according to the rabbis) to know when a discoloration of some sort is the type of nega referred to in the Torah.

שהטומאה והטהרה ביד כהן – an Israelite Sage examines the plagues and says to the Kohen, even though he is an imbecile/שוטה, “Say, ‘unclean/impure’” [or] “Say, “pure/clean’”.

Two negaim may not be inspected simultaneously whether in one man or in two men; rather he inspects one first and isolates him, certifies him as unclean or pronounces him clean, and then he inspects the second. One is not supposed to examine two negaim at the same time, whether both negaim are on the same person or on two different people.

בין איש אחד בין בשני אנשים – that there appeared two plagues on one person or on two people, a Kohen does not examine [both of] them at the same time, for the Kohen is not able to see well two plagues as [he sees] one.

One who is isolated may not be isolated again nor may one who is certified unclean be certified unclean again. One who is certified unclean may not be isolated nor may one who is isolated be certified unclean. If someone has been isolated already, and then he gets another nega, he is not isolated again based on the second nega. Neither can one who is already declared impure be declared impure for a second nega. Similarly, one who is already isolated cannot be declared impure, nor can one who is impure be isolated. Basically, if one already has one status, isolated/impure, he cannot be changed to the other status based on a second nega.

ומסגירו – if he is locking up (i.e., isolating) a [presumed] leper for trial, such as through the four appearances of plagues (see Tractate Negaim, Chapter 1, Mishnah 1).

But in the beginning, or at the end of a week, he may isolate on account of the one nega and isolate him on account of another one; he may certify him unclean on account of one sign and also certify him unclean on account of another sign; he may isolated the one sign and declare the other clean, or certify the one unclean and declare the other clean. However, if the second nega appears before he is isolated for the first nega, or it appears at the end of the first week of isolation for the first nega before he is isolated for a second week or determined unclean or declared pure, then the priest can isolate or determine him unclean/clean for both negaim at the same time. Or he can isolate or determine him unclean for one nega, and declare him clean from the other. Basically, since the first week is up or has not yet even begun, he can determine the status of two negaim at the same time.

ומחליטו – if he is worthy for being declared a [certified] leper, such as through white hair or a half-healed (having only a thin covering).

ופוטרו – if he is below from four appearances [of plagues].

וחוזר לשני – after the second person [had plagues] that appeared prior to his isolating/shutting in the first or declaring him to be a certified leper.

אין מסגירים את המוסגר – and similarly, we also do not declare someone to be a certified leper who is in isolation/shut up. For if they isolated him with one plague and afterwards another plaque appeared to him after it was fit to isolate him or declare him to be a certified leper, he does not engage with him. For if he is isolated/shut up from the first [plague], there is nothing regarding the second plague, neither the designation of being locked up [pending the priest’s observation – see Leviticus 13:4] or from the designation of being declared a confirmed leper, until he will need him (i.e., the Kohen).

אבל בתחלה בסוף שבוע מסגיר ומסגיר – if at the beginning of the week, a second [plague] appeared prior to his being isolated/shut up for the first [plague], he shuts him up/isolates him over the first [plague] and shuts him up/isolates him over the second [plague]. And similarly, at the end of the first week, if the first [plague] remained unchanged, he shuts him up/isolates him and goes back and shuts him up/isolates him on the second plague.

מחליט ומחליט – he declares him a certified leper on the first [plague] and goes back and declares him a certified leper on the second [plague].

מסגיר ופוטר – he (i.e., the Kohen) isolates him/shuts him up on the first [plague] but releases him on the second [plague].

מחליט ופוטר – he declares him a certified leper on the first [plague] and releases him on the second [plague]. And the same law applies in the opposite direction, he (i.e., the Kohen) shuts him up/isolates him [for the first plague] and declares him to be a certified leper [for the second plague] or declares him to be a certified leper [for the first plague] and shuts him up/puts him in isolation for the second plague or releases him [for the first plague] and isolates him/shuts him up [for the second plague] or shuts him up/isolates him for the first plague and declares him to be a certified leper [for the second plague].

נותנין לו שבעת ימי המשתה – as it is written (Leviticus 13:14): “But as soon as ]un-discolored flesh] appears in it”/"וביום הראות בו [בשר חי]" since the All-Merciful (i.e., God) writes "ובהראות"/”as it appears”, what is "וביום"/as soon as? To inform you that there is a day that you examine and there is a day that you don’t examine.

A bridegroom on whom a nega has appeared is given the seven days of the marriage feast [in which he is not examined]; [This grace period is given to] him, and to his house and to his clothing. A priest should not examine a bridegroom, or a bridegroom's house or clothing, for a nega for the entire period of the seven day marriage feast.

Similarly during a festival, one is granted exemption from inspection during all the days of the festival. Similarly, nobody should be examined during a festival. In both occasions we fear that the nega would be pronounced impure and the person would have to be sent away in the midst of his marriage feast, or a festival and he would not get to rejoice with the community. This mishnah is testimony to the great significance the rabbis lent to the joyous occasion of a wedding or a festival. These celebrations override the biblical concern for a nega, so much so that we can ignore the nega for a week. We can also see from here that the issue with negaim is not one of health, for if it were, then we could hardly imagine delaying its treatment for a week.

עור הבשר – that appeared upon it one from the four appearances of plagues (see Tractate Negaim, Chapter 1, Mishnah 1).

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.

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.

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.

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).

"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.

"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.

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.

השחין המכוה מטמאים בשבוע אחד – for the rest of the plagues have two locking-ups, but if it did not spread during the first week, and a white hair did not appear, he releases him. And the language of מיטמאין/made unclean/impure that it (i.e., the Mishnah) uses, this is what he (i.e., the Mishnah) said: When these two tokens/signs came at the end of one week, but if they didn’t come, he is pure/clean.

A boil or a burn becomes unclean for one week and by one of the following two tokens: by white hair or by a spreading.
By white hair, in the beginning, at the end of the week, or after it has been pronounced clean.
"Or by a spreading:" At the end of the week, or after it had been declared clean. They become unclean for a week which is seven days.
Section one: The Torah mentions a nega found in a boil or a burn (Leviticus 13: 18, 25). But it does not mention a two week period of isolation in connection with such a nega. Therefore, a person can become impure after only one week of isolation. Also, quick flesh is not a sign here, as it was for a nega found on regular skin.
Sections two and three: These are the same as yesterday's mishnah, except there are only two signs and the uncleanness happens after one week, not two.

הנתקים (bald/blanched spot on the head or on the beard) – plagues that are on the head or on the beard are called נתקים.

Head or beard ( negaim become unclean for two weeks and by one of the following two signs: by yellow thin hair or by a spreading. Today's mishnah deals with negaim that are found on the head or beard. This topic is dealt with directly in Leviticus 13:29. Such negaim are identified by a thin yellow hair (Leviticus 13:30) or by spreading.

בשער צהוב דק בתחלה (with thin golden hair at the beginning) – if at the beginning golden hair appeared on him, he (i.e., the Kohen) declares him to be a certified leper.

"By yellow thin hair" in the beginning, at the end of the first week, at the end of the second week, or after they have been pronounced clean. The yellow thin hair can serve as an identifying mark at the beginning of the examination period, or at the end of any of the weeks of isolation.

צהוב – similar to gold.

"Or by a spreading," at the end of the first week, at the end of the second week or after they have been pronounced clean. The spreading must occur at the end of at least one of the weeks.

בסוף שבוע ראשון ובסוף שבוע שני – if at the end of the first week it spread or their appeared on him golden hair, he (i.e., the Kohen) declares him to be a certified leper. But if not, he isolates him/shuts him up, for the second [week], but if at the end of the second week it spreads, or golden hair appears, he (i.e., the Kohen) declares him to be a certified leper. But if not, he releases him. But if after the release, it spread, or golden hair appears, he (i.e., the Kohen) declares him to be a certified leper.

They become unclean for two weeks which are only thirteen days. Same as mishnah three.

הקרחת והבדחת – further ahead in chapter 10 [Tractate Negaim, Mishnah 10], it (i.e., the Mishnah) explains what is leprous affection on the ack of the head and what is baldness on the forehead.

Scalp baldness or forehead baldness [negaim] become unclean for two weeks and by one of the following two signs: by quick flesh or by a spreading.
"By quick flesh," in the beginning, at the end of the first week, at the end of the second week, or after they have been pronounced clean.
"Or by a spreading," at the end of the first week, at the end of the second week, or after they have been pronounced clean.
They become unclean for two weeks which are only thirteen days.
Section one: Today's mishnah outlines the signs and length of impurity for negaim that appear on a bald head or a scalp (Leviticus 13:40).
The remainder of this mishnah has already been explained above in mishnayot 2-5.

במחיה ובפסיון (with quick/raw flesh and spreading) – but with white hair, they do not defile, because no hair grows in them.

בירקרק ובאדמדם (pale-colored/greenish and reddish leprosy) – But this is what happens in clothing and houses as a sign/symbol of greenish or reddish defilement. But they don’t call above the sign of defilement for the four appearances of plagues that are in the skin of the body, because the four appearances that are in the skin of the body even if they remain unchanged several years, they (i.e., the Kohanim) do not declare someone to be a certified leper without white hair and without spreading and without a thin covering [of healing], but with clothing, when the greenish/pale-covered leprosy or reddish leprosy remained for two weeks even though it did not spread, it is written (Leviticus 13:55): “[And if, after the affected article has been washed, the priest sees that the affection has not changed color and that it has not spread, it is impure.] It shall be consumed in fire”/"באש תשרפנו" , for this reason, they call them with regard to clothing a sign of defilement. And similar with houses for three weeks, when the plague returns to like the way it was, either from greenish to reddish or from reddish to greenish, it is written (Leviticus 14:45): “The house shall be tone down/ונתץ את הבית,” as if it it spread. For this reason, we called them a sign of defilement.

Introduction According to Leviticus 13 clothes and houses can also contract negaim. Our mishnah deals with the signs of negaim for clothes (Leviticus 13:47ff).

לאחר הפטור – as for example, that it became faint, if it returned afterwards one burns it.

Garments become unclean for two weeks and by one of three signs: by a greenish color, by a reddish color or by a spreading. The sign of a nega in a garment is a greenish or reddish color, or the spread of the nega later on in its development.

"By a greenish colour or by a reddish color," in the beginning, at the end of the first week, at the end of the second week, or after they have been pronounced clean. When the garment is brought to the priest and it has a reddish or greenish nega, the priest will isolate it for one week. If the nega remains, he will isolate it for a second week. If it remains after two weeks, he will pronounce it unclean and burn the clothing.

"Or by a spreading," at the end of the first week, at the end of the second week, or after they have been pronounced clean. Similarly, if it spreads, he will burn the clothing.

They become unclean for two weeks which are but thirteen days. Same as in previous mishnayot.

שהם שתעה עשר יום – the first and seventh [days] of the middle week count for before them and after them.

Houses become unclean for three weeks and by one of the following three signs: by a greenish color or by a reddish color or by a spreading.
"By a greenish color or by a reddish color," in the beginning, at the end of the first week, at the end of the second week, at the end of the third week, or after they have been pronounced clean.
"Or by a spreading," at the end of the first week, at the end of the second week, at the end of the third week, or after they have been pronounced clean.
They become unclean for three weeks which are nineteen days.
None of the leprosy signs is for less than a week or for more than three weeks.
Section one: A house has a three week period of impurity and not two like most human negaim and negaim found in clothes (see Leviticus 14:35ff). House impurity will be discussed in chapter twelve.
The signs of a house nega are green or red colored spots, or a spreading after the initial nega has been identified.
Sections two-four: Same as in previous mishnayot.
Section five: This is a summary of all of the laws in most of this chapter. The shortest period is for the nega found in a boil or burn (mishnah four) and the longest period is for negaim found in a house.

פחות משבוע אחד – such as boils and the burnt spot on the skin.

שלשה שבועות – as for example, plagues on houses.