Комментарий к Негаим 13:7

והטהור עובר טמא – as it is written regarding the leper (Leviticus 13:46): “[Being impure, he shall dwell apart;] his dwelling shall be outside the camp.”/ "מחוץ למחנה מושבו" , from here that his dwelling is impure, therefore, when the impure individual stands underneath the tree, the place of the tree becomes his dwelling place and the pure person that passes there is impure. But when the impure person passes and doesn’t stand to rest himself, this is not called his dwelling, and even though that the pure person sits there, the pure person is not susceptible to receive defilement.

Introduction In yesterday's mishnah we discussed the topic of "overhanging (ohel)" in connection with a house that has a nega. Today's mishnah deals with impurity conveyed by overhanging in connection with a person that has a nega.

ואם עמד – the impure person, the place of the tree is defiled and the pure person is defiled who passes there.

If an unclean person stood under a tree and a clean person passed by, the latter becomes unclean. The unclean person has a nega and has either been isolated or declared unclean. He stands under a tree and a clean person passes under the tree without stopping. Despite the fact that he didn't stop, the clean person is defiled.

וכן באבן המנוגע – if a person who carries it (i.e., a leprous stone) passes underneath the tree, the pure person standing there is not defiled.

If a clean person stood under a tree and an unclean one passed by, the former remains clean. However, if a clean person stands and the unclean person passes under the tree without stopping, the clean person remains clean. This is a special rule with regard to those who have a nega he only conveys impurity if he stops or sits under the ohel (the tree). See next section.

ואם הניחה טמא – and the same law applies even if he did not place it down, but rather that the person carrying it stood.

If the latter stood still, the former becomes unclean. As stated above, if the unclean person stands under the tree and the clean person is standing there at the same time, the uncleanness is conveyed to the clean person by the overshadowing tree. This halakhah is derived from Leviticus 13:46 which states, "Outside of the camp shall be his sitting place" according to rabbinici interpretation he must "sit" or at least stop moving, for him to convey uncleanness through overshadowing.

Similarly in the case of a leprous stone he remains clean. But if it was set down he becomes unclean. The same rules as above apply to a stone that has been removed from a building because it has a nega in it. If the stone is carried by a person who is moving, it does not convey uncleanness. But once it has been set down, it does convey uncleanness.