9
votes
Accepted
How is צָרַעַת (skin disease) like snow?
According to the first Mishna in Nega'im, the brightest color of Tzara'ath is the white of snow.
מַרְאוֹת נְגָעִים שְׁנַיִם שֶׁהֵן אַרְבָּעָה. בַּהֶרֶת עַזָּה כַשֶּׁלֶג, שְׁנִיָּה לָהּ כְּסִיד ...
- 44.7k
8
votes
Why is a full haircut part of the Metzora's purification process?
The Sefer Hachinuch in mitzva 174 writes:
משרשי המצוה. קצת מן הטעם שאמרנו למעלה (מצוה קעג) במים כדי שיראה האדם כאלו היום נברא והיום מתחיל שערו לצמח ויחדש מעשיו לטוב,
A partial explanation of the root ...
- 1,055
8
votes
How painful is tzara'at
I can't tell you how much pain a metzora would suffer, but a couple of Mefarshim indicate that they did experience some amount of pain.
Abarbanel to Vayikra 13:1 explains why Tzara'as is called a ...
- 34.7k
8
votes
Where does someone go with Tzara'as if they are dwelling in a Ir Miklat?
Such a case seems unlikely, since a Metzora only needs to leave the city if it has a wall surrounding it (Mishnah Keilim 1:7) and an Ir Miklat is not allowed to have a wall surrounding it (Gemara ...
- 967
7
votes
Accepted
Why didn't people conceal Tzaraat?
According to Sefer HaChinuch (Positive Commandment 169) there is an obligation incumbent upon someone afflicted with suspected tzara'at to show it to a kohen:
שמצוה היא עלינו שכל מי שיהיה מצרע ...
- 46.6k
6
votes
Why did Miriam become leprous?
Tzara'at, the skin affliction, is understood by Chazal as a punishment for lashon hara, evil speech. This article from Bar-Ilan University cites the Sifra (5:7), Avot D'rabbi Natan (version A Chapter ...
- 57k
5
votes
Accepted
Why is the title "אדם" considered important?
The Zohar says it in Tazria 3:48a:
תָּאנָא בְּכַמָּה דַּרְגִּין אִתְקְרֵי בַּר נָשׁ: אָדָם, גֶּבֶר, אֱנוֹשׁ, אִישׁ. גָּדוֹל שֶׁבְּכֻלָּם אָדָם
It demonstrates this from the fact that the word ...
- 6,535
5
votes
Gechazi's accursed descendants
Interesting theory as to the potential translation into psoriasis, but it seems unlikely based on Rav Hirsch's challenges to those who compared tza'raas to leprosy:
Tzaraat is not 'leprosy' as we ...
- 14.8k
4
votes
Making tamei tahor and tahor tamei - Negaim
Chazal do note this, but they put their observation into the mouth of Korach: see Yerushalmi Sanhedrin, where Korach points out a series of inconsistencies in halachah, including the paradox of whole-...
- 2,602
4
votes
Nigei Batim / Tzara'as of houses with a house and another level (aliya)
This halacha is brought in the Mishnah Negaim 13:3 in which it says that the upper floor is reinforced and kept standing:
בַּיִת שֶׁנִּרְאָה בוֹ נֶגַע, הָיְתָה עֲלִיָּה עַל גַּבָּיו, נוֹתֵן אֶת ...
- 13.4k
4
votes
Accepted
Why can a baby get Tzaraas?
Negaim i.e Tzaraas skin disease - takes effect against our will whether we sin or not even without prior warning (despite the fact that sometimes one is warned as questioner assumes)Yalkut Shimoni ...
- 11.6k
3
votes
Accepted
What's the difference between a house imparting impurity from the inside and to one entering it? (Nega'im 13:4)
Isn't a house imparting impurity from inside it doing so to one entering it?
Not always. There's a Mishna later on (13:9) the describes that while you become impure upon entry, the clothes you are ...
- 44.7k
3
votes
Do Kohanim check Tzaraas on covered parts of the body?
I'd like to propose two reasons why it should be permissible.
First. The Kohen uncovers a Sotah's hair (Bamidbar 5:18). We see from here that a Kohen may uncover a woman in places she normally ...
- 34.7k
3
votes
Accepted
When does טומאת הסגר begin?
You asked: From what point is the closed-up person, garment, or house m'tame?
Short snswer: When the Cohen makes a verbal declaration to that effect.
Details and sources:
The Rambam on the Mishna ...
- 44.7k
3
votes
Why would the Torah give us mitzvot that will never actually happen?
Rav SR Hirsch addresses this question in one of his essays (which you can find online at https://web.stevens.edu/golem/llevine/rsrh/ben_sorar_moreh.pdf). He explains that these mitzvos have important ...
3
votes
Accepted
Why would the Torah give us mitzvot that will never actually happen?
In a shiur by Rav Zvi Sobolofsky on YUTorah called "Inyanei Sfeikos 12," Rav Sobolofsky discusses the
"בית המנוגע" (house of leprosy) and notes that while even though this is ...
- 12.2k
2
votes
Accepted
Why are doubtful nega'im (generally) pure? (Nega'im 5:1)
In short, the rational is the rules of Chazaka. My answer is based on the Rash Negayim 4.11.
See Nazir 65b
MISHNA: Any case of uncertainty with regard to leprous sores is initially deemed pure until ...
- 23.1k
2
votes
Is the punishment for loshan hara death or tzaraas?
I think the answer can come from a fundamental appreciation of the genre of the Talmudic derasha. The purpose was homiletic, to exhort the masses and inspire them, rather than to be a valid kal ...
- 21.1k
2
votes
Are there opinions that argue that tzaraas = leprosy?
In Fred Rosner's Medicine in the Bible & the Talmud, which is in large part a re-working of Julius Preuss's Biblisch-Talmudische Medizin, he includes an introductory essay by Alexander Suessman ...
- 9,590
2
votes
Accepted
Can one remove the impurity of Tzara’at on a garment by dying it?
This halacha is discussed later on in the perek - Negaim 11:12 according to the interpretation of the Ra”v, Tiferes Yisroel and others:
בֶּגֶד הַמֻּסְגָּר שֶׁנִּתְעָרֵב בַּאֲחֵרִים, כֻּלָּן טְהוֹרִים....
- 13.4k
2
votes
Tzoraas on clothing: the Torah describing which types of clothing?
This is a good question the Haemek Davar (Netziv) deals with.
Sorry for any poor translations:
Haemek Davar 13:49- ובאמת כל הפרטים מיותר בזה המקרא שהרי כבר פי׳ הכתוב במקרא הקודם. אלא בא ללמד שאינו ...
- 3,592
1
vote
Are there opinions that argue that tzaraas = leprosy?
Jacob Milgrom in his commentary to Leviticus 13 writes that the greek term lepra doesn't mean leprosy:
Biblical ṣāraʿat is difficult to identify. One thing, however, is
certain: it is not leprosy (...
- 49
1
vote
Can one say to the Kohen, "A nega appeared on my body"?
Tosefot Yom Tov ad loc. writes that logically it should apply to all kinds of nega'im, as the reasons for not being definitive regarding house-tzara'at apply equally well to other forms of tzara'at.
...
- 46.6k
1
vote
What does R. Meir hold about the case in Nega'im 6:2?
It seems that the Yachin asks and answers your question:
1. ובמשנה ב' לא פליג ר"מ. Rabbi Meir agrees in mishna 2
התם מדמחיה כעדשה סי' טומאה הוא
א"כ כשפושה לתוכה. נראה שנתרפא הסי' ...
- 23.1k
1
vote
Accepted
What does R. Meir hold about the case in Nega'im 6:2?
The Tosfos Yom Tov ask this very question וקשיא לי א"כ לפלוג ר"מ בהא כדקא פליג בסיפא
דמטמא משום פסיון he has 2 answers:
. ושמא י"ל דסתמא כרבנן וה"ל סתם ואח"כ מחלוקת This Mishna (2) follows Rabanan ...
- 11.6k
1
vote
R. Akiva's opinion regarding tzara'at that expands and contracts (Nega'im 4:7-8)
According to the Bartenura, in Mishna 8 the baheret only "moved from West to Est" without changing size. The change of place can be seen as if the first Nega disappeared and a second, new ...
- 23.1k
1
vote
Asymmetry of R. Meir's times to inspect tzara'at (Nega'im 2:2)
See the nusach of the Rabenu Shimshon following the Torat Kohanim.
אימתי רואין בשלש שעות ובארבע ובחמש ובשש ובשבע ובשמנה ובתשע
דברי ר"מ
Can be this makes sense.
The Melechet Shelomo says that ...
- 23.1k
1
vote
How is צָרַעַת (skin disease) like snow?
While I'm giving Danny the space to still improve his answer, and agree with his position (see Mendelssohn's Biur here for some discussion of this, and see also Targum Shiv'im here as to whether or ...
- 21.2k
1
vote
Accepted
Razor used by Leviyim, Nezirim and Lepers
The gemara you reported in Nazir 40a taught that Leviim, Nazir and Metsora have a mitsva to shave with a blade(1). This is a Mitsvat asse, the Mitsvat asse pushes out the mitsvat lo taasse, the ...
- 23.1k
1
vote
Why would the Torah give us mitzvot that will never actually happen?
From the point of view of Yediyat Hashem, even if we don't ever perform them, just knowing that this is what Hashem would want in this case tells us something about Him.
- 14.8k
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