Kommentar zu Wajikra 14:1

That is that He commanded us that any man who is healed from a discharge offer a sacrifice. And this is the sacrifice of the zav; and he is lacking [full] atonement until he offers it. And that is His, may He be exalted and may His name be blessed, saying, "When one with a discharge becomes clean of his discharge [...]. On the eighth day he shall take two turtledoves" (Leviticus 15:13-14). (See Parashat Metzora; Mishneh Torah, Offerings for Those with Incomplete Atonement 1-3.)

That is that He commanded the metsora (a person with tsaarat) to shave, and that is its second purification - as it is explained at the end of Negaim. And that is His saying, "And [...] on the seventh day, he shall shave" (Leviticus 14:9). And the essence of their words has already preceded [this] (Sefer HaMitzvot, Positive Commandments 93), "Three shave, and their shaving is a commandment: The nazarite; the metsora; and the Levites." And the laws of this commandment have already been explained at the end of Negaim. And here I will explain the reason for our counting the shaving of the metsora and the bringing of his sacrifice as [two] separate commandments. And that is because there is no connection for the metsora between the shaving and the bringing of his sacrifices. And the purpose of the shaving is distinct from the purpose that is accomplished by bringing his sacrifices. And that is because the purification of the metsora is dependent upon his shaving. And in the sixth chapter of Nazir (Nazir 44b), they said, "What is the difference between a nazarite and a metsora? It is only that the purification of this one is dependent upon days and the purification of that one is dependent upon his shaving" - meaning to say the metsora. And when the metsora shaves and completes his second shaving, he is pure from [continuing to] give off impurity like a creeping animal, as is explained at the end of Negaim (Negaim 14). However, he is still lacking [complete] atonement until he brings his sacrifices - like the other ones that lack [complete] atonement, as is explained there. So the purpose of his shaving was to be pure from [continuing to] give off impurity like a creeping animal - whether or not he brought his sacrifices. Whereas the purpose of bringing his sacrifices is the completion of his atonement - like the other ones that lack [complete] atonement, meaning the zav, the zavah and the woman after childbirth. And we have already been preceded by their saying (Keritot 8b), "Four are lacking [complete] atonement." And there it is made clear that the nazarite is not one lacking atonement. Rather that action (his sacrifice) is included in it - meaning to say that the [shaving] and the bringing of the sacrifice permit him to drink wine; however one of them will not suffice without the other. Instead, the shaving is connected to the sacrifice and the sacrifice is connected to the shaving, and they [only] achieve their purpose when they are combined - and that is that they permit those things that were forbidden to him in the days of his being a nazarite. And in the sixth [chapter] of Nazir (Nazir 46b), they said, "One who shaves over his sacrifice, and it is found to be disqualified - his shaving is disqualified and his sacrifices do not count for him." Behold it has been made clear to you that the shaving is from the stipulations of the sacrifice and the sacrifice is from the stipulations of the shaving. And it is also explained in the Tosefta (Nazir 15a) that a nazarite that has completed his days is [still] forbidden to shave, to drink wine and to become impure with corpses until he does that whole process - and that is the shaving of purification, as it is explained in the sixth [chapter] of Nazir (Nazir 45b). And that is that he shaves at the opening of the Tent of Meeting, throws his hair under the urn and offers his sacrifices - as Scripture explains. And you will find that in most places, they called the bringing of [these] sacrifices, "shaving." And in some places in the Mishnah, they said in explanation (Nazir 11b), "[One who says,] 'Behold I am nazarite and it is upon me to shave, etc.'" - by which, he means that he will bring the sacrifices of the nazarite and offer them on his behalf. Behold it has already been made clear to you that "shaving" is used [to mean] the bringing of the sacrifices. And the reason for this is that it is a part of them - as we have explained - and it is with their combination that the status of nazarite is removed, and the nazarite may drink wine. However the shaving of impurity (of a metsora) is a law of the commandment, as we have explained earlier (Sefer HaMitzvot, Positive Commandments 93). (See Parashat Metzora; Mishneh Torah, Defilement by Leprosy 11.)