Commentary for Deuteronomy 24:8
הִשָּׁ֧מֶר בְּנֶֽגַע־הַצָּרַ֛עַת לִשְׁמֹ֥ר מְאֹ֖ד וְלַעֲשׂ֑וֹת כְּכֹל֩ אֲשֶׁר־יוֹר֨וּ אֶתְכֶ֜ם הַכֹּהֲנִ֧ים הַלְוִיִּ֛ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוִּיתִ֖ם תִּשְׁמְר֥וּ לַעֲשֽׂוֹת׃ (ס)
Take heed in the plague of leprosy, that thou observe diligently, and do according to all that the priests the Levites shall teach you, as I commanded them, so ye shall observe to do.
Rashi on Deuteronomy
השמר בנגע צרעת TAKE HEED IN THE AFFLICTION OF LEPROSY — take heed that you pluck not out the symptoms of uncleanness (cf. Leviticus ch. XIII.), nor cut out the leprous spot (Makkot 22a).
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Ramban on Deuteronomy
TAKE HEED IN THE PLAGUE OF LEPROSY. This is an explanatory commandment, adding a prohibition against one who cuts out the leprous spot, and also one who avoids showing his plague to the priest. Now, concerning the law of the plagues themselves, he mentioned nothing here, except to state and do according to all that the priests the Levites shall teach you, as I commanded them, because the priests are scrupulous, and whatever He commanded is sufficient for them, as I have already explained.341In the Introduction to this book. Also, above, 1:17.
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Or HaChaim on Deuteronomy
השמר בנגע הצרעת, "Take heed of the affliction known as Tzoraat, etc." According to Shabbat 132 on our verse the meaning is that a person afflicted with this plague must not remove the afflicted section of his skin in order to remove the evidence of his disease. The reason why the Torah added that we should remember what G'd had done to Miriam is intended to remind us of the true source of such an affliction and to remind those who think they can cure it by cutting off the skin where it appears that they are on the wrong track. The way to get rid of this affliction is to remove its cause, i.e. to rehabilitate a character fault which caused it in the first place.
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