Leviticus 13:39 Commentary: Rashi & Sforno

וְרָאָ֣ה הַכֹּהֵ֗ן וְהִנֵּ֧ה בְעוֹר־בְּשָׂרָ֛ם בֶּהָרֹ֖ת כֵּה֣וֹת לְבָנֹ֑ת בֹּ֥הַק ה֛וּא פָּרַ֥ח בָּע֖וֹר טָה֥וֹר הֽוּא׃ (ס)

then the priest shall look; and, behold, if the bright spots in the skin of their flesh be of a dull white, it is a tetter, it hath broken out in the skin: he is clean.

Rashi on Leviticus

כהות לבנות DULL WHITE — It means that their whiteness is not intense but a dull white.
Ask a RabbiBookmarkShareCopy

Sforno on Leviticus

כהות לבנות, below that which appears like the skin of an egg concerning which the sages taught us (Maimonides Tum’at Tzoraat 1,11
Ask a RabbiBookmarkShareCopy

Rashi on Leviticus

בהק A BRIGHTNESS — just like the white which shows itself in the flesh of a ruddy man, who is termed rouge in old French, between his red spots: this is called בהק “brightness” — like a man who is covered with lentil-like spots, when between one lentil-like spot and another the flesh shows bright with a pure brightness.
Ask a RabbiBookmarkShareCopy