Hebrew Bible Study
Hebrew Bible Study

Midrash for Leviticus 13:4

וְאִם־בַּהֶרֶת֩ לְבָנָ֨ה הִ֜וא בְּע֣וֹר בְּשָׂר֗וֹ וְעָמֹק֙ אֵין־מַרְאֶ֣הָ מִן־הָע֔וֹר וּשְׂעָרָ֖ה לֹא־הָפַ֣ךְ לָבָ֑ן וְהִסְגִּ֧יר הַכֹּהֵ֛ן אֶת־הַנֶּ֖גַע שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִֽים׃

And if the bright spot be white in the skin of his flesh, and the appearance thereof be not deeper than the skin, and the hair thereof be not turned white, then the priest shall shut up him that hath the plague seven days.

Sifra

1) (Vayikra 13:4) ("And if it is a white bahereth in the skin of his flesh, and its appearance is not deeper than the skin, and its hair has not turned white, then the Cohein shall quarantine the plague-spot for seven days.") This tells me only of a white bahereth. Whence do we derive for inclusion a (white) se'eth? From (Vayikra 13:10) "a white se'eth." Whence are other (white) appearances derived? From "And if a bahereth."
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Sifra

2) I might think that just as it (bahereth) is third in order of the verse (Vayikra 13:2), it is third in order of appearance (i.e., of brightness); it is, therefore, written "white." It is white and there is no (white) above it in brightness. And what is its whiteness like? Like (the whiteness of) snow, as it is written (Bamidbar 12:10) "And, behold, Miriam was as leprous as snow."
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Sifra

3) I might think that every appearance of snow is tamei and that all other appearances are tahor. It is, therefore, written (Vayikra 13:39) "It is a bohak (brightness) … it is clean": It is clean, but everything above it (in brightness) is tamei.
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