Commento su Levitico 14:2

'תהיה תורת וגו ‎זאת THIS SHALL BE THE LAW [OF THE LEPER IN THE DAY OF HIS BEING PRONOUNCED CLEAN] — The words “in the day” inform us that we may not pronounce him clean at night (Sifra, Metzora, Section 1 3; Megillah 21a).

THIS SHALL BE THE LAW OF THE LEPER IN THE DAY OF HIS CLEANSING: HE SHALL BE BROUGHT UNTO THE PRIEST. Scripture is stating that this shall be the law of the leper in the day that he wishes to be pronounced pure, that he should be brought to the priest, as he can never attain purity except by means of the priest’s word. Then [in the following verse] Scripture tells that the priest shall go forth to the place of his [the leper’s] habitation out of the camp,¹Verse 3. but he [the leper] is not to come to the priest even though his leprosy has been healed.²Since the plague is a form of punishment, (see Ramban above, 13:47), the priest’s visit to his habitation on the day that the affliction of leprosy is healed is an indication that his repentance has been accepted. Hence the Torah commands the priest to go to the person who had suffered the affliction, and not the other way (Klei Yakar). The interpretation thereof in the Torath Kohanim is as follows:³Torath Kohanim, Metzora 1:3. “And he shall be brought unto the priest, this means that he is not to wait.” If so, Scripture is stating that on the same day that he is cleansed, [meaning] that he is cured from his leprosy,⁴There is thus a distinct difference between the first interpretation, and that of the Torath Kohanim. At first we explained b’yom tahoratho (on the day of his cleansing) as meaning: “on the day that he is to be pronounced clean, he is to be brought to the priest, for no one else can so pronounce him” (see Note 46 in Seder Tazria). But according to the Torath Kohanim the verse means: “on the day he is actually ‘cleansed’ of the sickness, i.e., on the day that he is physically healed of the affliction, there must be no delay and he is to be brought before the priest.” he is to be brought even against his will to the priest. Similarly, the verses, And when he that hath an issue is cleansed of his issue;⁵Further, 15:13. But if she be cleansed of her issue,⁶Ibid., Verse 28. mean when [the issues] will cease and the persons become cleansed of them, as I have explained [i.e., that the term “cleansing” in the verse before us means “the healing” of the leprosy, and the same meaning applies to “the cleansing,” of him or her that hath an issue]. This is the correct explanation.

והובא אל הכהן, to a site near the boundary of the encampment where the priest can come to inspect the afflicted person easily without having to subject himself to special effort.