The Talmud, by Joseph Barclay, [1878], at sacred-texts.com
The Talmud, by Joseph Barclay, [1878], at sacred-texts.com
1. These white spots are clean which existed before the giving of the law 1 in the foreigner, in the proselyte, in the child before birth, in the wrinkle which has filled out, in the head and the beard, in the boil and quickflesh, and in the inflammation and issue. The head and the beard which have turned to baldness, the boil and the quickflesh and the inflammation which have formed a scab, are clean. "A white spot in the head and the beard so long as hair has not sprung up, or the hair has sprung up and turned to baldness; the boil and quickflesh and inflammation, so long as they have not formed a scab, or they have formed a scab, and are cured?" R. Eliezer, the son of Jacob, pronounces them "unclean," since their beginning and their end are unclean, but the Sages pronounce them "clean."
2. The indications of leprosy have changed either for convenience, or for inconvenience. "How for convenience?" "It was like snow, and became in colour as the lime of the temple; it was as white wool, and it became like an egg-shell. It became the swelling, or bright white." "How for inconvenience?" "It was as an egg-shell, and became in colour
like white wool; it was as the lime of the temple and became like snow." R. Eliezer, son of Azariah, pronounces it "clean." R. Eleazar Hasma said, "if (it changed) for convenience it is clean, but if for inconvenience, it must be inspected as in the beginning." R. Akiba said, "whether (it changed) for convenience or for inconvenience, it must be inspected as in the beginning."
3. "A white spot in which there is nothing in the beginning?" "In the end of the first week it must be inclosed. In the end of the second week, after it is pronounced free, it shall remain free." Whilst the priest is about to inclose it or pronounce it free, if marks of uncleanness are produced in the man he shall be decided unclean. A white spot in which are marks of uncleanness the priest shall decide unclean. "Whilst the priest is about to decide the man unclean, and the marks of uncleanness are gone away, in the beginning or in the end of the first week?" "It must be inclosed." In the end of the second week, after the priest pronounces him free, he shall remain free.
4. "If he rooted out the marks of uncleanness, and burned the quickflesh?" "He transgressed a negative command." "What about cleansing?" "Before he came to the priest he is clean. After being decided unclean, he is unclean." Said R. Akiba, "I questioned Ramban Gamaliel and Rabbi Joshua as they were going to Gadvod, during the time of inclosure what is it?" They said to me, "we have not heard, but we have heard, that before he came to the priest he is clean, after being decided unclean he is unclean." "I began to bring to them arguments, that whether he stands before the priest, or during his inclosure, he is clean, until the priest pronounce him unclean." "When may he be cleansed?" R. Eliezer said, "if there be produced in him another leprosy, and he is pronounced clean from it." But the Sages say, "when the leprosy is grown 1 all over him, or when his white spot diminishes to be less than three lentils square."
5. He who has a white spot, and it is cut away, is clean.
[paragraph continues] "If it be intentionally cut away?" R. Eliezer said, "he will not be clean until another leprosy be produced in him, and he be cleansed from it." But the Sages say, "he will not be clean until the leprosy be grown all over him."
279:1 The law was prospective, not retrospective; "When a man shall have" etc. (Lev xiii. 2).
280:1 Or flowered all over.