The Talmud, by Joseph Barclay, [1878], at sacred-texts.com
The Talmud, by Joseph Barclay, [1878], at sacred-texts.com
1. Every one's garments receive uncleanness in leprosy except the garments of foreigners. He who buys garments from foreigners should first inspect them. But sea-skins receive no uncleanness in leprosy. "If there be united with them that which grows on the earth, even though it be a thread, or a rope, anything which receives legal uncleanness?" "The garments are unclean."
2. "Suppose camel's wool and sheep's wool commingled?" "If the greater part be from camels, the garments receive
no uncleanness in leprosy." "If the greater part of the wool be from sheep?" "They receive uncleanness in leprosy." "If they be half and half?" "They receive uncleanness in leprosy." And so also is the rule for flax and hemp, when they are commingled together.
3. "Skins and garments when dyed receive no uncleanness in leprosy. Buildings painted or unpainted, receive uncleanness in leprosy." The words of Rabbi Meier. R. Judah said, "skins are treated as buildings." R. Simon said, "if they be coloured naturally, they receive uncleanness; if artificially, they do not receive it."
4. A garment dyed in its warp, and white in its woof, or dyed in its woof, and white in its warp, has all to be regarded according to its appearance. Garments receive uncleanness in intense greenness and in bright redness. "It was green and it spread all over red, or it was red and it spread all over green?" "It is unclean." "It changed its colour and it again spread; it changed again and it did not spread?" "It is the same as though it did not change." R. Judah said, "it must be examined as in the beginning."
5. "It is at a stand-still in the first week?" "It must be washed and inclosed." "It is at a stand-still in the second week?" "It must be burned." "It spread in both weeks?" "It must be burned." "It was dull in the beginning?" Rabbi Ishmael said, "it must be washed and inclosed," but the Sages say, "leave it alone." "It was dull in the first week?" "It must be washed and inclosed." "It was dull in the second week?" "It must be torn out, and that which is torn out must be burned, and it should be patched." R. Nehemiah said, "it need not be patched."
6. "If the leprosy returned to the garment?" "The patch is saved." "If it returned to the patch?" "The garment must be burned." "If the patch on a clean garment was from an inclosed garment, and the plague returned to the inclosed garment?" "The patch must be burned." "If it returned to the patch?" "The first garment must be burned, and the patch may serve the second garment with marks."
7. "Suppose a summer dress in which there is patch
work, dyed and white, the leprosy spreads from one patch to the other?" They questioned Rabbi Eleazar, "how is it if there be one patch only?" He said to them, "I have not heard." R. Judah, son of Bethirah, said to him, "I will study it." He said to him, "if thou dost study it for the confirmation of the opinions of the Sages, yes." He said to him, "perhaps it will be at a stand-still for two weeks, and a stand-still in garments for two weeks causes uncleanness." He said to him, "thou art a great Sage, because thou hast confirmed the words of the Sages." Spreading near to the source, however little—at a distance from the source, the measure of three lentils square, and reappearance the measure of three lentils square—(cause uncleanness).
8. The warp and woof receive uncleanness instantly. R. Judah said, "the warp from the time it is boiled, and the woof instantly, and the stalks of flax from the time that they are bleached." "How much must there be in the bobbin, that it shall receive uncleanness in leprosy?" "Sufficient to weave both of warp and woof three fingers square—ay, even if it be all warp—or even all woof." If there be knots in the thread it receives no uncleanness in leprosy. R. Judah said, "even though there be one break and it was knotted, it receives no uncleanness."
9. "If thread was rolled from one bobbin to the other, from one spool to the other, from the upper to the lower weaver's beam, and also from the two sides of a shirt, and if the leprosy appeared in one of them?" "The second is clean." In the weaving of the woof, and in the warp at a stand-still, they receive uncleanness instantly. R. Simon said, "the warp if it were quite prepared receives uncleanness."
10. "Has the leprosy appeared in the warp at a standstill?" "That which is already woven is clean." "Has it appeared in that which is woven?" "The warp at a standstill is clean." "Has it appeared in the fine linen?" "The selvage must be burned." "Has it appeared in the selvage?" "The fine linen is clean." A shirt in which the leprosy appeared saves its seams, even if they be purple.
11. "Everything which is adapted to receive uncleanness
from the dead, even though it is not suitable for uncleanness from treading, receives uncleanness from leprosy, such as the sails of a ship, the mainsail, and the combs 1 for women's hair, and book covers, and girdles, and latchets for shoes and sandals, which are as broad as three lentils square. These all become unclean with leprosy. "Fringes in which leprosy appeared?" R. Eleazar, the son of Jacob, said, "they are not unclean until the leprosy appear in the part woven and in their down." Water bottles and bags which appear as usual, and yet there is spreading from inside outwards, and from outside inwards (are unclean).
12. "A garment which has been inclosed and mixed with others?" "All are clean." "If it be cut up and reduced to down?" "It is clean, and its use is allowed." "But if it be decided unclean and mixed with others?" "All are unclean." "If it be cut up and reduced to down?" "It is unclean and its use is forbidden."
290:1 Isaiah iii. 18.