Derasha 61 on Vayikra 13:2

TT #61 · Parshas Tazria · Aliyah 1 · Passuk 2

The Complete Passuk

אָדָ֗ם כִּֽי־יִהְיֶ֤ה בְעוֹר־בְּשָׂרוֹ֙ שְׂאֵ֤ת אֽוֹ־סַפַּ֙חַת֙ א֣וֹ בַהֶ֔רֶת וְהָיָ֥ה בְעוֹר־בְּשָׂר֖וֹ לְנֶ֣גַע צָרָ֑עַת וְהוּבָא֙ אֶל־אַהֲרֹ֣ן הַכֹּהֵ֔ן א֛וֹ אֶל־אַחַ֥ד מִבָּנָ֖יו הַכֹּהֲנִֽים׃

English: When a person has on the skin of the body a swelling, a rash, or a discoloration, and it develops into a scaly affection on the skin of the body, it shall be reported to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons, the priests.

Chabad.org — Chumash, English translation + Rashi for Vayikra 13:2

Source Citation

Torah Temimah cites Arakhin 3a for the inclusion of minors among those subject to the laws of skin afflictions.

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text — Arakhin 3a
״הַכֹּל מִטַּמְּאִין בִּנְגָעִים״ — לְאָתוּיֵי מַאי? לְאָתוּיֵי קָטָן. סָלְקָא דַּעְתָּךְ אָמִינָא: ״אִישׁ צָרוּעַ״ כְּתִיב — אִישׁ אִין, קָטָן לָא, קָא מַשְׁמַע לַן. וְאֵימָא הָכִי נַמִי? ״אָדָם כִּי יִהְיֶה בְּעוֹר בְּשָׂרוֹ״, מִכָּל מָקוֹם.

English: The Mishnah says that all are susceptible to impurity from skin afflictions. The Gemara explains that this includes a minor: although “a leprous man” might seem to exclude children, the verse says “when a person has an affliction in the skin of his flesh,” which includes a person of any age.

Type of Learning

Textual inclusion

What Is Learned

The Torah’s term “a person” includes minors in the laws of skin afflictions, even though another verse’s wording might appear to refer only to an adult.