Derasha 101 on Vayikra 13:6

TT #101 · Parshas Tazria · Aliyah 2 · Passuk 6

The Complete Passuk

וְרָאָה֩ הַכֹּהֵ֨ן אֹת֜וֹ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי֘ שֵׁנִית֒ וְהִנֵּה֙ כֵּהָ֣ה הַנֶּ֔גַע וְלֹֽא־פָשָׂ֥ה הַנֶּ֖גַע בָּע֑וֹר וְטִֽהֲר֤וֹ הַכֹּהֵן֙ מִסְפַּ֣חַת הִ֔וא וְכִבֶּ֥ס בְּגָדָ֖יו וְטָהֵֽר׃

English: And the kohen shall see him on the seventh day a second time. And, behold! the lesion has become dimmer, and the lesion has not spread on the skin, the kohen shall pronounce him clean. It is a mispachath. He shall immerse his garments and become clean.

Chabad.org — Chumash, English translation + Rashi for Vayikra 13:6

Source Citation

Torah Temimah cites Megillah 8b for the scope of purification after a skin affliction is declared healed.

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text — Megillah 8b
דְּתָנֵי רַב שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר יִצְחָק קַמֵּיהּ דְּרַב הוּנָא: ״וְטִהֲרוֹ הַכֹּהֵן מִסְפַּחַת הִיא וְכִבֶּס בְּגָדָיו וְטָהֵר״, טָהוֹר מִפְּרִיעָה וּפְרִימָה דְּמֵעִיקָּרָא. אָמַר לֵיהּ רָבָא: אֶלָּא מֵעַתָּה, גַּבֵּי זָב דִּכְתִיב ״וְכִבֶּס בְּגָדָיו וְטָהֵר״, הָתָם מַאי ״וְטָהֵר״ מֵעִיקָּרָא אִיכָּא? אֶלָּא: טָהוֹר הַשְׁתָּא מִלְּטַמֵּא כְּלִי חֶרֶס בְּהֶיסֵּט, אַף עַל גַּב דַּהֲדַר חָזֵי — לָא מְטַמֵּא לְמַפְרֵעַ. הָכָא נָמֵי טָהוֹר הַשְׁתָּא מִלְּטַמֵּא בְּבִיאָה לְמַפְרֵעַ.

English: The Gemara explains the verse “the priest shall pronounce him clean ... and he shall wash his clothes and be clean.” Its conclusion is that he is now pure from causing impurity through entering a house retroactively, even if he later develops a confirmed sign.

Type of Learning

Textual derivation

What Is Learned

The verse teaches that a person purified after quarantine does not retroactively impart impurity to a house he entered before the later confirmed sign appeared.