Derasha 192 on Vayikra 13:30

TT #192 · Parshas Tazria · Aliyah 5 · Passuk 30

The Complete Passuk

וְרָאָ֨ה הַכֹּהֵ֜ן אֶת־הַנֶּ֗גַע וְהִנֵּ֤ה מַרְאֵ֙הוּ֙ עָמֹ֣ק מִן־הָע֔וֹר וּב֛וֹ שֵׂעָ֥ר צָהֹ֖ב דָּ֑ק וְטִמֵּ֨א אֹת֤וֹ הַכֹּהֵן֙ נֶ֣תֶק ה֔וּא צָרַ֧עַת הָרֹ֛אשׁ א֥וֹ הַזָּקָ֖ן הֽוּא׃

English: the priest shall examine the affliction. If its appearance is deeper than the skin and it contains thin yellow hair, the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is a netek, tzaraas of the head or beard.

Chabad.org — Chumash, English translation + Rashi for Vayikra 13:30

Source Citation

Torah Temimah cites Sifra (Toras Kohanim) for Rabbi Akiva’s definition of the required thinness of the hair.

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text — Sifra
דַּק. לָקוּי קָצָר, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא.

English: According to Rabbi Akiva, “thin” here means hair that is short and defective.

Type of Learning

Textual derivation

What Is Learned

Rabbi Akiva interprets the word as describing the hair’s short, defective condition, rather than its color alone.