Derasha 220 on Vayikra 13:39

TT #220 · Parshas Tazria · Aliyah 5 · Passuk 39

The Complete Passuk

וְרָאָ֣ה הַכֹּהֵ֗ן וְהִנֵּ֧ה בְעוֹר־בְּשָׂרָ֛ם בֶּהָרֹ֖ת כֵה֣וֹת לְבָנֹ֑ת בֹּ֥הַק ה֛וּא פָּרַ֥ח בָּע֖וֹר טָה֥וֹר הֽוּא׃ ס

English: the priest shall examine them. If the spots are dull white, it is a harmless bohak that has appeared in the skin; he is clean.

Chabad.org — Chumash, English translation + Rashi for Vayikra 13:39

Source Citation

Torah Temimah cites Sifra (Toras Kohanim) for excluding bohak from impurity through spreading.

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text — Sifra
יָכוֹל לֹא יִטַּמֵּא מִשּׁוּם אֹם אֲבָל יִטַּמֵּא מִשּׁוּם פִּשְׂיוֹן? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר פָּרַח טָהוֹר.

English: One might think that bohak is pure as a lesion in itself, but that it becomes impure if it spreads. The Sifra rejects this from “it has appeared—pure”: spreading does not make bohak impure.

Type of Learning

Textual derivation

What Is Learned

Even if a pale bohak spreads, that spread does not make it impure under the netek rules.