Derasha 235 on Vayikra 13:43

TT #235 · Parshas Tazria · Aliyah 7 · Passuk 43

The Complete Passuk

וְרָאָ֨ה אֹת֜וֹ הַכֹּהֵ֗ן וְהִנֵּ֤ה שְׂאֵֽת־הַנֶּ֨גַע֨ לְבָנָ֣ה אֲדַמְדֶּ֔מֶת בְּקָֽרַחְתּ֖וֹ א֣וֹ בְגַבַּחְתּ֑וֹ כְּמַרְאֵ֥ה צָרַ֖עַת ע֥וֹר בָּשָֽׂר׃

English: The priest shall examine him, and if the swelling of the lesion is white-reddish on his bald area or front bald area, like the appearance of tzaraas of the skin.

Chabad.org — Chumash, English translation + Rashi for Vayikra 13:43

Source Citation

Torah Temimah cites Sifra (Toras Kohanim) for using the ordinary two-week skin-affliction examination framework for bald-area lesions.

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text — Sifra
תלמוד לומר נגע לבן אדמדם כמראה צרעת עור בשר בשני שבועות.

English: The lesion is judged “like the appearance of tzaraas of the skin of the flesh,” using the two-week examination period for ordinary skin lesions.

Type of Learning

The baldness lesion is evaluated using the established skin-tzaraas framework.

What Is Learned

The lesion on a bald area is evaluated by the same two-week examination framework used for lesions on ordinary skin, rather than the one-week rules for boils and burns.