Derasha 268 on Vayikra 13:49

TT #268 · Parshas Tazria · Aliyah 7 · Passuk 49

The Complete Passuk

וְהָיָ֨ה הַנֶּגַע יְרַקְרַ֣ק א֣וֹ אֲדַמְדָּ֗ם בַּבֶּגֶד אוֹ בָע֜וֹר אוֹ־בַשְּׁתִ֤י אוֹ־בָעֵ֨רֶב֙ אוֹ בְכָל־כְּלִי־ע֔וֹר נֶ֥גַע צָרַ֖עַת ה֑וּא וְהָרְאָ֖ה אֶת־הַכֹּהֵֽן׃

English: and the lesion is greenish or reddish in the garment, leather, warp or woof, or any leather article, it is a lesion of tzaraas and shall be shown to the priest.

Source Citation

Torah Temimah cites Sifra (Toras Kohanim) for excluding mottled mixtures of the greenish and reddish appearances.

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text — Sifra (Toras Kohanim)
ירקרק או אדמדם. מלמד שאין מטמאין בפתוך.

English: The greenish and reddish categories do not become impure when the appearance is mottled.

Type of Learning

Textual derivation

What Is Learned

The greenish and reddish appearances qualify separately, but a mottled blend of the two is not itself one of the qualifying colors.