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The Talmud, by Joseph Barclay, [1878], at sacred-texts.com


p. 276

CHAPTER V.

1. "Every doubt in leprosy is cleanness except this one just mentioned, and still another, and what is it?" "One in whom there was a white spot as large as three lentils square, and the priest inclosed it. In the end of the seven days, it is as large as a Selah. 1 It is doubtful if that be it. It is doubtful if another one has come underneath it. It is unclean."

2. "The leper is decidedly unclean with white hair, the white hair has gone away, and white hair has returned, and so with quickflesh and with spreading, in the beginning, or in the end of the first week, or in the end of the second week, or after being pronounced free?" "It is as it was (at first)." "He is decidedly unclean with quickflesh, and the quickflesh has gone away and quickflesh has returned, and so with white hair, and with spreading, in the beginning, or in the end of the first week, or in the end of the second week, or after being pronounced free?" "It is as it was (at first)." "He is decidedly unclean with spreading, the spreading has gone away and spreading has returned, and so with white hair in the end of the first week, or in the end of the second week, or after being pronounced free?" "It is as it was at first."

3. "Is there concealed hair?" Akabia, son of Mahallalel, pronounced it "unclean," but the Sages pronounced it "clean." "What is concealed hair?" "Where there is a white spot and in it white hair, the spot has gone away and left in its place white hair, and it returned." Akabia, son of Mahallalel, pronounced it "unclean;" but the Sages pronounce it "clean." Said R. Akiba, "I admit that he is clean." "Which is the concealed hair?" "Where there is a white spot as large as three lentils square, and in it two hairs, and there went away a space as large as half three lentils square, and left white hair in the place of the white spot, and it returned." The Sages said to him, "as the words of Akabia have been nullified, so thy words cannot be acknowledged."

p. 277

4. Every doubt about leprosy in the beginning is cleanness, so long as it is not identified with uncleanness. When it is identified with uncleanness, the doubt is uncleanness. "How?" "Two came to a priest; in one there was a white spot as large as three lentils square, and in the other a spot as large as a dollar. In the end of the seven days the white spot in one was as large as a dollar, and in the other the spot was as large as a dollar, and the priests knew not in which was the spreading—if it be in the one man or in the two men?" "It is cleanness." R. Akiba, said "in one man it is uncleanness, in two men it is clean."

5. When the leper is identified with uncleanness, doubt about him is uncleanness. "How?" "Two lepers came to a priest; on one was a spot as large as three lentils square, and on the other, also, a spot as large as a dollar. In the end of the seven days, in one the spot was as large as a dollar, and somewhat more, and in the other the spot was as large as a dollar and somewhat more?" "Both are unclean, even though both returned to be the size of a dollar. Both are unclean until they returned to be as three lentils square." This is what the Sages said "from the leper's identification with uncleanness; the doubt about him is uncleanness."


Footnotes

276:1 Dollar or Shekel.


Next: Chapter VI