โฆ And if the leprosy break out abroad in the skin, and the leprosy cover all the skin of him that hath the plague from his head even to his feet, as far as appeareth to the priest; โฆ he shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague; it is all turned white: he is clean. But whensoever raw flesh appeareth in him, he shall be unclean. โฆ But if the raw flesh again be turned into white, then he shall come unto the priest; โฆ and the priest shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague; he is clean. (Leviticus 13:12โ17)
... ืึฐืึดื ืคึธึผืจืึนืึท ืชึดึผืคึฐืจึทื ืึทืฆึธึผืจึทืขึทืช ืึธึผืขืึนืจ, ืึฐืึดืกึฐึผืชึธื ืึทืฆึธึผืจึทืขึทืช ืึตืช ืึธึผื ืขืึนืจ ืึทื ึถึผืึทืข: ืึตืจึนืืฉืืึน ืึฐืขึทื ืจึทืึฐืึธืื, ืึฐืึธื ืึทืจึฐืึตื ืขึตืื ึตื ืึทืึนึผืึตื ... ืึฐืึดืึทืจ ืึถืช ืึทื ึธึผืึทืข, ืึปึผืึผืึน ืึธืคึทืึฐ ืึธืึธื โ ืึธืืึนืจ ืืึผื. ืึผืึฐืืึนื ืึตืจึธืืึนืช ืึผืึน ืึธึผืฉึธืืจ ืึทื โ ืึดืึฐืึธื ... ืืึน ืึดื ืึธืฉืืึผื ืึทืึธึผืฉึธืืจ ืึทืึทื ืึฐื ึถืึฐืคึทึผืึฐ ืึฐืึธืึธื ืึผืึธื ืึถื ืึทืึนึผืึตื ... ืึฐืึดืึทืจ ืึทืึนึผืึตื ืึถืช ืึทื ึถึผืึทืข โ ืึธืืึนืจ ืืึผื. (ืืืงืจื ืืดื, ืืโืื)
One tzaraโat case seems paradoxical: spreading throughout the body makes it clean, while raw flesh makes it impure again, and so on. A midrash gives this as one of Korahโs objections to Moses:
Rav said: Korah was a heretic. What did he do? He made a garment entirely of blue and came to Moses: โOur teacher Moses, must an all-blue garment have fringes?โ He answered: โIt must, as it is written, โThou shalt make thee twisted cords,โ etc. (Deuteronomy 22:12).โ โMust a house full of books have a mezuzah?โ He answered: โIt must, as it is written, โAnd thou shalt write them upon the door-posts of thy house,โ etc. (Deuteronomy 6:9).โ โWhat of a bright spot the size of a bean?โ โImpure.โ โIf it spreads all over?โ โPure.โ Then Korah said: โThe Torah is not from heaven, Moses is no prophet, and Aaron is no high priest.โ (Jerusalem Talmud, Sanhedrin 10:1)
ืจื ืืืจ: ืงืจื ืืคืืงืจืกื ืืื. ืื ืขืฉื? ืขืื ืืขืฉื ืืืืช ืฉืืืื ืชืืืช. ืืชื ืืื ืืฉื ืืืจ ืื: ืืฉื ืจืืื ื, ืืืืช ืฉืืืื ืชืืืช ืื ืฉืชืื ืืืืืช ืืฆืืฆืืช? ืืืจ ืื: ืืืืืช, ืืืชืื: "ืืืืืื ืชืขืฉื ืื ืืื'" (ืืืจืื ื"ื, ืื). ืืืช ืฉืืื ืืื ืกืคืจืื ืืื ืฉืืื ืืืื ืืืืืื? ืืืจ ืื: ืืืื ืืืืืื, ืืืชืื: "ืืืชืืชื ืขื ืืืืืืช ืืืชื ืืื'" (ืืืจืื ื', ื). ืืืจ ืื: ืืืจืช ืืืจืืก ืืื? ืืืจ ืื: ืืื. ืคืจืื ืืืืื? ืืืจ ืื: ืืืืจ. ืืืืชื ืฉืขื ืืืจ ืงืจื: ืืื ืชืืจื ืื ืืฉืืื ืืื ืืฉื ื ืืื ืืื ืืืจื ืืืื ืืืื. (ืชืืืื ืืจืืฉืืื, ืืกืืช ืกื ืืืจืื, ืคืจืง ื ืืืื ื)
Mountains of ideas have been built on this paradox, but on the plain meaning none exists. First, the Torah may not mean spread over the personโs entire body. More likely a white swelling containing raw flesh spreads over all the lesionโs skin, as โand the leprosy cover all the skin of him that hath the plagueโ says โ also covering its raw patch. The Hebrew can read โall the skin of the lesion.โ โFrom his head even to his feetโ would then metaphorically refer to the lesion rather than the afflicted person (Rabbi Joseph Bekhor Shor).
This is not the only anthropomorphic expression for tzaraโat. Garment affliction has โin its baldness or front baldness,โ clearly metaphorical: โAnd the priest shall look, after that the plague is washed โฆ thou shalt burn it in the fire; it is a fret, whether the bareness be within or withoutโ (Leviticus 13:55). JPSโs โbarenessโ renders that Hebrew metaphor.
In any case, the paradox is apparent, like fringes and mezuzah. A garment needs blue fringes, rather than merely blue fabric; an all-blue garment still needs fringes. A house needs specified words on its doorposts, rather than books inside. Similarly, a white swelling is a special tzaraโat case, unlike the classic lesion appearing deeper than the skin. It imparts impurity only with โquick raw fleshโ (Leviticus 13:10). If it spreads until no raw flesh remains, it no longer imparts impurity.
