The Talmud, by Joseph Barclay, [1878], at sacred-texts.com
The Talmud, by Joseph Barclay, [1878], at sacred-texts.com
1. There exists in the white hair what is not in the spreading, and there exists in the spreading what is not in the white hair, because the white hair renders unclean from the first, and renders unclean in every whitish colour, and there is no mark of cleansing in it. There exists in the spreading, that spreading renders unclean, however little, and renders unclean in all leprosy external to (the source) of leprosy, which is not the case in white hair.
2. There exists in the quickflesh, what is not in spreading, and there exists in spreading, what is not in quickflesh; because the quickflesh renders unclean from the first and renders unclean in every colour, and there is no mark of cleansing in it. There exists in the spreading, that spreading renders unclean, however little, and renders unclean in all leprosy external to (the source) of leprosy, which is not (the case) with quickflesh.
3. There exists in white hair what is not in quickflesh, and there exists in quickflesh what is not in white hair, because white hair renders unclean in the boil and in the burning, in conjunction, and in diffusion, in inclosing and when there is no inclosing. There exists in quickflesh, that the quickflesh renders unclean in the bald head and in the bald forehead, whether it be unusual or usual, and it retards that which is not usually all white. And it renders unclean in every colour, which is not the case with white hair.
4. "When two hairs have their roots blackish, and tops whitish?" "They are clean." "When the roots are whitish and the tops blackish?" "They are unclean." "How much should be the whiteness?" R. Meier said, "however little." R. Simon said, "sufficient for the scissors to take hold of them." "If it be one below and divided above and it look like two?" "It is clean." "A white spot in which there is white hair, or black hair?" "It is unclean." We are not to doubt that the place of the black hair diminishes the white spot, since there is no substance in it.
5. "A white spot of three lentils square, with a line proceeding from it?" "If there be in it two hairs’ breadth it binds it to white hair and to spreading, but not to quick-flesh." "Two white spots with a line proceeding from one to the other?" "If there be in it two hairs’ breadth, they are united, but if not, they are not united."
6. A white spot of three lentils square, in which there is quickflesh of the size of a lentil, and white hair in the quickflesh, and the quickflesh has gone away, is unclean by reason of the white hair. If the white hair has gone away it is unclean by reason of the quickflesh. R. Simon pronounces it "clean, because the white spot is unchanged." "If the white spot with its quickflesh is the measure of three lentils square, and the white hair is in the white spot?" "If the quickflesh disappear it is unclean by reason of the white hair." "If the white hair disappear?" "It is unclean by reason of the quickflesh." R. Simon pronounces it "clean, because it was not as usual, that the spot was of the measure of three lentils square." But he admits, if there be in the place white hair of the measure of three lentils square, that the leper is unclean.
7. A white spot, in which there is quickflesh and spreading, though the quickflesh has gone away, is unclean by reason of the spreading. "Has the spreading disappeared?" "It is unclean by reason of the quickflesh, and so with white hair and spreading." "If it has gone away and returned in the end of the seven days?" "It is just as it was (at first)." After being pronounced free, it must be inspected as in the beginning. "If it were bright white and became dim, or dim and became bright white?" "It is just as it was at first, excepting that there be no diminution of the four indications." "Did it contract and spread?" "Did it spread and contract?" R. Akiba pronounces it "unclean." But the Sages pronounce it "clean."
8. "A white spot of three lentils square which has spread about half three lentils square, and gone away from the source about half three lentils square?" R. Akiba said, "it
must be inspected as in the beginning," but the Sages pronounce it "clean."
9. "A white spot as large as three lentils square, which has spread as much as half three lentils square, and somewhat more, and has gone away from the source about half three lentils square?" R. Akiba pronounces it "unclean" but the Sages pronounce it "clean." "A white spot as large as three lentils square which has spread as much as three lentils square, and somewhat more; and the source has gone away from it?" R. Akiba pronounces it "unclean," but the Sages say "it must be inspected as in the beginning."
10. "A white spot as large as three lentils square which has spread as much as three lentils square, and in the spreading there is produced quickflesh, or white hair and the source has gone away from it?" R. Akiba pronounces it "unclean," but the Sages say "it must be inspected as in the beginning." "A white spot as large as half three lentils square in which there is nothing there is afterwards produced a white spot as large as half three lentils square and in it one hair?" "It must be inclosed." "A white spot as large as half three lentils square and in it one hair, there is afterwards produced a white spot as large as half three lentils square, and in it one hair?" "It must be inclosed." "A white spot as large as half three lentils square, and in it two hairs—there is afterwards produced a white spot as large as half three lentils square, and in it one hair?" "It must be inclosed."
11. "A white spot as large as half three lentils square in which there is nothing,—there is afterwards produced a white spot as large as half three lentils square, in which there are two hairs?" "It is positive uncleanness, because it is said, if the white spot be before the white hair it is unclean, and if the white hair be before the white spot it is clean. But if there be a doubt it is unclean." But R. Joshua disagreed with this decision.