וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

דַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר אִשָּׁה֙ כִּ֣י תַזְרִ֔יעַ וְיָלְדָ֖ה זָכָ֑ר וְטָֽמְאָה֙ שִׁבְעַ֣ת יָמִ֔ים כִּימֵ֛י נִדַּ֥ת דְּוֺתָ֖הּ תִּטְמָֽא׃

Speak to the children of Israel, saying: If a woman conceives and bears a male child, she shall be impure seven days; like the days, the duration, of her menstrual [ niddat ] suffering, the pain that comes with her blood of menstruation, so she who gives birth to a male child shall be impure. Some commentaries associate niddat with nadad , wander, and nidui , excommunication, her separation during her sickness.

וּבַיּ֖וֹם הַשְּׁמִינִ֑י יִמּ֖וֹל בְּשַׂ֥ר עָרְלָתֽוֹ׃

Since the text is dealing with a woman who has given birth to a male child, it adds in passing the halakha that was already stated in the book of Genesis (17:12), which applies after the seven days mentioned here: On the eighth day, the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.

וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים יוֹם֙ וּשְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת יָמִ֔ים תֵּשֵׁ֖ב בִּדְמֵ֣י טָהֳרָ֑ה בְּכָל־קֹ֣דֶשׁ לֹֽא־תִגָּ֗ע וְאֶל־הַמִּקְדָּשׁ֙ לֹ֣א תָבֹ֔א עַד־מְלֹ֖את יְמֵ֥י טָהֳרָֽהּ׃

After the seven days of impurity, for thirty days and three days she shall abide in the blood of purity. Although it is possible that she might continue to bleed even after the first week, this blood is considered blood of purity. In other words, for the next thirty-three days, until a total of forty days have passed since the birth, she is no longer governed by the halakhot that distance a menstruating woman or a woman who gave birth from her husband. Nevertheless, she shall not touch any consecrated item, and she shall not enter the sanctuary until the completion of the days of her purity. Only after forty days will she become fully purified from the impurity connected to childbirth.

וְאִם־נְקֵבָ֣ה תֵלֵ֔ד וְטָמְאָ֥ה שְׁבֻעַ֖יִם כְּנִדָּתָ֑הּ וְשִׁשִּׁ֥ים יוֹם֙ וְשֵׁ֣שֶׁת יָמִ֔ים תֵּשֵׁ֖ב עַל־דְּמֵ֥י טָהֳרָֽה׃

If she bears a female child, then she shall be impure two weeks as during her menstruation, when she must separate herself from her husband and from any items they wish to preserve in a state of ritual purity. And sixty days and six days she shall abide in the blood of purity. The days of impurity and purity that follow the birth of a female are double the amount of days that come after the birth of a male.

וּבִמְלֹ֣את ׀ יְמֵ֣י טָהֳרָ֗הּ לְבֵן֮ א֣וֹ לְבַת֒ תָּבִ֞יא כֶּ֤בֶשׂ בֶּן־שְׁנָתוֹ֙ לְעֹלָ֔ה וּבֶן־יוֹנָ֥ה אוֹ־תֹ֖ר לְחַטָּ֑את אֶל־פֶּ֥תַח אֹֽהֶל־מוֹעֵ֖ד אֶל־הַכֹּהֵֽן׃

With the completion of the days of her purity, the end of the forty-day period for a son or the eighty-day period for a daughter, in order to purify herself fully, she or an agent on her behalf shall bring to the Temple a lamb in its first year as a burnt offering, and either a young pigeon or a turtledove as a sin offering, to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting to the priest.

וְהִקְרִיב֞וֹ לִפְנֵ֤י יְהוָה֙ וְכִפֶּ֣ר עָלֶ֔יהָ וְטָהֲרָ֖ה מִמְּקֹ֣ר דָּמֶ֑יהָ זֹ֤את תּוֹרַת֙ הַיֹּלֶ֔דֶת לַזָּכָ֖ר א֥וֹ לַנְּקֵבָֽה׃

He, the priest, shall offer it, the pair of offerings, before the Lord, in accordance with the rites of a burnt offering and a sin offering, and he shall thereby atone for her; and she shall be purified from the source of her blood. Only then is she purified from her bleeding, which after an ordinary birth would have ceased much earlier. This is the law of the woman after childbirth of a male child or of a female child.

וְאִם־לֹ֨א תִמְצָ֣א יָדָהּ֮ דֵּ֣י שֶׂה֒ וְלָקְחָ֣ה שְׁתֵּֽי־תֹרִ֗ים א֤וֹ שְׁנֵי֙ בְּנֵ֣י יוֹנָ֔ה אֶחָ֥ד לְעֹלָ֖ה וְאֶחָ֣ד לְחַטָּ֑את וְכִפֶּ֥ר עָלֶ֛יהָ הַכֹּהֵ֖ן וְטָהֵֽרָה׃ (פ)

A burnt offering is generally a voluntary offering, and as stated earlier, there are several types: a large bull, a smaller lamb, or a bird (see chap. 1). A woman who has given birth does not bring her burnt offering voluntarily; rather, it is an obligation following childbirth. Therefore, the Torah provides allowances for a poor woman in this situation: If her means do not suffice for buying a lamb for her burnt offering, she shall take two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, referred to by the Sages as a nest of birds, one bird as a burnt offering in place of the lamb, and one as a sin offering, which all such women must bring (see verse 6); and the priest shall atone for her by sacrificing them, and she shall be purified for all purposes. At this stage she is permitted to enter the Temple and partake of consecrated foods.

וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה וְאֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֖ן לֵאמֹֽר׃

The Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron. Since the priests play an active role in matters of leprosy, God also addresses Aaron, who is the representative of all priests throughout the generations, saying:

אָדָ֗ם כִּֽי־יִהְיֶ֤ה בְעוֹר־בְּשָׂרוֹ֙ שְׂאֵ֤ת אֽוֹ־סַפַּ֙חַת֙ א֣וֹ בַהֶ֔רֶת וְהָיָ֥ה בְעוֹר־בְּשָׂר֖וֹ לְנֶ֣גַע צָרָ֑עַת וְהוּבָא֙ אֶל־אַהֲרֹ֣ן הַכֹּהֵ֔ן א֛וֹ אֶל־אַחַ֥ד מִבָּנָ֖יו הַכֹּהֲנִֽים׃

A man or a woman, whether an adult or a child, when he shall have in the skin of his flesh a spot, or a scab, or a bright spot, which are various types of skin discolorations, and it shall become in the skin of his flesh a mark of leprosy, he shall be brought to Aaron the priest, or to one of his sons the priests, who are the ruling authorities on matters of leprosy.

וְרָאָ֣ה הַכֹּהֵ֣ן אֶת־הַנֶּ֣גַע בְּעֽוֹר־הַ֠בָּשָׂר וְשֵׂעָ֨ר בַּנֶּ֜גַע הָפַ֣ךְ ׀ לָבָ֗ן וּמַרְאֵ֤ה הַנֶּ֙גַע֙ עָמֹק֙ מֵע֣וֹר בְּשָׂר֔וֹ נֶ֥גַע צָרַ֖עַת ה֑וּא וְרָאָ֥הוּ הַכֹּהֵ֖ן וְטִמֵּ֥א אֹתֽוֹ׃

The priest shall examine the mark, which is like a white spot on the skin of the flesh. If hair in the mark turned white, which shows that the mark is not superficial but reaches the roots of the hair, so that even the hair turns white as a result, and in addition the appearance of the mark is deeper than the skin of his flesh, although the mark is on the skin, its color or some other quality causes it to appear as though it were sunk deep into the skin, these facts indicate that it is the mark of leprosy in all aspects. Therefore, the priest shall see it and pronounce it impure, a declaration that establishes this person as a leper.

וְאִם־בַּהֶרֶת֩ לְבָנָ֨ה הִ֜וא בְּע֣וֹר בְּשָׂר֗וֹ וְעָמֹק֙ אֵין־מַרְאֶ֣הָ מִן־הָע֔וֹר וּשְׂעָרָ֖ה לֹא־הָפַ֣ךְ לָבָ֑ן וְהִסְגִּ֧יר הַכֹּהֵ֛ן אֶת־הַנֶּ֖גַע שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִֽים׃

On the other hand, if it is a bright white spot on the skin of his flesh but there are no other symptoms, and its appearance is not deeper than the skin, and its hair did not turn white, the priest shall issue a ruling to quarantine the person with the mark for seven days for a follow-up examination. Some maintain that the priest first marks the boundaries of the initial discoloration.

וְרָאָ֣הוּ הַכֹּהֵן֮ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי֒ וְהִנֵּ֤ה הַנֶּ֙גַע֙ עָמַ֣ד בְּעֵינָ֔יו לֹֽא־פָשָׂ֥ה הַנֶּ֖גַע בָּע֑וֹר וְהִסְגִּיר֧וֹ הַכֹּהֵ֛ן שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִ֖ים שֵׁנִֽית׃

The priest shall examine it, the mark, once again on the seventh day of the quarantine; and behold, if the mark maintained its previous appearance, and the mark did not spread on the skin and grow beyond its original size, then the priest shall quarantine the person with it seven days again.