וְאִ֕ישׁ כִּ֥י יִמָּרֵ֖ט רֹאשׁ֑וֹ קֵרֵ֥חַ ה֖וּא טָה֥וֹר הֽוּא׃

Having presented the halakhot of marks on the flesh and marks on the hairy part of the head, the Torah adds: A man, if the hair of his head falls out for any reason, he is merely bald; he is pure, as baldness in itself has no significance with respect to the halakhot of ritual impurity. Since baldness is more common among men, the verse refers to a man.

וְאִם֙ מִפְּאַ֣ת פָּנָ֔יו יִמָּרֵ֖ט רֹאשׁ֑וֹ גִּבֵּ֥חַ ה֖וּא טָה֥וֹר הֽוּא׃

And likewise, if on the front side of his face the hair of his head falls , he is frontally bald; this too is a natural phenomenon, and therefore he is pure.

וְכִֽי־יִהְיֶ֤ה בַקָּרַ֙חַת֙ א֣וֹ בַגַּבַּ֔חַת נֶ֖גַע לָבָ֣ן אֲדַמְדָּ֑ם צָרַ֤עַת פֹּרַ֙חַת֙ הִ֔וא בְּקָרַחְתּ֖וֹ א֥וֹ בְגַבַּחְתּֽוֹ׃

But when there is on the bald head, or the bald forehead, a reddish-white mark, a white mark with a reddish hue, it is leprosy erupting on his bald head or on his bald forehead.

וְרָאָ֨ה אֹת֜וֹ הַכֹּהֵ֗ן וְהִנֵּ֤ה שְׂאֵת־הַנֶּ֙גַע֙ לְבָנָ֣ה אֲדַמְדֶּ֔מֶת בְּקָרַחְתּ֖וֹ א֣וֹ בְגַבַּחְתּ֑וֹ כְּמַרְאֵ֥ה צָרַ֖עַת ע֥וֹר בָּשָֽׂר׃

The priest shall examine it; and behold, if the spot of the mark is reddish white on his bald head, or on his bald forehead, and it is like the appearance of ordinary leprosy in the skin of the flesh,

אִישׁ־צָר֥וּעַ ה֖וּא טָמֵ֣א ה֑וּא טַמֵּ֧א יְטַמְּאֶ֛נּוּ הַכֹּהֵ֖ן בְּרֹאשׁ֥וֹ נִגְעֽוֹ׃

he is a leprous man, he is impure; the priest shall pronounce him impure: His mark is on his head. This is like the ordinary leprosy of the skin, except for the fact that it lacks the sign of impurity which stems from the color of the hair, as it appears on a bald spot of the head. Even if a small amount of white hair grew on the mark in the bald area, it would not necessarily be a sign of impurity.

וְהַצָּר֜וּעַ אֲשֶׁר־בּ֣וֹ הַנֶּ֗גַע בְּגָדָ֞יו יִהְי֤וּ פְרֻמִים֙ וְרֹאשׁוֹ֙ יִהְיֶ֣ה פָר֔וּעַ וְעַל־שָׂפָ֖ם יַעְטֶ֑ה וְטָמֵ֥א ׀ טָמֵ֖א יִקְרָֽא׃

After explaining the various appearances of leprous marks, the Torah addresses the halakhot governing the leper himself: And the leper in whom the mark is, and whom the priest has pronounced as a leper, his garments shall be rent. He must tear his garments, among other reasons, as a sign of mourning. And the hair of his head shall be grown out . Some explain that this means that his hair shall be uncovered. And he shall cover his mouth and his upper lip with his outer garment and shall cry: Impure, impure, thereby informing others of his ritually impure status.

כָּל־יְמֵ֞י אֲשֶׁ֨ר הַנֶּ֥גַע בּ֛וֹ יִטְמָ֖א טָמֵ֣א ה֑וּא בָּדָ֣ד יֵשֵׁ֔ב מִח֥וּץ לַֽמַּחֲנֶ֖ה מוֹשָׁבֽוֹ׃ (ס)

All the days that the mark is on him he shall be impure; he is impure; he shall live alone; outside the camp is his dwelling, where he is cut off almost entirely from human society.

וְהַבֶּ֕גֶד כִּֽי־יִהְיֶ֥ה ב֖וֹ נֶ֣גַע צָרָ֑עַת בְּבֶ֣גֶד צֶ֔מֶר א֖וֹ בְּבֶ֥גֶד פִּשְׁתִּֽים׃

The garment, if there shall be in it a mark of leprosy, whether in a woolen garment, or in a linen garment. This verse is not referring to a spot caused by some external factor or one that can easily be removed through rinsing and the like, but to an abnormal mark growing on the garment through no apparent cause.

א֤וֹ בִֽשְׁתִי֙ א֣וֹ בְעֵ֔רֶב לַפִּשְׁתִּ֖ים וְלַצָּ֑מֶר א֣וֹ בְע֔וֹר א֖וֹ בְּכָל־מְלֶ֥אכֶת עֽוֹר׃

Such a mark might be found not only on a woven garment: Or in the warp, the threads that runs lengthwise in a woven fabric, or in the woof, the threads that run crosswise in such a fabric, at right angles to the warp threads, for linen or for wool, or in leather, used for clothing or as an implement, e.g., a jacket or rug made from the hide of an animal without further processing. The verse concludes the list of materials: Or in anything made of leather, an implement made from, among other materials, leather pieces or strips.

וְהָיָ֨ה הַנֶּ֜גַע יְרַקְרַ֣ק ׀ א֣וֹ אֲדַמְדָּ֗ם בַּבֶּגֶד֩ א֨וֹ בָע֜וֹר אֽוֹ־בַשְּׁתִ֤י אוֹ־בָעֵ֙רֶב֙ א֣וֹ בְכָל־כְּלִי־ע֔וֹר נֶ֥גַע צָרַ֖עַת ה֑וּא וְהָרְאָ֖ה אֶת־הַכֹּהֵֽן׃

If the mark was deep green or deep red, an unnatural appearance which is a certain indication that it emerged from the garment itself, and such a spot is found in the garment, or in the leather, or in the warp, or in the woof, or in any implement of leather, it is a mark of leprosy and shall be shown to the priest.

וְרָאָ֥ה הַכֹּהֵ֖ן אֶת־הַנָּ֑גַע וְהִסְגִּ֥יר אֶת־הַנֶּ֖גַע שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִֽים׃

The priest shall examine the mark, and he shall quarantine the mark seven days for observation.

וְרָאָ֨ה אֶת־הַנֶּ֜גַע בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗י כִּֽי־פָשָׂ֤ה הַנֶּ֙גַע֙ בַּ֠בֶּגֶד אֽוֹ־בַשְּׁתִ֤י אֽוֹ־בָעֵ֙רֶב֙ א֣וֹ בָע֔וֹר לְכֹ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־יֵעָשֶׂ֥ה הָע֖וֹר לִמְלָאכָ֑ה צָרַ֧עַת מַמְאֶ֛רֶת הַנֶּ֖גַע טָמֵ֥א הֽוּא׃

Unlike leprosy of the body, leprosy of clothing cannot be confirmed upon the priest’s first examination, but only after re-examination. He shall examine the mark on the seventh day: If the mark spread in the garment, or in the warp, or in the woof, or in the leather, for any labor that leather is utilized, the mark is a malignant leprosy, it depletes and impairs the item and has no remedy. It is impure, as this is a sign from Heaven that the garment is banned.

וְשָׂרַ֨ף אֶת־הַבֶּ֜גֶד א֥וֹ אֶֽת־הַשְּׁתִ֣י ׀ א֣וֹ אֶת־הָעֵ֗רֶב בַּצֶּ֙מֶר֙ א֣וֹ בַפִּשְׁתִּ֔ים א֚וֹ אֶת־כָּל־כְּלִ֣י הָע֔וֹר אֲשֶׁר־יִהְיֶ֥ה ב֖וֹ הַנָּ֑גַע כִּֽי־צָרַ֤עַת מַמְאֶ֙רֶת֙ הִ֔וא בָּאֵ֖שׁ תִּשָּׂרֵֽף׃

Therefore, he shall burn the garment, or the warp, or the woof, of wool or of linen, or any leather implement in which there is a mark; the garment or implement is entirely impure, as it is a malignant leprosy; it shall be burned in fire.

וְאִם֮ יִרְאֶ֣ה הַכֹּהֵן֒ וְהִנֵּה֙ לֹא־פָשָׂ֣ה הַנֶּ֔גַע בַּבֶּ֕גֶד א֥וֹ בַשְּׁתִ֖י א֣וֹ בָעֵ֑רֶב א֖וֹ בְּכָל־כְּלִי־עֽוֹר׃

If the priest shall examine the garment or implement at the end of the seven days, and behold, the mark did not spread in the garment, or in the warp, or in the woof, or in any implement of leather,

וְצִוָּה֙ הַכֹּהֵ֔ן וְכִ֨בְּס֔וּ אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־בּ֖וֹ הַנָּ֑גַע וְהִסְגִּיר֥וֹ שִׁבְעַת־יָמִ֖ים שֵׁנִֽית׃

the priest shall command, and in accordance with his instructions they shall wash that in which there is a mark with certain cleansing agents, and he shall quarantine it seven days again.