[א] "צרעת" – בנין אב לכל הצרעת שיהיו כגריס "נושנת" – מלמד שהיא מטמאה שלא הפוכה. הלא דין הוא: שער לבן סימן טומאה ומחיה סימן טומאה. מה שער לבן אינו מטמא אלא הפוך אף מחיה לא תטמא אלא הפוכה… ת"ל "נושנת" – מלמד שהיא מטמא שלא הפוכה.
1) (Vayikra 13:11) ("It is old leprosy in the skin of his flesh. And the Cohein shall declare him tamei; he shall not quarantine him, for he is tamei.") "leprosy": This is a prototype (binyan av) for all leprosy as requiring a garis (the size of a Cilician bean, for tumah). "old": We are hereby taught that the michyah confers tumah if it preceded ([hence "old"] the se'eth). For (without the verse) would it not follow (that it should not do so, viz.): White hair is a sign of tumah, and a michyah is a sign of tumah. Just as white hair confers tumah only if it did not precede the se'eth, so michyah should confer tumah only if it did not precede the se'eth. It is, therefore, written "old," to teach us that it confers tumah if it preceded the se'eth.
[א] "צרעת" – בנין אב לכל הצרעת שיהיו כגריס "נושנת" – מלמד שהיא מטמאה שלא הפוכה. הלא דין הוא: שער לבן סימן טומאה ומחיה סימן טומאה. מה שער לבן אינו מטמא אלא הפוך אף מחיה לא תטמא אלא הפוכה… ת"ל "נושנת" – מלמד שהיא מטמא שלא הפוכה.
1) (Vayikra 13:11) ("It is old leprosy in the skin of his flesh. And the Cohein shall declare him tamei; he shall not quarantine him, for he is tamei.") "leprosy": This is a prototype (binyan av) for all leprosy as requiring a garis (the size of a Cilician bean, for tumah). "old": We are hereby taught that the michyah confers tumah if it preceded ([hence "old"] the se'eth). For (without the verse) would it not follow (that it should not do so, viz.): White hair is a sign of tumah, and a michyah is a sign of tumah. Just as white hair confers tumah only if it did not precede the se'eth, so michyah should confer tumah only if it did not precede the se'eth. It is, therefore, written "old," to teach us that it confers tumah if it preceded the se'eth.