The Talmud, by Joseph Barclay, [1878], at sacred-texts.com
The Talmud, by Joseph Barclay, [1878], at sacred-texts.com
1. The extent of the white spot is as three Cicilian lentils square, the space of the three lentils square is nine lentils, the space of the lentils is four hairs, it follows that the extent of the spot is thirty-six hairs.
2. "The white spot as large as three lentils square in which there is quickflesh as large as a lentil?" "If the white spot increased, it is unclean, if it diminished it is clean. If the quickflesh increased, it is unclean, if it diminished it is clean."
3. "A white spot as large as three lentils square in which there is quickflesh less than a lentil?" "If the white spot increased it is unclean, if it diminished, it is clean. If
the quickflesh increased, it is unclean, if it diminished, R. Meier pronounced it 'unclean,' but the Sages pronounced it 'clean,' because the leprosy does not spread towards the middle."
4. "A white spot larger than three lentils square, in which there is quickflesh larger than a lentil?" "If they increased or diminished, they are unclean, excepting that they did not diminish ought from the stated measure."
5. "A white spot as large as three lentils square, and quickflesh as large as a lentil encompasses it, and outside of the quickflesh there is a white spot?" "The inner one is to be inclosed, and the outer one is to be decided unclean." Said R. José, "no quickflesh is a mark of uncleanness on the outside, because the white spot is in the midst." "If it diminished and went away?" Raban Gamaliel said, "if it commenced to diminish from the inside, it is a sign of spreading for the inside, and the outside white spot is clean, and if it diminished from the outside, the outside is clean, and the inside is to be inclosed." R. Akiba said, "whether it diminished inside or outside it is clean."
6. Said R. Simon, "when is it so?" "When it is precisely as a lentil." "If it be more than a lentil?" "The overplus is a mark of spreading to the inside, and the outside is unclean." "If there be in it a freckled spot less than a lentil?" "It is a sign of spreading to the inside, but it is no mark of spreading to the outside."
7. There are twenty-four ends of members in man in which there is no uncleanness from quickflesh—the tips of the fingers and toes, the tips of the ears, and the tip of the nose, and still one more, and the paps of a woman. Rabbi Judah said, "also of a man." R. Eliezer said, "even wens and excrescences are not unclean from any quickflesh."
8. These are the places in man in which there is no uncleanness from a white spot, the inside of the eye, the inside of the ear, the inside of the nose, the inside of the mouth, the wrinkles, and the wrinkles of the neck beneath the pap and the armpit, the sole of the foot, and the nails, the head and the beard, the boil and the burning, and the inflammation.
[paragraph continues] Issues cause no uncleanness in leprosy, and they are not identified with leprosy, and leprosy spreads not in them, and quickflesh produces no uncleanness in them, and they are no hindrance to one who is turned all white. If the head and beard turn to baldness, the boil and the burning and the inflammation produce a scab. These cause uncleanness in leprosy, but they are not identified with leprosy, and it is not leprosy (though it) spreads in them; and quickflesh produces no uncleanness, but they prove a hindrance to one who is turned all white. The head and the beard before hair has grown up, and excrescences in the head and beard are judged by the priest to be natural skin of flesh.