[56a - 31 lines; 56b - 38 lines]

1)[line 4]"בבית""B'VEIS"- "[When you come to the land of Kena'an, which I give to you for a possession, and I put the disease of Tzara'as] in a house [of the land of your possession...]" (Vayikra 14:34).

2)[line 4]היציעYATZI'A- (a) (O.F. apentiz) a construction at the rear of or alongside a house with a low sloping roof; a lean-to; (b) an extension or a wing of a building; (c) According to the Girsa TZAVU'A - a house that is painted with colors other than plaster-white (RAN, citing RAV MOSHE BAR SHENEI'UR)

3)[line 16]מעולה שבבתיםME'ULAH SHE'BA'BATIM- the best part of the house

4)[line 18]בדרגשDARGASH- a bed or couch consisting of a leather mattress tied to a frame

5)[line 21]ערסא דגדאARSA D'GADA- a bed or couch set up for the "spiritual counterparts" of the house, on which no one sits (RABEINU CHANANEL, ARUCH)

6)[line 22]מבריןMAVRIN- others provide the mourners with refreshments or a meal outside, on their way home from the funeral

7)[line 29]זוקפוZOKFO- one stands it up

56b----------------------------------------56b

8)[line 4]קרביטיוKARBITAV- its straps, thongs

9)[line 8]בשוקא דצלעיSHUKA D'TZAL'EI- the marketplace of the tanners

10)[line 9]ערסא דצלאARSA D'TZALA- a bed or couch consisting of a leather mattress tied to a frame

11)[line 11]מסרגין אותה על גבהMESARGIN OSAH AL GABAH- the ropes are tied onto and around the frame

12)[line 11]מסרגין אותו מגופוMESARGIN OSAH MI'GUFO- the ropes are tied through holes in the frame itself

13)[line 13]והעריסהARISAH- (O.F. brez) a cradle

14)[line 13]משישופםMISHE'YESHUFEM- from when a person rubs onto them

15)[line 16]בבזיניB'BAZINEI- with notches

16)[line 17]באבקתאB'AVKASA- with loops; leather rings attached to the bed frame for the reception of ropes

17)[line 18]שנקליטיהSHE'NAKLITEHA- that its Naklitei ha'Mitah, a framework of poles made by putting two vertical poles at the center of the head and foot of a bed, while a third horizontal pole rests on top of them. A sheet hung on the horizontal pole forms two sloping walls that are joined at the top.

18)[line 21]לעיבורהL'IBURAH- to the city limits, 70 2/3 Amos from the last temporary or permanent dwelling of the city

19)[line 22]האגףHA'AGAF- the part of the floor covered by a closed door

20)[line 25]"ויהי בהיות יהושע ביריחו, וישא עיניו וירא והנה איש עמד לנגדו וחרבו שלופה בידו; וילך יהושע אליו ויאמר לו הלנו אתה אם לצרינו""VA'YEHI BI'HEYOS YEHOSHUA BI'YERICHO, VA'YAR V'HINEH ISH OMED L'NEGDO, V'CHARBO SHELUFAH B'YADO; VA'YELECH YEHOSHUA ELAV VA'YOMER LO: HA'LANU ATAH IM L'TZAREINU?" - "And it was when Yehoshua was in Yericho, that he saw a man standing facing him, sword in hand; and Yehoshua went up to him and he said: 'Are you on our side or on the side of our enemies?'" (Yehoshua 5:13) (YEHOSHUA'S RENDEZVOUS WITH THE ANGEL)

See Background to Megilah 3:16.

21)[line 26]"וירחו סגרת ומסגרת מפני בני ישראל אין יוצא ואין בא""VI'YERICHO SOGERES U'MESUGERES MI'PENEI BENEI YISRAEL, EIN YOTZEI V'EIN BA" - "And Yericho was shut (with iron gates) and locked (with copper bolts); no one was allowed out and no one was allowed in" (Yehoshua 6:1) (THE INVINCIBLE YERICHO)

Yericho was already highly fortified, but now that Yisrael was at its gates, its defenders increased its fortifications. In fact, it was impossible by natural means to topple its walls and to capture it, which is why the angel was sent to Yehoshua (in the previous chapter) to lend him supernatural assistance.

22)[line 31]ויסגירV'YASGIR (TZARA'AS BATIM)

(a)The marks of Tzara'as for houses consist of intense green or intense red streaks or spots that are at least the size of two Gerisin (a Gris is a Cilician bean, approximately the size of a dime) (Nega'im 12:3). If Tzara'as is found on the walls of a house, it is put into quarantine (Hesger) by a Kohen for a week. As part of the process of Hesger, the Kohen must stand outside of the house and close its door. Before the Kohen puts the house into quarantine, he commands that the house be emptied of its contents to prevent its utensils from becoming Tamei.

(b)The Torah states (Vayikra 14:39), "v'Shav ha'Kohen," to prescribe that the Kohen return six days later to check the house. If the Tzara'as has spread, one must remove (Choletz) the stones with Tzara'as from the house, scrape off the surrounding plaster, insert new stones and re-plaster the entire house. The house is then put into quarantine for another week. If the Tzara'as returns to the house during the following week, the owner must dismantle (Notetz) the entire house (Vayikra 14:45). The stones from the house must be taken out of the city, and they remain Asur b'Hana'ah forever.

(c)On the other hand, if the Tzara'as did not change after the first week, the Kohen leaves it as is and returns again six days later. The verse states (Vayikra 14:44) "u'Va ha'Kohen," which means "if, when the Kohen comes back to the house to inspect it a second time, he finds that the spot of Tzara'as has spread, the house is Tamei." Chazal teach that this verse is referring to a spot of Tzara'as that does not spread during its first week. The Kohen "comes back to the house" after a second week to see whether the spot has spread, remains, or has disappeared. If the Tzara'as has either spread or remained, one must remove (Choletz) the stones with Tzara'as from the house, scrape off the surrounding plaster, insert new stones and re-plaster the entire house. The house is then put into quarantine for another week (Vayikra 14:40). If the Tzara'as returns to the house during the following week, the owner must dismantle (Notetz) the entire house (Vayikra 14:45). The stones from the house must be taken out of the city, and they remain Asur b'Hana'ah forever.

(d)Even though the words "v'Shav" and "u'Va" are not identical, they are referring to the same action; namely, the Kohen entering the house to inspect it. This relates the two verses to each other with a Gezeirah Shavah. Just as the house is not dismantled if the Tzara'as spreads during the first week - unless the stones are scraped and the Tzara'as returned to the house after a week of quarantine - so, too, the house is not dismantled if the Tzara'as spread during the second week unless it returns to the house after the quarantine period that follows the scraping.

(e)If, during one of the inspections at the end of the first or second week, the Kohen finds that the Tzara'as has disappeared or diminished in intensity such that it can no longer be classified as a Nega, the location of the spot alone is scraped and the house is declared Tahor after the owner follows the procedure for being Metaher houses (see Background to Sukah 13:10:IV) (RAMBAM Hilchos Tum'as Tzara'as 15:2).