Why does the Torah insert a 'Vav' in "ve'Im Baheres Hi"?
Sifra: To extend the current Din to all of the appearances, which are listed earlier.
What are the cinnotations of "Baheres Levanah"?
What are the implications of the word "ve'Im Baheres Levanah Hi"?
Shevu'os, 6b: To extrapolate "Hi" 'Levanah, ve'Ein Acheres Levanah', inplying that Baheres is as white as snow, which is the whitest thing that exists.
How will we reconcile the statement "ve'Amok Ein Mar'ehah min ha'Or" with the statement in Pasuk 3 "u'Mar'eh ha'Nega Amok me'Or Besaro"?
Rashi: This remains difficult. Refer to 13:3:2:1***.
Ramban #1 (on Pasuk 3), citing Rashi): Refer to 13:3:2:1***. 1
Ramban #2 and Rashbam #1 (both on Pasuk 3): The current Pasuk is referring to Se'eis, and Pasuk 3, to Baheres.
Rashbam #2: The current Pasuk is discussing where the Nega is less white than any of the four Mar'os Nega'im that render him a Metzora. 2
Seforno: The current Pasuk is discussing where also the skin is more white than usual. Moshav Zekenim, Da'as Zekenim citing the Maharam - in an albino, who is even whiter than Baheres 3 , it does not appear deeper (Nega'im 2:1). 4
Targum Yonasan: Refer to 13:4:0.1:1.
Ra'avad (Hilchos Tum'as Tzara'as 1:6): Only Baheres is deeper than the skin. 5
Riva, Hadar Zekenim and Da'as Zekenim: Regarding Sh'chin (Pasuk 20), Sifra includes what is 'Shavah l'Gavoha', i.e. the Nega is not recessed into the skin. Also here, we include what is even with the skin. 6
Moshav Zekenim (citing the Maharam): "Ein Mar'eha Min ha'Or" starts a new topic. The Pasuk means that the Baheres is Amok; its [deep] appearance is [due to the whiteness, and] not min (due to) the skin. 7
Chasdei David (on Tosefta 1:6, based on the Ra'avad in the Sifra): A Baheres sometimes appears deeper that the skin and sometimes not, whereas a Se'eis always appears higher.
Maharam Shik (YD 400): The prefix 'Vav' in "ve'Amok" alludes to Baheres and another [small] Nega that combine to make-up the Shi'ur. This explains why the Pasuk begins "ve'Im Baheres", even though the previous Pasuk also discussed Baheres.
Because then, it does not appear deeper than the skin - just like a dark spot in an area on which the sun is shining. (According to this, if some hairs turned white, and black hairs remain, he is not Tamei. But Rashi states that if two hairs turned white, he is Tamei! - PF).
Da'as Zekenim: How can a person be whiter than snow?
The Mishnah only discusses whether we view a Nega against his skin, or against that of an average person. R. Shimshon there says that a bright Baheres looks weak on him. (PF) Maharam Shik (YD 400) - How can we answer for R. Yehudah, who states that a Gormani is judged based on his skin? If so, he is Tahor!
Maharam Shik (YD 400): The Pasuk discusses a Baheres! The Sifra includes Se'eis; the Pasuk means, when Se'eis is next to Baheres, it is not deeper. Or, the prefix 'Vav' in "ve'Amok" means 'or'; if it is a Nega other than Baheres, which is not deeper?
Riva: This is difficult, because if it discusses the depth of the Nega, it should have omitted the word "Mar'eha"!
Maharam: And the Ta'amim (Neginos) support this (Perhaps the Maharam had a different tradition of Ta'amim. In our Chumashim, the notes on "ve'Amok Ein Mar'ehah min ha'Or" are 'Pashta Munach Zakef Katan' - which are all read together (PF).
What are the connotations of the word "ve'Hinei" used a number of times in the Parshah, in connection with a Musgar?
Rashbam (in Toldos Bereishis, 25:24 and Ba'al ha'Turim: It applies to something that was not known initially and subsequently became known. 1
Rashbam and Ba'al ha'Turim: Like "ve'Hinei hi Le'ah", in Vayeitzei, Bereishis, 23:25.
What are the connotations of "ve'Hisgir ha'Kohen es ha'Nega"?
Rashi: It means that the Kohen confines him to his house 1 and does not see the Nega for a week. Then, the Simanim will determine his status. 2
Refer to 13:4:151:2 & 3.
See Sifsei Chachamim. This implies that he is not permitted to move to another house, so that in a week's time, the Kohen will be able to examine him in the same location.
Refer to 13:4:151:1.
Abaye comments "Baheres Levanah Hi" - 'Nothing is whiter than it!' Why is this necessary? Why do we not already know this from the fact that it is deeper than a Se'eis?
Moshav Zekenim: One might have erred to think that Se'eis is an expression of whiteness, since the Torah writes "Se'eis Levanah" - in Pasuk 10), or an expression of attributes, like "Yeser Se'eis ve'Yeser Az" - in Vay'chi Bereishis, 49:3, which refers to the attributes of Bechorah and Kehunah.
QUESTIONS ON RASHI
Rashi writes that the Kohen quarantines him in his house. In all of Maseches Nega'im, we do not find a person being quarantined in his house? Moreover, the Torah writes "Vehisgir? ha'Nega", and not 'Vehisgir ha'Nagu'a'? (For a garment and house, "Hesger" refers only to the Nega (unless a D'rashah includes around it)?
Ha'Kesav ve'ha'Kabalah: Rashi does not mean that the Kohen locks the door. He did not mention this. The Mishnah in Nega'im 1:12 teaches us that he may enter the Beis ha'Keneses! In fact, even a Bayis ha'Menuga does not need to be locked, but that he closes the door, to prevent it from being open to passersby.
Moshav Zekenim (in Pasuk 5) citing the Rosh: One marks around the Nega (with red dye 1 - Me'iri citing some Ge'onim) to see whether it spread, 2 like we find by Nega'im of the head. 3
Hadar Zekenim: The Kohen does not see the Nega for a week. Then, he will be able to judge if it grew. If he saw it every day, he would not be able o descern the difference between one day and the next.
Moshav Zekenim: A Tosefta teaches that sometimes we are Masgir two Nega'im in a person, and sometimes only one of them! A Tosefta teaches that Hesger is with ink, or red dye. (Tosefta, 4:3) discusses being Masgir only one; I did not find the other Toseftos that he cites - PF). Also Minchas Chinuch (Mitzvah 19, 10) cites the Tur citing the Rosh, to say that Hesger is with red dye.
Ha'Kesav ve'ha'Kabalah: This is difficult, bearing in mmind the Halachh that if a Kohen saw a Nega and died, another Kohen cannot tell whether or not it spread!
Da'as Zekenim and Hadar Zekenim: We we cannot say that he marks around the Nega, since the Metzora could erase it and make a new mark! Only regarding Nega'im of the head, he marks it through shaving hairs around it - which cannot be forged.
