Vayikra 13:33

33 He shall be shaven, but the scale shall he not shave; and the kohen shall quarantine him that hath the scale another shivat yamim;

Vayikra 13:33 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 13:33

He shall be shaven
His head or beard, where the scall was, as Aben Ezra; and so Ben Gersom, who adds, the law is not solicitous whether this shaving is by a priest or not; so it seems any one might shave him: but the scall shall he not shave;
that is, the hair that is in it, but that was to continue and grow, that the colour of it might be easily discerned at the end of seven other days; according to the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan, he was to shave round about it, but not that itself; Jarchi says, he was to leave two hairs near it F21, that he might know whether it spread; for if it spread it would go over the hairs, and into the part that was shaven; when it would be a clear case it was a spreading leprosy: now, that there might be an opportunity of observing this, whether it would or not, the following method was to be taken: and the priest shall shut up [him that hath] the scall seven days
more;
by which time it would be seen whether there was any increase or decrease, or whether at a stand, and of what colour the hair was, by which judgment might be made of the case.


FOOTNOTES:

F21 Misn. Negaim, c. 10. sect. 5.

Vayikra 13:33 In-Context

31 And if the kohen examine the nega of the scale, and, hinei, it be not in appearance deeper than the skin, and that there is no black hair in it, then the kohen shall quarantine him that hath the nega of the scale shivat yamim;
32 And in the yom hashevi’i the kohen shall examine the nega; and, hinei, if the scale spread not, and there be in it no yellow hair, and the scale be not in appearance deeper than the skin,
33 He shall be shaven, but the scale shall he not shave; and the kohen shall quarantine him that hath the scale another shivat yamim;
34 And in the yom hashevi’i the kohen shall examine the scale; and, hinei, if the scale be not spread in the skin, nor be in appearance deeper than the skin, then the kohen shall pronounce him tahor; and he shall wash his clothes, and be tahor.
35 But if the scale spread much in the skin after his tohorah,
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