AND THE LORD SPOKE UNTO MOSES AND TO AARON. For the kohanim distinguish between a woman who has an issue (zavah) and one who menstruates (niddah).¹ Compare the Rabbinic interpretation on between blood and blood² then the kohen shall decide the aforementioned. The Rabbis interpret between blood and blood as meaning between “between menstrual blood and blood of an issue and blood of childbirth (Sifre, on Deut. 17:8).” (Deut. 17:8). Scripture now begins to deal with those who become unclean from a hidden source,³ for until now it dealt with leprosy which is a visible plague.

footnotes: ¹ Hence this commandment was also communicated to Aaron. ² Deuteronomy 17:8-9 states that if there be a dispute regarding blood and blood ³ Such as an issue.

AN ISSUE. The word zav (issue) is similar to the word zavat (flowing) in flowing with milk (Ex. 44:13). Zav refers to dripping drops.⁴

footnotes: ⁴ I.E. interprets Ex. 44:13 as “dripping with milk.”

OUT OF HIS FLESH. A euphemism for the male’s private part.⁵ is a euphemism for the penis.

footnotes: ⁵ Flesh

HIS ISSUE. Zovo (his issue) is a noun.⁶

footnotes: ⁶ With the pronominal suffix.

AND THIS SHALL BE HIS UNCLEANLINESS. This means the issue takes two forms.⁷ (v. 3).

footnotes: ⁷ His flesh will run with his issue or be stopped with his issue

HIS FLESH RUN WITH HIS ISSUE. The word rar (run) is related to the word riro (his spittle) in, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard (I Sam. 21:14).

OR BE STOPPED. The word hechtim means stopped. It is related to the word chatum (sealed) in that is sealed (Is. 29:11). It means that the issue pools and congeals so that semen is not ejaculated when the afflicted sleeps with a women.

The same law applies to what the one who has an issue lies or sits on.⁸ Similarly, there is one law regarding the one who touches what the afflicted lies on or sits on.⁹

footnotes: ⁸ They have to be immersed in water and are unclean till the evening. ⁹ He has to immerse himself and his clothes and remains unclean until evening.

ANDS HE THAT TOUCHETH THE FLESH OF HIM THAT HATH THE ISSUE. Any part without exception.¹⁰ refers to the penis here it refers to any organ. Thus the meaning of and he that toucheth the flesh of him that hath the issue means, and he that touches any part of him that has the issue.

footnotes: ¹⁰ Unlike earlier (v. 2 and v. 3) where the word flesh

SPIT. The meaning of yarok (spit) is known. It comes from a double root.¹¹. The fact that the kof of rukki (my spittle) (Job 7:19) has a dagesh is proof of this.¹² compensates for the missing root kof. Note, the spit of the one who suffers an issue is harmful,¹³ for the issue is one of the infectious diseases. It is not the practice of men to spit in the face of other people.¹⁴ (ve-khi) he that hath an issue spit upon him that is clean could conceivably be rendered, and when (ve-khi) he that hath an issue spit upon him that is clean. “And when” implies that this is the normal course of events. Hence I.E.’s comment. What happened occurred unintentionally. The one suffering from an issue expectorated his spittle and it fell on a clean person.¹⁵ is to be rendered as “and if” that is and if by accident.

footnotes: ¹¹ Its root is resh, kof, kof ¹² For the dagesh ¹³ Hence it is a source of uncleanliness. ¹⁴ And if ¹⁵ In other words, ve-khi

AND WHAT SADDLE. Which, as the transmitters of tradition explained, becomes unclean.¹⁶ (saddle) refers to equipment set aside for riding. See Torat Kohanim, Metzora 3:9. Also see Rashi, “…The hold in front of the saddle…becomes unclean as a part of something for riding on (mercav)…and the saddle…is unclean as being something to sit upon (moshav)” (Rosenbaum and Silverman translation).

footnotes: ¹⁶ According to the Rabbis the term mercav

ANY THING THAT IS UNDER HIM. Under the saddle shall become lightly unclean.¹⁷ However, the uncleanliness of those who carry them¹⁸ is more strict.¹⁹

footnotes: ¹⁷ It does not require immersion of garments (Weiser). ¹⁸ The objects earlier mentioned, i.e., that which the one having an issue lies upon, sits upon, or rides upon. ¹⁹ It requires the immersion of garments.

WITHOUT HAVING RINSED HIS HANDS IN WATER. It would have appeared to us²⁰ that any food or anything similar, that the one having an issue touched by hand,²¹ means touched by hand. and the hands were washed, is not unclean, for the afflicted did not touch the place of the issue.²² However, since we saw that our fathers²³ explained that the hands are like the body²⁴ means without immersing his body. See Niddah 66b; Kiddushin 25a. we accept their words. According to the plain meaning of our verse if the one experiencing an issue touches someone with hands that have been washed the one touched is unclean but his garments are not unclean. However, if the one suffering the issue did not wash his hands then the garments are unclean.²⁵ there is no difference whether the one having an issue touched a person with hands that have or have not been washed. This law is similar²⁶ to the one regarding he who touches anything which is under the saddle.²⁷

footnotes: ²⁰ From a plain reading of the text. ²¹ In others words, toucheth ²² The hands most certainly did not have any issue on them, hence his hands do not defile. However, if the hands were not washed they may have come into contact with his issue, hence they defile. ²³ The Rabbis of the Talmud. ²⁴ According to the Rabbis the term hands in our verse does not only refer to the hands. It refers to the whole body. According tao the Rabbis without having rinsed his hands with water ²⁵ According to halakhah ²⁶ In that at times it entails a light uncleanliness and at times a strict uncleanliness. ²⁷ One who touches that which is under the saddle becomes lightly unclean. However, one carries these objects becomes more strictly unclean. See I.E. on verse 10.

FOR HIS CLEANSING.²⁸, literally, to his cleansing. From the day of his cleansing.²⁹ of le-taharrato is not to be rendered to, but from. Hence le-tahorrato is to be interpreted, from his cleaning.

footnotes: ²⁸ Hebrew, le-taharrato ²⁹ The lamed

The sacrifice consists of a burnt-offering³⁰ and a sin-offering,³¹ for the issue is a punishment for sin.

footnotes: ³⁰ To atone for evil thoughts. See I.E. on Lev. 1:4. The reference might be to thoughts of forbidden sexual practices. See next note. ³¹ To atone for transgressions actually committed. According to Krinsky the reference is to prohibited sexual practices. The fact that Scripture goes on to speak of a man having an emission of semen might support this interpretation.

GO OUT. Involuntarily.³²

footnotes: ³² For verse 18 speaks of voluntary emission of semen.

FLOW OF SEED. Shikhvat (flow) is similar to shikhvat (layer) in the layer of dew (Ex. 16:14).³³ It is related to the word yashkiv (pour out) in who can pour out (Job 38:37).

footnotes: ³³ Which I.E. renders a descent or a pouring down of dew. See I.E. on Ex. 16:14 (Vol. 2, p. 320).

It would appear to us³⁴ that the garment or the skin requires washing if it has wet semen or dry semen on it.³⁵ However, the truth lies with the words of tradition.³⁶ 7:1 states, “Semen [coveys] uncleanliness when wet but not when dry.”

footnotes: ³⁴ From the plain meaning of the text. ³⁵ If it come into contact with wet or dry semen, for the verse does not differentiate among them. ³⁶ The Mishnah in Niddah

Scripture³⁷ concludes the laws of the male.³⁸ It then begins with the female.³⁹

footnotes: ³⁷ In verse 18. ³⁸ Who has a normal or abnormal discharge from his penis. ³⁹ Who has a normal or abnormal discharge of blood.

IN HER FLESH. In the women’s private part. Those who explain then he shall bathe all his flesh (v. 16) which is written concerning one who ejaculates as referring to the penis⁴⁷ err. The word all is proof.⁴⁸ in our verse does not only apply to the penis.

footnotes: ⁴⁷ They take the word flesh to mean penis. See I.E. on verse 2. ⁴⁸ That they err, for “all” takes in the entire body. Thus flesh

The meaning of And if he be on the bed (v. 23) refers back to the object⁴⁰ (hu) be on the bed as, And if it be on the bed, for the word hu may mean he or it. that she sits upon (v. 22). Now the object⁴¹ is on the bed or the object⁴² is on another object.⁴³ The uncleanliness is therefore light.⁴⁴ Scripture does not mention a saddle with regards to a women for Scripture speaks of what is prevalent.⁴⁵ (cattle). According to this version our text reads, for Scripture speaks of [an] animal. The latter is probably to be interpreted, Scripture speaks of one who usually rides on an animal, that is, males, and not females. The law is the same.⁴⁶

footnotes: ⁴⁰ I.E. renders And if he ⁴¹ The object which a person touches. ⁴² The object which a person touches. ⁴³ Upon which the women sits. ⁴⁴ The one who touches it does not have to immerse his garments. ⁴⁵ Most of riding was done by men. Some editions read behamah ⁴⁶ This law applies to both men and women.

AND IF ANY MAN LIE WITH HER. Without any sinful intent.⁴⁹ On the contrary, he erred in sleeping with her.⁵⁰ Behold her menstrual flow came while he was with her. This is the meaning of be upon him, for the one who sleeps with a menstruating women incurs the penalty of karet.⁵¹ The same law applies to a women who has an issue,⁵² even though it is not stated.

footnotes: ⁴⁹ He has no intention in engaging in coitus with a menstruating women. ⁵⁰ He was not aware that her menstrual flow would commence while he slept with her. ⁵¹ See Lev. 20:18. Had the man had an evil intention when he had intercourse with the menstruating women then Scripture would have mentioned that he committed a major sin. Scripture appears to state, as a matter of fact, that a man who sleeps with a menstruating woman is unclean. One may take this to imply that one is permitted to sleep with a menstruating woman but is unclean if he does so. Hence I.E.’s comments. ⁵² The same law applies to one who engages in coitus with a women who has an issue.

AND EVERY BED WHEREON HE LIETH SHALL BE UNCLEAN. For he is unclean for seven days. He also defiles others. The latter is so even though it is not stated.

MANY DAYS NOT IN THE TIME OF HER IMPURITY. Every women has fixed periods. Or, she had an issue added to her menstruation.⁵³

footnotes: ⁵³ Her flow continued beyond her menstrual period.

AND BRING THEM. Ve-hevi’ah (and bring them) is ultimately accented. It is an irregular word.⁵⁴

footnotes: ⁵⁴ It should have been penultimately accented.

THUS SHALL YE SEPARATE. Some say that ve-hizzartem (thus shall ye separate) is missing a heh⁵⁵ comes from the root zayin, heh, resh. and is to be interpreted ve-hizzhartem (and you shall warn). This cannot be so, for the heh is not vowel letter.⁵⁶ It is only silent at the end of a word.⁵⁷ On the contrary, ve-hizzartem is related to the word ve-yinnazeru (that they separate)⁵⁸. in that they separate themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel (Lev. 22:2). The meaning of that ve-hizzartem is, and you shall distance.⁵⁹. The word nazir (nazirite) is derived from the same root. A nazir is one who has distanced himself from the lusts of the world. Ve-hizzartem is vocalized like the word ve-hippaltem (and you shall divide)⁶⁰. in, and you shall divide the land (Ezek. 45:1), for the nun⁶¹ and ve-hippaltem. is swallowed in the dagesh.⁶² of ve-hizzartem and the peh of ve-hippaltem.

footnotes: ⁵⁵ According to this interpretation ve-hizzartem ⁵⁶ A vowel letter is occasionally dropped, for it is not sounded. ⁵⁷ It serves as a vowel letter at the end of the word. However, when it comes in the middle of a word it is sounded. Hence it is not dropped. ⁵⁸ It comes from the root nun, zayin, resh ⁵⁹ Or thus shall ye separate ⁶⁰ From the root nun, peh, lamed ⁶¹ The root nuns of ve-hizzartem ⁶² In the zayin

IN THEIR UNCLEANLINESS. Be-tumatam (in their uncleanliness) is to be rendered because of their uncleanliness.⁶³ of be-tumatam has the meaning of “because.” Its meaning is, when they defile My tabernacle.⁶⁴ explains because of their uncleanliness. The point is that Scripture does not prohibit being “unclean.” It only does so when one enters the tabernacle in a state of impurity.

footnotes: ⁶³ The bet ⁶⁴ When they defile My tabernacle

SO THAT HE IS UNCLEAN THEREBY. There is a Divine command for him to be in a state of ritual impurity. I will explain this later.⁶⁵

footnotes: ⁶⁵ See I.E. on Lev. 18:20.

Whether it be a man explains the law of him that hath an issue (v. 32).

With her that is unclean refers to a women who has an issue or menstruates.