[Another interpretation] (of Lev. 13:2): WHEN ANYONE HAS ON THE SKIN OF HIS FLESH A SWELLING OR A SORE OR A BRIGHT SPOT . Why do the plagues come?⁶⁷., Lev. 4:11; cf. Lev. R. 17:3. Because of harlotry. And so you find in Jerusalem, that because they were absorbed in harlotry, they were afflicted with leprosy. What is written there (in Is. 3:16)? MOREOVER, THE LORD SAID: BECAUSE THE DAUGHTERS OF ZION ARE HAUGHTY, AND WALK WITH EXTENDED NECK AND ROVING EYES …. Then it says (in vs. 17): THEREFORE THE LORD WILL SMITE WITH SORES (SPH) THE SCALPS OF THE DAUGHTERS OF ZION. [SMITE WITH SORES (SPH)⁶⁸ by rendering the S sound with a samekh in place of the biblical sin. must mean "with leprosy," since it is stated (with reference to leprosy in Lev. 13:2): A SWELLING OR A SORE (rt.: SPH).]⁶⁹ It also says (in Lev. 14:56): FOR A SWELLING AND FOR A SORE.

footnotes: ⁶⁷ Tanh ⁶⁸ The Buber text has misspelled SPH ⁶⁹ Here the S represents a samekh.