Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 274
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(דברים כד ח) הִשָּׁמֶר, בְּלֹא תַעֲשֶׂה.
(Devarim 24:8) "Be heedful of the plague-spot of leprosy": This is a negative commandment.
בְּנֶגַע, זֶה שֵׂעָר לָבָן.
"of the plague-spot": This refers to (tearing out) the white hair.
הַצָּרַעַת, זוֹ מִחְיָה, אֵין לִי אֶלָּא עַד שֶׁלֹּא נִזְקַק לְטֻמְאָה, מִשֶּׁנִּזְקַק לְטֻמְאָה וְאַחַר הַפְּטוּר מִנַּיִן, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: לִשְׁמֹר מְאֹד וְלַעֲשׂוֹת.
"of leprosy": This refers to the michyah (viz. Vayikra 13:24). This tells me (that he is liable) only for (cutting) all of them. Whence do I derive (the same for) some of them? From "to heed it exceedingly and to do."
אֵין לִי אֶלָּא נִגְעֵי אָדָם, נִגְעֵי בְגָדִים וְנִגְעֵי בָתִּים מִנַּיִן? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר יוֹרוּ אֶתְכֶם הַכֹּהֲנִים הַלְוִיִּם.
This tells me only of plague-spots of men. Whence do I derive (the same for) plague-spots of garments and plague-spots of houses? From "according to all that the Cohanim, the Levites, teach you."
אֵין לִי אֶלָּא מִתּוֹךְ הֶחְלֵט, מִתּוֹךְ הֶסְגֵּר מִנַּיִן, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתִים.
This tells me (of liability) only in the instance of confirmation (of the plague-spot). Whence do I derive (the same for the instance of) quarantine and non-designation of "uncleanliness" (tumah)? From "as I have commanded them."
אֵין לִי אֶלָּא כֻּלָּם, מִנַּיִן אַף מִקְצָתָם? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: לִשְׁמוֹר. וְלַעֲשׂוֹת – עוֹשֶׂה אַתָּה בָּהּ וְהוֹלֵךְ וְאִי אַתָּה חוֹשֵׁשׁ שֶׁמָּא הָלְכָה לָהּ צָרַעְתּוֹ.
"so shall you observe to do": You may not do so (i.e., you may not remove a plague-spot deliberately), but you may tie the (shoe) thong around your foot, and you may place the (carrying) pole on your back, and if it is thereby removed, it is removed (and there is no liability).