📘 Rashi Q&A
📘 Rashi Q&A Rishon — Vayikra 12:1–8
12:2 — Order of the Laws
Q1. Why are the laws of childbirth stated after the laws of animals and birds?
A: Rabbi Simlai explains that just as man was created after animals, so too his laws appear after theirs.
12:2 — “If a Woman Conceives”
Q2. What does “כִּי תַזְרִיעַ” come to include?
A: Even if she gave birth to a dissolved fetus resembling semen, she becomes ritually defiled.
12:2 — Like Menstrual Defilement
Q3. What is meant by “כִּימֵי נִדַּת דְּוֹתָהּ”?
A: Childbirth defilement follows all the laws of menstrual defilement, even without blood flow.
Q4. What does the word “דְּוֹתָהּ” mean according to Rashi?
A:
- Something that flows from the body, or
- Pain and sickness, since menstruation brings bodily heaviness.
12:4 — Blood of Purity
Q5. What does “תֵּשֵׁב” mean in this verse?
A: It simply means remain, not sitting.
Q6. What does “בִּדְמֵי טָהֳרָה” teach?
A: Even though blood appears, it does not cause ritual defilement.
Q7. Why is the letter ה in טָהֳרָה sometimes pronounced and sometimes not?
A:
- When unpronounced, it is a noun meaning purity.
- When pronounced, it is a possessive: “her days of purity.”
12:4 — Touching Sacred Items
Q8. What does “לֹא תִגָּע” mean here?
A: It prohibits eating consecrated food, not physical touch.
Q9. Why does the verse say “בְּכָל־קֹדֶשׁ”?
A: To include terumah, since she is in an extended tevul‑yom state.
12:7 — Which Offering Purifies
Q10. What does the suffix “וְהִקְרִיבוֹ” teach?
A: That only one offering is essential to permit her eating sacred food.
Q11. Which offering is essential?
A: The sin‑offering, because purification depends on atonement.
Q12. What does “וְטָהֲרָה” imply?
A: That prior to this point she was still considered ritually defiled regarding sancta.
12:8 — Order of Offerings
Q13. Why is the ascent‑offering listed before the sin‑offering?
A: Because it is entirely burned, but in practice the sin‑offering is brought first.
📘 Rashi Q&A — Vayikra 13:1–23
13:2 — Types of Lesions
Q14. What are שְׂאֵת, סַפַּחַת, and בַּהֶרֶת?
A: Names of tzara’at‑lesions, differing in whiteness.
Q15. What is the meaning of “בַּהֶרֶת”?
A: A bright spot, similar to brightness in the sky.
13:2 — Role of the Priest
Q16. Why must the lesion be brought to a priest?
A: Because defilement or purity takes effect only by priestly declaration.
13:3 — Signs of Defilement
Q17. What does “הָפַךְ לָבָן” mean?
A: Dark hairs turned white within the lesion.
Q18. What is the minimum number of hairs?
A: Two hairs.
Q19. What does “עָמֹק מֵעוֹר בְּשָׂרוֹ” mean?
A: The lesion appears deeper because of its whiteness.
13:4 — Quarantine
Q20. What does Rashi say about “וְעָמֹק אֵין־מַרְאֶהָ”?
A: Rashi says he does not know its meaning.
Q21. What does “וְהִסְגִּיר” mean?
A: The priest confines him so the condition may clarify.
13:5–6 — Second Examination
Q22. What does “בְּעֵינָיו” mean?
A: The lesion remains in its original size and color.
Q23. What does כֵּהָה mean?
A: The lesion faded.
Q24. What is מִסְפַּחַת?
A: A pure lesion, not tzara’at.
Q25. Why must he immerse his garments?
A: Because quarantine renders him temporarily defiled.
13:8 — Final Defilement
Q26. What happens once the priest declares him defiled?
A: The status is conclusive, requiring the full metzora process.
Q27. What does “צָרַעַת הִוא” mean here?
A: That the mispachat became tzara’at.
13:10–11 — Old Tzara’at
Q28. What does “מִחְיַת בָּשָׂר” mean?
A: Healthy‑looking flesh, which is itself a sign of defilement.
Q29. What does “צָרַעַת נוֹשֶׁנֶת” mean?
A: An old, festering affliction hidden beneath healthy flesh.
13:12–13 — White All Over
Q30. Why is total whiteness pure?
A: Because no healthy flesh remains visible.
Q31. What limitation does Rashi note on priestly examination?
A: A priest with impaired eyesight may not examine lesions.
13:14 — Live Flesh Appears
Q32. What special case does this verse teach?
A: If a lesion on a limb tip becomes fully visible due to healing or fat, it renders defilement.
Q33. Why does the verse say “וּבְיוֹם”?
A: To teach that some days lesions are not examined, such as during weddings or festivals.
13:18–23 — Inflammation (Shechin)
Q34. What does “שְׁחִין” mean?
A: An inflammation caused by heat, not fire.
Q35. What does “נִרְפָּא” mean?
A: It partially healed and another lesion replaced it.
Q36. What is meant by “בַּהֶרֶת לְבָנָה אֲדַמְדָּמֶת”?
A: A mixture of white and red.
Q37. What does “מַרְאֶהָ שָׁפָל” mean?
A: The spot appears lower due to whiteness, not actual depth.
Q38. What does “צָרֶבֶת הַשְּׁחִין” mean?
A: The scar of the inflammation.