Tzaraath - Affliction of Clothing

Affliction of Clothing

Tzaraath can also afflict garments (Leviticus 13:47). Garment tzaraath is relevant to only three materials:

1. wool (Hebrew צמר)
2. linen (Hebrew פשתים)
3. Two types of leather are indicated in Leviticus 13:48:
   1. unworked leather (עור)
   2. finished leather (כל מלאכת עור, literally "all worked leather")

In a wool or linen garment, the tzaraath may appear as a uniformly existing negah within the material or as a negah limited to either only the woof or warp (או בשתי או בערב) of the garment (Leviticus 13:48).

There are a number of limitations to tzaraath as it applies to clothing:

• Clothing belonging to a gentile are insusceptible to tzaraath.
• Only sheep's wool is susceptible to a negah of tzaraath, although an even mixture of sheep's wool and another type of wool (camel's wool, for example) can be afflicted. In a similar vein, a mixture of plant fibers containing linen is insusceptible unless it is at least half linen.
• The leather referring to by the Torah does not include the hides of marine animals.
• The fabric of wool or linen or leather article cannot be rendered impure by tzaraath if it is artificially dyed. If, however, the item is naturally colored (such as wool from a black sheep), it can be rendered impure.