Tzaraath - Hebrew Bible

Hebrew Bible

The Torah identifies three manifestations of tzaraath: as an affliction of human skin, (Leviticus 13:2) of garments (Leviticus 13:47) and of houses (Leviticus 14:34). The Torah also speaks of tzaraath on two other occasions, one in reference to Moses and the other in reference to his sister, Miriam. In Exodus 4:6-7, when Moses is standing before the burning bush, he doubts that the sages who lead Israel will believe that he is the messenger of God. God provides him with two signs to prove his mission: turning his rod into a snake and then back into a rod and turning his hand into being stricken with tzaraath and then back again. Moses revealed these wonders to the sages in Exodus 4:30. In Numbers 12:10, Miriam was stricken with tzaraath for her involvement in slandering Moses. Aaron asks Moses to cure her via extraordinary means, because he claims that he, as her own brother, cannot examine, confine or purify her. Moses prays for his sister and she is cured of the tzaraath but must remain in confinement for seven days. The Torah, however, does not indicate that she went through any purification process similar to what is normally required, as elaborated on below.

"אדם כי יהיה בעור בשרו שאת או ספחת או בהרת לנגע צרעת והובא אל אהרן הכהן או אל אחד מבניו הכהנים"

"When a person has on the skin of his body a swelling, a rash, or a discoloration, and it develops into a scaly affection of the skin of his body, it shall be reported to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons, the priests. (JPS Tanakh, Leviticus)

According to some (such as ArtScroll/Mesorah) the three subdivisions of skin tzaraath are best left transliterated, rather than translated, because there are no equivalent English terms and any attempt to translate them greatly diminishes the distinctiveness and focus of the Hebrew term. Though this is not the view of the Jewish Publication Society nor of the Bible Society. Additionally, a diagnosis of tzaraath is not to be performed by anyone but a kohen (Jewish priest).

Some say the manifestation of tzaraath is termed a negah (נגע) "affliction", nega'im (plural: נגעים) and there are three varieties of nega'im that relate to human flesh:

1. boils and burns (Leviticus 13:18-28)
2. bald patches or lesions of the scalp or beard, the negah of which is called a נתק (netek)(Leviticus 13:29-44)