Negaim 4:7-8

Negaim 4:7

Regarding a white spot that had healthy flesh and spreading, if the healthy flesh disappears, it is ritually unclean because of the spreading; if the spreading disappears, it is ritually unclean because of the healthy flesh. The same is true regarding white hair and spreading. If the white spot disappears and reappears at the end of the week, it is treated as though it had stayed the same. If it reappeared after being declared clean, it is inspected as a new nega. If it was originally bright white but is now dull white, or vice versa, it is treated as though it had stayed the same so long as it doesn’t become less white than the four basic shades. If it contracted and then spread, or vice versa, Rabbi Akiva declares it unclean and the Sages declare it clean.

Negaim 4:8

Let’s say that a white spot the size of a split bean spread by the area of half a split bean, plus half a split bean’s area of the original spot disappeared. Rabbi Akiva says it must be inspected as a new spot but the Sages declare it ritually clean.