Once healed, the metzora is purified with cedar wood, hyssop, scarlet thread and two birds; all his flesh is shaved, he immerses, then enters Jerusalem and counts seven days. On the seventh he shaves again as the first time — head, beard, eyebrows —, immerses and waits for sunset. On the eighth he immerses once more, in the chamber of the metzora'im, at the north-west corner of the Ezrat Nashim: used to impurity, he may have become impure again since the day before. Rabbi Yehudah: he had no need to. Then he goes to stand at Sha'ar Nikanor.
Dimensions
- shaved on the seventh day
- immersed on the eighth
Sources
- Leviticus 14:9“וְהָיָה בַיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי יְגַלַּח אֶת כָּל שְׂעָרוֹ אֶת רֹאשׁוֹ וְאֶת זְקָנוֹ וְאֵת גַּבֹּת עֵינָיו”
- Rambam, Hilchot Mechusarei Kapparah 4:1“וּבַיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי מְגַלֵּחַ תִּגְלַחְתּוֹ שְׁנִיָּה כַּתִּגְלַחַת הָרִאשׁוֹנָה וְטוֹבֵל… מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהָיָה רָגִיל בְּטֻמְאָה… וְשֶׁמָּא נִטְמָא אַחַר שֶׁטָּבַל. לְפִיכָךְ טוֹבֵל בַּשְּׁמִינִי בְּעֶזְרַת הַנָּשִׁים בְּלִשְׁכַּת הַמְצֹרָעִים”
- Negaim 14:8“וְהַמְּצֹרָע טָבַל בְּלִשְׁכַּת הַמְּצֹרָעִים. בָּא וְעָמַד בְּשַׁעַר נִקָּנוֹר. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, לֹא הָיָה צָרִיךְ טְבִילָה”
- Middot 2:5“צְפוֹנִית מַעֲרָבִית, הִיא הָיְתָה לִשְׁכַּת מְצֹרָעִים”
Project decisionTour's choice: he comes out of the mikveh, dressed, turned toward the door; his place at the edge of the pool; his clothes.