How [does it cause] leniency? It contained white hair and the white hair disappeared; [the two white hairs] were white and turned black; one [was] white and one black, and they both turned black; [the hairs were] long and became short; one [hair was] long and one short, and they both became short; a boil touched one or both of the [white hairs]; a boil surrounded one or both [hairs]; [the hairs] were separated by a boil, the healing skin of a boil, a burn, the healing skin of a burn, or a dull white blemish; [the nega] contained living skin and the living skin disappeared; [the nega] was square and became round or oblong; it was surrounded, and moved to the side; it was together and became scattered; a boil covered, surrounded, divided, or decreased [the michyah] — whether this was done by a boil, the living skin of a boil, a burn, the living skin of a burn, or a dull white blemish; [the nega] had an expansion and then the expansion disappeared, or the original nega disappeared, or became smaller so that the two together do not contain a gris; a boil, the living skin on a boil, a burn, the living skin on a burn, or a dull white blemish divided between the original nega and its expansion. These cause leniency.

How does [the postponement] cause strin-gency? [The nega] contained no white hair and white hair appeared on it; [the hairs] were black and turned white; one was black and one white and they both turned white; they were short and became long; one was short and the other long, and they both became long; a boil touched or surrounded one or both [hairs], the [hairs] were separated by a boil, the healing skin of a boil, a burn, the healing skin of a burn, or a dull white blemish, and then [the boil, burn, or blemish] disappeared; [the nega] did not contain living skin and living skin appeared; [the living skin] was round or oblong and became square; [the living skin] was on the side [of the nega] and became surrounded; [the living skin] was scattered and came together; a boil covered [the living skin]; a boil, the living skin of a boil, a burn, the living skin of a burn, or a dull white blemish surrounded, divided, or made [the living skin] smaller and then [the boil, burn, or blemish] disappeared; [the nega] had no expansion and it expanded; a boil, the living skin of a boil, a burn, the living skin of a burn, or a dull white blemish divided the original nega from its expansion and then [the boil, burn, or blemish] disappeared. These cause stringency.

A bright baheres appears dull on a lightcomplexioned person, and a dull blemish appears bright on an Ethiopian. R’ Yishmael says: The Children of Israel, for whom I should be their atonement, are like boxwood, neither black nor white but an intermediate color. R’ Akiva says: Painters have dyes with which they paint shapes in black, white, and intermediate shades. He brings a dye of an intermediate color and paints around [the nega], which is then examined [by comparing it] to the intermediate color. R’ Yehudah says: Appearances of negaim are dealt with leniently and not strictly. A light-complexioned person is examined leniently [by comparing the nega] with his own skin, whereas an Ethiopian is examined leniently [by comparing the nega] to an intermediate color. The Sages say: Both [are compared] to an intermediate color.

We do not examine negaim in the [early] morning, nor in the [late] afternoon, nor inside the house, nor on a cloudy day, because what is dull appears bright. Nor [do we examine negaim] in the middle of the day because what is bright appears dull. When do we examine? During the third, fourth, fifth, seventh, eighth, and ninth hours, these are the words of R’ Meir. R’ Yehudah says: during the fourth, fifth, eighth, and ninth hours.