‘‘Deposited hair’’ — Akavya ben Mahalalel rules it tamei and the Sages rule it tahor. What is ‘‘deposited hair’’? Someone had a baheres with white hair. The baheres disappeared, leaving the white hair in place, and [subsequently] returned. Akavya ben Mahalalel rules ‘‘deposited hair’’ to be tamei, and the Sages rule it tahor. R’ Akiva said: ‘‘I agree that this case is tahor [because it is not ‘deposited hair’]. What is ‘deposited hair’? Someone had a baheres the size of a gris that contained two [white] hairs. [The baheres] receded half a gris, leaving the white hair on the remaining baheres, and [subsequently] returned.’’  They said to him: ‘‘Just like Akavya’s opinion is disregarded, so is your opinion not upheld.“

Any doubt concerning negaim initially is [ruled] tahor, as long as [the afflicted person] has not been confirmed tamei. Once [the afflicted person] has been confirmed tamei, a doubt is [ruled] tamei. How so? Two [people] came to a Kohen, one with a baheres the size of a gris, and the other with [a baheres] the size of a sela. At the end of the week, both [beharos] are the size of a sela, and it is unknown which is the one that spread. Whether [both beharos are] on one person or on two people, [each baheres] is [ruled] tahor. R’ Akiva says: With one person it is tamei; with two people it is tahor.

Once [the afflicted person] has been confirmed tamei, a doubt is [ruled] tamei. How so? Two people came to a Kohen, one with a baheres the size of a gris and the other with [a baheres] the size of a sela. If at the end of the week, both [beharos] are larger than a sela, they both become confirmed tamei. Even if both [negaim] revert to the size of a sela, they both remain tamei, until they both become [as small as] a gris. This is what was said: Once [the afflicted person] has been confirmed tamei, a doubt is [ruled] tamei.

A basic baheres is the size of a Cilician gris squared. The area of a gris is equivalent to nine lentils. The area of a lentil is equivalent to [the area on which] four hairs [grow]. Thus, there are thirty-six hairs [in a nega].