Their appearance changed, either leniently or stringently: How ‘‘leniently’’? [If] it was like snow and became like the lime of the Sanctuary, like white wool, or like egg membrane; [it] became a secondary shade [from] a s’eis, or [it became] a secondary shade [from] an intense [white]. How ‘‘stringently’’? It was like egg membrane and became like white wool, like the lime of the Sanctuary, or like snow. R’ Elazar ben Azaryah renders it tahor. R’ Elazar Chisma says: [If it changed] leniently, it is tahor, and [if it changed] stringently, it must be examined anew. R’ Akiva says: Whether [it changed] leniently or stringently, it must be examined anew.

[The Kohen] should confine a baheres that has nothing inside it [either] initially, [or] at the end of the first week; [if] at the end of the second week, [or] after the nega has become tahor, he should make it tahor. If he was still confining it or declaring it tahor when it developed symptoms of tumah, he should confirm it. [The Kohen] should confirm a baheres that has symptoms of tumah inside it. If he was still confirming it when the symptoms of tumah disappeared — [if] initially, [or] at the end of the first week, he confines [it]; [if] at the end of the second week, [or] after the nega has become tahor, he should make it tahor.

One who pulls out symptoms of tumah or one who burns a patch of living skin transgresses a prohibition. And [concerning] taharah: as long as he had not come to the Kohen, he is tahor; after his confirmation, he is tamei. R’ Akiva said: I asked Rabban Gamliel and R’ Yehoshua on their way to Gadvad: ‘‘[If he removed the nega symptoms] in the middle of his confinement, what [law applies to him]?’’ They said to me: ‘‘We did not hear, but we did hear, ‘as long as he had not come to the Kohen, he is tahor; after his confirmation, he is tamei.’ ’’ ‘‘I began bringing them proofs [that whether] one is standing before the Kohen, or one is in the middle of confinement [when he destroyed the tamei symptoms], he is tahor unless [he destroyed the tamei symptoms after] the Kohen declares him tamei.’’ From when does he become tahor? R’ Eliezer says: When another nega appears and he becomes tahor from it. The Sages say: Until it covers him completely, or until his baheres becomes smaller than a gris.

[If] someone had a baheres and it was cut off, it [becomes] tahor. [If] he cut it off intentionally, R’ Eliezer says: When another nega appears and he becomes tahor from it. The Sages say: Until it covers him completely. [If] it was on the tip of the foreskin, he shall circumcize [anyway].