[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].

That which spreads completely from a tamei becomes tahor. [If] the extremities return [to normal appearance], he becomes tamei until his baheres becomes smaller than a gris. [That which spreads completely] from a tahor becomes tamei. [If] the extremities return [to normal appearance], he remains tamei until his baheres returns to the way it was.

A baheres the size of a gris contains living skin the size of a lentil. [If] it covers him completely and then the living skin disappears, or if the living skin disappears and then [the nega] covers him completely, [the afflicted person] is tahor. [If] living skin appeared [in a completely expanded nega], he is tamei. [If] white hair appeared on it, R’ Yehoshua renders it tamei, and the Sages render it tahor.

A baheres with white hair that [subsequently] covered him completely is tahor, even though the white hair remains. A baheres that expanded [and subsequently] covered him completely is tahor. All of these [cases] become tamei if the extremities return. [If] it spread partially, he is tamei; [if] it covered him completely, he is tahor.

Whenever extremities spread completely and the spreading rendered a tamei tahor, when they return, they render him tamei. Whenever extremities return and the returning rendered a tahor tamei, [if] they became covered [with nega], he is tahor. If they became uncovered, he is tamei, even a hundred times.

Anywhere subject to becoming tamei from nega of baheres impedes the [status of] complete spreading. Anywhere not subject to becoming tamei from nega of baheres does not impede the [status of] complete spreading. How so? [The nega] covered him completely except for the head or the beard, [or except for] on a raw boil, burn, or wound [lit. onto a rebellious boil, burn, or wound]. [If the hair of] the head or beard fell out; [or] the boil, burn, or wound partially healed, they [allow him to] remain tahor. [If] it covered him completely except for [an area the size] of half a lentil next to the head, beard, boil, burn, or wound, [and] subsequently [the hair of] the head or beard fell out, or the boil, burn or wound partially healed, even if the normal-looking skin became afflicted with baheres, he is tamei until it covers him completely.

[If] two beharos, one tamei and one tahor, spread from one to the other and then covered the afflicted person completely, [he] is tahor. On his upper lip, on his lower lip, on his two fingers, [or] on his two eyelids, even though [only] when they are pressed together [do] they appear as one, he is tahor. [If] it covered him completely except for a white blemish, he is tamei. [If after being covered completely,] his extremities reverted to a type of white blemish, he is tahor. [If] his extremities reverted [on a patch of skin] smaller than a lentil, R’ Meir renders it tamei. And the Sages say: A white blemish smaller than a lentil is an indication of tumah originally, but is not an indication of tumah afterwards.

The [Kohen] shall confine someone who comes completely white. [If] white hair appears, [the Kohen] confirms [him]. [Then, either] both or one of [the white hairs] became black or shortened, a boil touched or surrounded both or one of [the white hairs], [or the white hairs] became separated by [either] a boil, the healing skin of a boil, a burn, the healing skin of a burn, or a dull white blemish. [If, subsequently,] a patch of living skin or white hair appears, [the afflicted person] is tamei. [If] no patch of living skin appeared nor any white hair, he is tahor. In all cases, if the extremities revert [to a normal appearance], they remain as they were. [If] it covered him partially, he is tamei. [If] it covered him completely, he is tahor.