Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah

Ibn Ezra on Leviticus 13:45/אבן עזרא על ויקרא י״ג:מ״ה

אבגדיו יהיו פרומים. כמו קרועים להכירו ללכת במנהג משונה או טעמו כענין אבל על כן בגדיו יהיו פרומים וראשו פרוע והטעם שיתאבל על רוע מעשיו כי בעבור מעשיו בא לו זה הנגע:

1HIS CLOTHES SHALL BE RENT. The word perumim means rent. The leper is to be so dressed so that he may be recognized because of his abnormal garb. Or the leper is to behave like a mourner. Scripture therefore states, his clothes shall be rent, and the hair of his head shall go loose. The reason for the latter is so that the leper mourn for his evil actions, for this plague came upon him because of his deeds.

בועל שפם. למעלה מהשפם והמ״ם מהשורש, והעד ולא עשה שפמו:

2HIS UPPER LIP. Safam refers to the upper lip. The mem of safam is a root letter. The word sefamo (his beard) in nor trimmed his beard (II Sam. 19:22)⁶⁹. is proof.⁷⁰ of safam were not a root letter, then it would not be present when the word is followed by a pronominal suffix.

גיעטה. בבגדיו מגזרת עוטה אור והטעם שלא יזיק ברוח פיו:

3AND HE SHALL COVER.⁷¹ With his garments. The word yateh (he shall cover) is related to the word oteh (coverest) in Who coverest Thyself with light (Ps. 104:2). He shall cover his upper lip so that he does not harm anyone with the breath of his mouth.

דוטמא. פעמים שיאמר כן תמיד בעברו במסלה שיש שם ישוב שישמרו בני אדם ולא יגעו בו:

4AND…UNCLEAN. The word unclean is repeated. When the leper passes on a road in an inhabited area he shall continually announce⁷² that he is unclean so that people will be on guard and not touch him.