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Ramban on Leviticus 13:52/רמב"ן על ויקרא י״ג:נ״ב

אכִּי צָרַעַת מַמְאֶרֶת הִיא לְשׁוֹן "סִלּוֹן מַמְאִיר" (יחזקאל כח כד), וּמִדְרָשׁוֹ (תו"כ נגעים פרק יד יא) תֵּן לוֹ מְאֵרָה שֶׁלֹּא תֵּהָנֶה מִמֶּנּוּ, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על ויקרא י"ג:נ"א). וְאוּנְקְלוֹס (תרגום אונקלוס על ויקרא י"ג:נ"ב) תִּרְגֵּם "סְגִירוּת מְחַזְּרָא" שֶׁעֲשָׂאוֹ כֵן מִן "סִלּוֹן מַמְאִיר", שֶׁכֵּן קוֹרִין בַּאֲרָמִית לַקּוֹצִים הַמַּכְאִיבִים "חִזְרֵי", כְּחִזְרָא בִּגְבָבָא דְּעַמְרָא (ברכות ח), שְׁקִילִי טֵיבוּתָךְ וּשְׁדִי אַחִזְרֵי (שבת סג). וְהָאֱמֶת שֶׁהוּא לְשׁוֹן מְאֵרָה, כְּלוֹמַר שֶׁהִיא קִלְלַת אֱלֹהִים בַּבֶּגֶד וּבַבַּיִת כַּאֲשֶׁר הִזְכַּרְתִּי (רמב"ן על ויקרא י"ג:מ"ז). וְהַמִּדְרָשׁ שֶׁאָמַר שֶׁהוּא אָסוּר בַּהֲנָאָה - מִיִּתּוּר הַלָּשׁוֹן. וְכֵן הַדִּין בְּבַיִת הַמְּנֻגָּע, וְנִלְמַד מִ"וְנָתַץ אֶת הַבַּיִת" (ויקרא י"ד:מ"ה). וְכָךְ מָצָאתִי בְּמַסֶּכֶת עָרְלָה יְרוּשַׁלְמִי (פ"ג ה"ג), אֲבָנִים הַמְּנֻגָּעוֹת שֶׁעֲשָׂאָן סִיד, אִית תַּנַּיֵי תָּנֵי עָלוּ מִידֵי טֻמְאָתָן, וְאִית תַּנַּיֵי תָּנֵי לֹא עָלוּ מִידֵי טֻמְאָתָן. מַאן דְּאָמַר עָלוּ מֻתָּרוֹת, וּמַאן דְּאָמַר לֹא עָלוּ אֲסוּרוֹת, דִּכְתִיב "צָרַעַת מַמְאֶרֶת הִיא" (ויקרא י"ד:מ"ד) - תֵּן בּוֹ מְאֵרָה וְאַל תִּתְהַנֶּה בּוֹ. רַבִּי אַבְהוּ אָמַר בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן, כָּל הַנִּשְׂרָפִים אֶפְרָן מֻתָּר חוּץ מֵאֵפֶר עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה. אֵיתִיב רַבִּי חַיָּא בַּר יוֹסֵי קַמֵּי רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן, הֲרֵי אֵפֶר הַבַּיִת אֵינוֹ בָּא מֵחֲמַת עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה וְתֵימַר אָסוּר, אֲמַר לֵיהּ, שַׁנְיָה הִיא דִּכְתִיב בֵּהּ נְתִיצָה:

1FOR IT IS A LEPROSY THAT IS ‘MAM’ERETH’ (FRETTING). “Mam’ereth is an expression of ‘silon mam’ir’ (a pricking brier).¹⁴⁹ The Midrashic interpretation is:¹⁵⁰ attach a me’eirah (curse) to it — so that you will have no benefit from it.” This is Rashi’s language. And Onkelos translated: “a leprosy that is mechasra (pricking).” This interpretation he also derived from ‘silon mam’ir’ (a pricking brier),¹⁴⁹ for in Aramaic any shrub which causes a pricking pain is called chisra. Thus: “k’chizra (as a thorn) in a ball of wool;”¹⁵¹ “take thy good-natured advice and throw it over achizri (the hedge).”¹⁵² And the truth of the matter is that mam’ereth is indeed an expression of curse, that it is to say, it is G-d’s curse upon the garment and house, as I have mentioned.¹⁵³ But the Midrash which states that it is forbidden to derive any benefit from it [a leprous garment] is based [not on the word mam’ereth as Rashi had it, but] on the redundancy of expression.¹⁵⁴ appears in Verses 51 and 52 in the same connection. Since one is redundant, it serves as the basis for the Midrashic interpretation mentioned. The same law applies to a leprous house, and it is derived from the verse, And he shall break down the house.¹⁵⁵Thus also I have found in the Talmud Yerushalmi of Tractate Orlah:¹⁵⁶ “If stones were removed from a house affected with leprosy and made into plaster, some Rabbis taught that they become free of their impurity, and some taught that they do not become free of their impurity. Those who said that they become free, are also of the opinion that they may now be used [for some benefit], and those who say that they do not become free are also of the opinion that they are still forbidden [to be made use of], for it is written: it is a leprosy that is ‘mam’ereth’, meaning, attach a curse to it and derive no benefit from it. Rabbi Abohu said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan: All things which must be burnt, one may derive benefit from their ashes, except for the ashes of an idol. Rabbi Chiya the son of Yosei asked Rabbi Yochanan: ‘There is the case of the ashes of a house [affected with leprosy], which is not related to idolatry, and yet you say that the ashes thereof are forbidden for any use [like the stones which have been turned into lime or plaster]! Said Rabbi Yochanan to him: ‘This is different,’ since [concerning a house affected with leprosy] it is written that it be ‘broken down.’”¹⁵⁷ (Deuteronomy 12:3), we derive from a similarity of phrases the law that just as it is forbidden to have any benefit from idols, so we are under the same stricture of making any use from the stones of a house which had been affected with leprosy (P’nei Moshe, ibid.).Metzora