Sifra Metzora Chapter 4

¹1) (Vayikra 14:40) ("Then the Cohein shall command, and they shall remove the stones containing the plague-spot, and they shall cast them outside the city into an unclean place.") "Then the Cohein shall command and they shall remove": the commanding by the Cohein; the removing, by anyone. ²2) "and they shall remove": This teaches us that both of them (i.e., the owner of the affected house and his neighbor, who shares the wall) remove — whence they said "Woe to the wicked one and woe to his neighbor!" Both remove, both scrape (viz. Vayikra 14:41), both bring (new) stones. I might think that if the wall adjoined the atmosphere (of his neighbor's property, but was not common to both of their houses) both of them should do the removal; it is, therefore, written (Vayikra 14:43) "after he removed the stones." How is this to be understood? A wall between him and his neighbor, both remove; a wall adjoining the atmosphere, he himself removes. ³3) "and they shall remove the stones": I might think that he can remove two stones and thus fulfill the mitzvah of "removing"; it is, therefore, written "containing the plague-spot." If this (alone were written) I might think (that he must remove) even roof-tiles, even bricks (thus affected); it is, therefore, written "stones." If both verses were not written, we would not know the halachah. ⁴4) "and they shall cast them outside the city": "them outside of every city." (to exclude) an afflicted man (i.e., a leper,) who is not "outside of every city," but only of those cities surrounded by a wall (from the time of Joshua). "into an unclean place": Its place becomes tamei. R. Yehudah says: "into an unclean place" — to include (the place of the stones) that were removed (from there). ⁵5) (Vayikra 14:41) ("And the house he shall scrape from inside roundabout, and they shall spill the mortar scrapings outside the city into an unclean place.") "And the house he shall scrape": I might think from inside and from outside; it is, therefore, written "from inside." If "from inside," I might think from the ground and from the walls; it is, therefore, written "roundabout" — only the area roundabout the plague-spot. ⁶6) "and they shall spill … which they have scraped off": I might think that pebbles (are included); it is, therefore, written "mortar." If "mortar," I might think that even what fell of itself (is included); it is, therefore, written "which they have scraped off." If both verses were not written, we would not know the halachah. ⁷7) (Vayikra 14:42) ("And they shall take other stones, and they shall bring [them] in place of the stones; and he shall take other mortar and he shall plaster the house.") From here they ruled that no fewer than two stones are taken and no fewer than two stones are brought. And he does not bring one in place of two or two in place of one. But he may bring two in place of two, three, or four, and four in place of three or two. ⁸8) "and they shall take … stones": I might think he could take stones from one side and bring them to the other side; it is, therefore, written "other (stones"). If (only) "other" (were written), I might think even roof-tiles or bricks; it is, therefore, written "stones." If both verses were not written, we would not know the halachah. ⁹9) "and mortar" connotes all kinds: even bricks, even ordure, even clay-ground. I might think that he could take mortar from one side and bring it to the other side; it is, therefore, written "other (mortar"). If (only) "other" (were written), I might think even lime or gypsum; it is, therefore, written "afar" (lit., "earth"). If both verses were not written, we would not know the halachah.... ¹⁰10) "and he shall take other mortar and he shall plaster the house.": His neighbor does not share the plastering with him.