ויקרא, פרק י״ג, פסוק נ״ד

The process of purifying an infected garment requires a careful blend of spiritual authority, intentional physical action, and a controlled period of waiting. There is a clear division of responsibilities during this procedure. The priest acts as the diagnostic authority who guides the process, and according to some views, he even provides instructions on which specific cleaning materials to use [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. However, the physical act of washing the garment can be performed by any person [תורה תמימה, אדרת אליהו]. This distinction prevents the mistaken belief that the priest himself must personally clean the fabric to ensure it is properly prepared for his follow-up inspection [תורה תמימה].

Furthermore, the cleaning process demands conscious human intent. If an infected garment accidentally falls into water on its own, the purification is invalid, as the washing must be done purposefully [תורה תמימה].

Regarding how much of the fabric needs to be washed, commentators offer different perspectives. On a basic level, the instruction to wash the infected item serves as a brief summary, avoiding a long, repeated list of all the specific woven materials mentioned earlier [רד צ הופמן]. However, the primary approach among commentators uncovers a precise legal guideline regarding the exact area to be cleaned. Rather than washing only the discolored spot, or washing the entire garment, the requirement is to clean the infected mark along with a small margin of the surrounding fabric [רש״י, מזרחי, שפתי חכמים, גור אריה, תורה תמימה, רד צ הופמן].

Once the washing is complete, the garment is placed into a second quarantine. When calculating the days for this isolation period, the seventh day of the initial quarantine serves a dual purpose. It is counted simultaneously as the final day of the first week of isolation and the first day of the second week [אדרת אליהו].