ויקרא, פרק י״ג, פסוק נ״ז

A diseased garment reaches its final and most severe stage when the affliction stubbornly returns after the initial infected area has been removed. At this point, the garment is condemned to total destruction. After the original afflicted spot is torn out, a fresh patch of fabric is sewn into the gap to test whether the disease will come back [תורה תמימה, מלבי״ם, משכיל לדוד, אדרת אליהו]. Because the original fabric is gone, a returning affliction might appear anywhere on the remaining garment or on the new patch itself [מלבי״ם, רש ר הירש, רד צ הופמן, ביאור יש״ר]. For the disease to be officially recognized as having returned, it must appear at the same minimum size as the original infection, which is the size of a bean [תורה תמימה, מלבי״ם, אדרת אליהו].

The reappearance of the disease is likened to a blooming or sprouting process, representing something that returns, grows, and decays [רש״י, רלב״ג]. While the concept of blooming usually implies that an affliction is actively spreading, in this case, it simply means the disease has returned, even if it has not expanded in size. Drawing a comparison to the plant kingdom, the primary approach among commentators views this return like a flower that can blossom in various colors. The affliction is considered impure even if it reappears with a completely different color or look than it had initially, such as changing from green to red or vice versa [תורה תמימה, מלבי״ם, אילת השחר, אדרת אליהו, רד צ הופמן].

When it comes to the required punishment of burning, the primary approach among commentators is that the entire garment must be destroyed in the fire, rather than just the infected area [רש״י, משכיל לדוד, ביאור יש״ר, ביאור שטיינזלץ, רד צ הופמן]. However, [אבן עזרא] disagrees, maintaining that only the infected spot itself is condemned to be burned. In addition to the garment, the original infected pieces of fabric that were cut out and removed at the very beginning must also be thrown into the fire [תורה תמימה, אדרת אליהו]. The fate of the newly sewn patch depends on where the disease reappears. If the affliction returns directly on the patch, the entire garment is burned with it. But if the disease returns on the old fabric of the garment, the garment is burned while the pure new patch is spared and does not require destruction [מלבי״ם, רש ר הירש].