R. Jose asked: ‘Why should there be leprosy on wool and flax?’ R. Isaac replied: ‘It rests on all things and has sway over all. It is written, “She seeketh wool and flax”, and therefore the sway of this plague which comes from this same supernal place extends over all, over these two articles, wool and flax.’
אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, בֶּגֶד הַצֶּמֶר אוֹ הַפִּשְׁתִּים אֲמַאי. אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק, בְּכֹלָּא שַׁרְיָא, וּבְכֹלָּא שַׁלְטָא. וְאִית כְּגַוְונָא דָּא דִּכְתִּיב, (משלי ל״א:י״ג) דָּרְשָׁה צֶמֶר וּפִשְׁתִּים. וּבְגִּינֵי כַּךְ, שׁוּלְטָנֵיהּ דְּהַהוּא נֶגַע דְּנָפִיק מֵאֲתַר עִלָּאָה, דָּא שַׁלְטָא בְּכֹלָּא, בִּתְרֵי גַּוְונֵי, בְּצֶמֶר וּבְפִשְׁתִּים. וּבְגִין כַּךְ, זֹאת תּוֹרַת נֶגַע הַצָּרַעַת בֶּגֶד הַצֶּמֶר אוֹ הַפִּשְׁתִּים.
R. Jose asked: ‘Why should there be leprosy on wool and flax?’ R. Isaac replied: ‘It rests on all things and has sway over all. It is written, “She seeketh wool and flax”, and therefore the sway of this plague which comes from this same supernal place extends over all, over these two articles, wool and flax.’