49. Rabbi Elazar said: Here I must say something that I have learned from my father. Come and behold: see what we learned here in relation to the plague in the house. When the Unclean Spirit rests upon a house and the Holy One, blessed be He, wants to purify that house, He sends a plague of leprosy there in order to make them denounce each other - THE SPIRIT OF THE PLAGUE FIGHTS THAT ONE OF THE UNCLEANNESS. Although the Unclean Spirit is gone from the house, that plague does not depart from the house AFTER OVERPOWERING THE SPIRIT OF DEFILEMENT until the house is shattered, stones, timbers, and all. Only then is the place purified.
49. א"ר אֶלְעָזָר, אִצְטְרִיכְנָא הָכָא לְמֵימַר מִלָּה דְּאוֹלִיפְנָא מֵאַבָּא. ת"ח, הָכָא יַלְפִינָן מִנֶּגַע דְּבֵיתָא. דְּכַד רוּחָא מִסְאֲבָא שַׁרְיָא בְּבֵיתָא וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בָּעֵי לְדַכְּאָה לֵיהּ, שָׁדַר נֶגַע צָרַעַת בְּבֵיתָא, לְקַטְרְגָא דָּא בְּדָא, וְהַהוּא נֶגַע לָא אַעְדֵּי מִבֵּיתָא, ואע"ג דְּרוּחַ מִסְאֲבָא אִסְתְּלַּק מֵהַהוּא בֵּיתָא, עַד דְּיִנְתְּצוּן בֵּיתָא, אֲבָנִין וְאָעִין וְכֺלָּא, כְּדֵין אִתְדָּכֵי אַתְרָא.