Maharal on the Sedra

Esther’s Finger Speaks the Truth

Vayikra 14:35 - And the owner of the house shall come and tell the kohen, saying, “Something like a plague appeared to me in the house.”
Rashi: Even if he were wise and knew for certain it was a plague, he would not clearly decide the matter, to say “a plague appeared to me”-  Rather, he says “something like a plague.”
Gur Arye: Even if he would declare his house impure it would be meaningless, for only a kohen can make it impure by his declaration. So why does the Torah have him say “something like a plague?” It is because at the moment he says it, it is not a plague, for the kohen has not declared it yet. The Torah does not want him to utter an untruth, as King David said [T’hilim 101:7], “He who speaks lies will not be established before my eyes.” The rabbis explained [Sota 42b] that from this we learn that liars do not receive the face of the Divine Presence, for liars hide the letter VAV from Hashem’s name. The VAV in Hashem’s name stands for Tiferet [glory], Hashem’s attribute of truth.
The verse appears again in connection with Esther [Megila 16a], when she identifies Haman as her people’s oppressor [Esther 7:6] - “a man who is an adversary and an oppressor” and she points to the king! She knew the king to be responsible, and she knew the redemption could not come through a lie, as it is written, “He who speaks lies will not be established before my eyes.” Our verse accomplishes this message with a single letter KAF.

• Other Maharal on the Sedra
• Where is Yehuda's Rod Today?
• The Command to Teach Your Children the Holy Tongue
• The Impact of a Righteous Person on a Place