WHY IS TZORA'AS WHITE?
White is a symbol of purity and on Yom Kippur the: לָשׁוֹן שֶל זְהוֹרִית red string in the Bais Hamikdash (red symbolizes sin) would turn white, to symbolize that Hashem forgave all our sins, and the Gemara brings a Passuk: אִם יִהְיוּ חֲטָאֵיכֶם כַשָּנִים כַשֶּלֶג יַלְבִּינוּ Yeshaya 1:18 If your sins are “deep red” like “Shani”, they will turn white as snow! Snow white is the symbol of purity. And Tzora'as appears in four shades, the strongest and whitest is snow. (Mishna).
Miriam became white as snow, and L'havdil, Naaman, also became white as snow. How does the symbol of purity become the #1 color of the worst form of Tum’ah; i.e., Tzora'as?
It is quite strange that one of the worst Reshaim in history was “Lavan” HaArami, whose name means “white”. The Meforshim say that he acted “white”, as if he’s the biggest Tzaddik, and indeed he was the biggest phony, alluded in his name: אֲרַמִּי “Arami”, which has the same letters as: רַמַּאי a “faker”. R' Nosson Wachtfogel Zatzal said that Lavan even fooled himself, when he considered himself a most beloved father, while his daughters felt like he treated them like strangers.
You can either become great and pure by getting rid of your redness (sins) and by working on yourself in a positive way and becoming “white”. Or, you can try to make yourself look “white” by putting down others, with Treife Ga'ava and Lashon Hara. For good reason did the Avos choose “Aram” to find their Shiduchim, and considered it the place where the future of Klal Yisroel lies.
Despite Besuel and Lavan’s evil ways, they still had a Romemus (Aram means Romemus), just it was misguided. As opposed to Canaan, which means K'niya and lowliness; i.e., they were lowly without ambition, and they go nowhere.
If a person has jealousies and Ga'ava and he speaks Lashon Hara, it is a good sign; i.e., that he has aspirations of greatness, just that he needs to channel those Retzonos in a positive way.
