When a person sees Tzoraas on the wall of his house the pasuk says (Vayikra 14:35) he goes to the Kohen and says, “K’Nega Nirah Li Babayis”, something like a nega appeared to me in the house. Rashi explains that the reason he says “like a nega” is because even if he is great talmid chochom and knows with certainty that it in fact is a nega he should not pasken by himself, he must go to a Kohen.
Rav Yehonoson Eibushitz adds that the most Negaim on homes come from haughtiness. The way to rectify this middah is to lower yourself. Someone who has a problem of needing to feel self important and is punished with a nega should be that last person to declare that he know for sure it is a nega. The first step before anything happens is to see the nega and understand he has a problem. He therefore should talk in more modest tones and say he THINKS it looks like a nega. He then does something that he doesn’t often do. He defers to the Kohen and lets him make the final judgment.
This is a first and very important step in his long road to recovery.
