Day 41/50: The Holy Plumber

כֹּ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֥ר ה’ נַֽעֲשֶׂ֥ה וְנִשְׁמָֽע

All that Hashem spoke we will do and we will hear.

In this week’s parsha, we said “Na’aseh Ve’nishmah”. That means “we will do“, even without understanding, and only then will we hopefully merit to hear and understand.

In a similar vein, the Baal HaLeshem zt”l, one of the last of the great mekubalim, offers an uplifting perspective on our struggles in this area. 

A sincere oved Hashem may have enormous struggles with his yetzer hara, and may not understand why these nisyonos are ”chasing” him. He may look at all his friends and see that they seem to be doing well, and he may wonder why he alone is stuck in a cesspool. This may lead him to become very upset, possibly even upset with Hashem. 

Says the Leshem, do not despair! There are many jobs that must be done in the king’s palace. Some of the palace workers have the privilege of polishing the king’s crown. Other workers, on the other hand, serve as plumbers in the king’s palace. Their jobs are far less glamorous; they are surrounded by dirt and sewage. But that does not mean that these workers are any less important to the king.

Similarly, Hashem needs ”plumbers” in His world! If you struggle with ”sewage” entering your mind, that means that He has appointed you to be a ”plumber” in His palace. The tikkunim you create when you actively fight your yetzer hara serve to cleanse the entire palace and fix every ”pipe.” You may not be one of the servants who polish the crown, but who is to say which job is more important? You are doing the ratzon Hashem, and that is what matters. This is why you were brought here, and there is nothing wrong with you.

Don’t ever think that you got the raw end of the deal. You are making Hashem proud—because you are fighting the battle.