Life, Miracles, and the Art of Unclogging Drains

A short thought on Parashas Balak

Of the millions of pieces of content on social media, there exists a specific genre of videos that inexplicably grants me a unique sense of satisfaction - drain unclogging videos. Watching the water swirl, vigorously pulling all the debris along its path, and then gushing down the drain with a satisfying swoosh invokes a soothing tranquility that is difficult to describe in words.

At times, I find myself wishing that certain elements of life could replicate this uncanny sensation. To me, a clogged drain symbolizes the gradual build-up of tension or anxiety, which slowly creeps in and suddenly overwhelms you. The act of unclogging, on the other hand, can be equated to resolving an issue or witnessing a transformation from 'before' to 'after'. The visual gratification, as the tension subsides and the water flows smoothly once more, is a small miracle in itself.

The story of Bilaam, who was commissioned by Balak to curse the Jews is a perfect illustration of this metaphor. Bilaam's objective was to effectively disrupt the flow of blessing from God to His people. However, despite his efforts to "clog the drain", Hashem persistently "unclogged" it. When Bilaam tried to portray the Jewish people in a negative light, Hashem filled his mouth with words of positivity, ensuring a ceaseless, smooth flow of energy between us and our Creator. This too, was nothing short of a miracle.

Life, at times, can feel as though we are stuck in an irreversible predicament. Yet, just as a drain can be cleared, or as the curses of Bilaam were transmuted into blessings, our troubles can also be reversed or transformed to reveal their inherent beauty. We simply need to ask Hashem to unclog our metaphorical drain, and therein, we might find our own small miracles.