Doing What We Can

Our last pieces addressed the disillusionment caused by falls and failures. Even when successful, we are often intimidated by the enormity of our tasks and disappointed by their relatively small impact.

Not Responsible to Finish

Rebbe Tarfon addressed the first issue, the enormity of the task, toward the end of the second perek of Pirkei Avot. First, he emphasized that “the ‘day’ (a metaphor for life) is short, there is much work to do… and the master (Hashem) has high expectations (Avot 2:15).” Hashem expects a lot from us, but unfortunately, we live (relatively) short lives.

Rebbe Tarfon’s emphasis on the enormity of the task can lead one to a mistaken conclusion. If the amount to accomplish so greatly exceeds the time available, maybe we should not even make the effort.

Rebbe Tarfon responded to this in his second Mishna, explaining that “lo alecha ha’melacha ligmor – we are not expected to finish the work (Avot 2:16).” The amount that needs to be completed should never deter us from doing what we can.

This is how Rav Meir Shapiro understood the significance of Hashem asking Avraham to count the stars (as representing his descendants) (Bereishit 15:5). Though no human can possibly count all the stars, Hashem taught Avraham the importance of doing what he could and beginning the task. Avraham’s doing so served as a model for his descendants: we should never hesitate to embark on missions that seem beyond our reach.

Rav Meir Shapiro exemplified this idea by initiating the Daf Yomi learning program. When he started the program, did he believe that he would have the ability to convince hundreds of thousands across the world to join? Despite his limited reach, Rav Meir did his part; the rest is history.

Rebbe Tarfon’s use of the uncommon word “ligmor (to finish)” may hint at the pasuk “l’keil gomeir alai (Tehillim 57:3),” which can be understood as referring to Hashem finishing the work we begin. We must take the first steps, believing Hashem will fill in the parts we cannot complete. When we act with such faith, Hashem finishes our work for us.

Hashem taught Moshe and us this lesson through the construction of the Mishkan and the giving of the luchot. When Hashem told Moshe to assemble the Mishkan, Moshe protested that it was too heavy for him to lift. Hashem told Moshe to do what he could: “Make it look like you are trying to erect it.” Moshe made the effort, and miraculously, it assembled itself (Rashi, Shemot 39:33). Though raising it required Hashem’s assistance, since Moshe did what he could, he received the credit for having put it up (Rashi, Bamidbar 7:1).

The second luchot involved a similar process. Though ultimately Hashem inscribed the luchot, He commanded Moshe to fashion them (Shemot 34:1). Moshe could not complete the creation of the luchot but was required to do what he could.

While we cannot finish the whole job, we are responsible for doing our part. Our faith in Hashem and understanding of our responsibility to do our part should inspire us to take action. In doing so, we emulate

• Bas Paroh, who reached out for Moshe’s basket though it was beyond her reach (Sotah 12b),
• Amram, who remarried Yocheved without knowing if their children would survive (Ibid, 12a), and
• Esther, who approached Achashveirosh unannounced without knowing if he would agree to receive her (Esther 4:16).

Great people accomplish great things when they fulfill their (relatively) small role with the faith that Hashem will complete the process.

When We Can Only Finish

Sometimes, we feel unable to complete the task for another reason – we have already missed the beginning. Even when we can finish the process, missing the beginning makes us see completing the task as insignificant.

The laws of the korban tamid correct this misimpression. Though we are meant to offer two sheep a day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, we offer the afternoon one even on a day when we did not offer the morning one (Menachot 50a). Doing a partial mitzvah is better than none of it at all.

The Chafetz Chaim offered the following comparison: A girl once sold apples in the market. Suddenly, they all began rolling off her cart. A thief came and started snatching all her apples from the floor and putting them in his own bag. The girl was so shocked by what was happening that she just stood there watching, not knowing what to do. Suddenly, someone passed by and told her, “Why are you just standing there? At least if you grab some, you can salvage a few of them.”

The same is true in many areas of Avodat Hashem. The Chafetz Chaim gave the example of tefillah. If you wake up at the end of Shemoneh Esrei and realize that you haven’t been sufficiently concentrating on what you were saying, you can still reset your focus for the remainder. Even if you are already up to the last beracha, focusing for just that one is undoubtedly better than not concentrating on any of them.

More Important Than We Think

Even tasks we can complete often seem insignificant because they have minimal impact. What difference does my personal mitzvah fulfillment make? What significance do my life, nuclear family, and community have?

There are many answers to these questions.

The first is that our actions impact in ways we cannot see. Chazal teach that our Torah study and service of Hashem sustain the world. The Kabbalists explain how every one of our deeds facilitates (or, chas v’shalom, blocks) Hashem’s blessings. Our Torah study is important even to the angels (Sefer HaTanya, Iggeret HaKodesh 26) and Hashem Himself (Avot 3:6). They both join us when we study.

Our actions also impact in ways we can see – often surpassing our expectations. Shevet Dan’s growth is an excellent example. As opposed to his brothers, who each had many children, Dan had only one (Bereishit 46:23), and he was deaf (Sotah 13a). How did Dan feel raising his sole disabled child? What future did he have?

Interestingly, the national census in Parshat Pinchas records Shevet Dan as having 46,400 members (Bamidbar 26:43). Shevet Dan went from one child to tens of thousands in just a few generations, outpacing many other Shevatim. Though Binyamin had ten sons (Bereishit 46:21), Dan had twenty thousand more descendants!

The Chofetz Chaim (Bamidbar 26:43) derives from here that “the one Hashem desires to succeed can see more from one son than others do from ten. So it is with possessions: there are poor people whose few possessions suddenly grow and rich people whose estates do not.” Remembering that the results depend on Hashem’s assistance should inspire us to do what we can – even if it seems insignificant.

Making A Difference For That Starfish

We also need to appreciate the importance of limited success. Though we all want to “change the world,” we should also be happy with impacting one person or one of Hashem’s other creations.

A famous story about a young girl expresses this idea. The girl was walking along a beach on which thousands of starfish had washed up during a terrible storm. As she came to each starfish, she would pick it up and throw it back into the ocean.

People watched her with amusement. She had been doing this for some time when a man approached her and said, “Little girl, why are you doing this? Look at this beach. You can’t save all these starfish. You can’t begin to make a difference!”

The girl seemed crushed, suddenly deflated. But after a few moments, she bent down, picked up another starfish, and hurled it into the ocean. Then she looked up at the man and replied, “Well, I made a difference for that one!”

The old man looked at the girl inquisitively and thought about what she had done and said. Inspired, he joined the little girl in throwing starfish back into the sea. Soon, others joined, and they saved all the starfish.

If We Only Knew

Even if we fail to inspire others to save “all the starfish,” our impact on those we influence is still significant.

Unfortunately, we do not always realize or remember this. We have seen the medrash (Vayikra Rabbah 34:8) that tells us that had Reuven known that Hashem would record how he (initially) saved Yosef from his brothers, he would have picked him up on his shoulders and taken him back to Yaakov. Had Aharon known that the Torah would record his going out to greet Moshe, he would have done so with a full band. Had Boaz known that Hashem would record the food he gave Rut, he would have provided her with a lavish meal.

In the same way, Hashem records our actions because they are significant (Avot 3:1). They may seem insignificant in our eyes, but they are essential to Hashem and to the world.

May realizing the significance of our actions inspire us to always maximize our efforts.