Doing Vs. Accomplishing

While tending to the animals and birds in the Teiva, Noach noticed a bird off on the side. 

"Don't you need something to eat?" Noach asked.

"I saw that you were busy, so I didn't want to bother you," answered the bird.

"May Hashem bless you that you should never die!" exclaimed Noach.

(Sanhedrin, 108b)

Understandably, caring for and feeding the creatures in the Teiva was an enormous and time-consuming task. Certainly, Noach could have used some time to rest. But, of what value was the little bird's gesture? Skipping this bird's feeding would give Noach a break of, perhaps, thirty seconds at the most. What was the purpose of it? This gift was going to accomplish nothing.

***

If the bird was trying to accomplish something, it would have have rallied a group of animals and birds, and explained to them that Noach is very busy, and inspired them to skip a meal in order to allow Noach to rest. Their collective donation of time would have afforded Noach a much needed break from the non-stop work.

Yet, the bird knew that he was unable to accomplish this. Nevertheless, that reality did not stop the bird.

לא עליך המלאכה לגמור, ולא אתה בן חורין להיבטל ממנה

A Yid knows that his Tafkid is to do - not to seek accomplishment.

If there is something that needs to be done now, a Yid does it, regardless of its immediately visible impact on the bigger picture. 

True, the bird would not accomplish giving Noach a real break. But to stand on the side and do nothing?

Often, the Yetzer Hara tries to distract us with the elusive end-result, and the enormity of the task of attaining it. It is so easy to fall into the trap of the Yetzer Hara: if we cannot accomplish something, we are better off not even trying. 

Let us take a lesson from the bird. Regardless of the seeming worthlessness of his contribution, the bird did not stand by idly. He did something. A drop in the ocean, perhaps, but that did not matter. What mattered to the bird was that his life had meaning, and purpose. "I do not despair. I do what I can and leave the rest up to Hashem."

The bird did all he could, and gave everything he had to Noach. And for that, Noach blessed him with eternal life, because life with action and purpose is truly an everlasting one.

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