Anyone who works for the community should work for the sake of Heaven, for the merit of their [the community members's] forefathers will help him, and their righteousness endures forever. And as for you, [says G-d], I will grant you much reward as if you accomplished it on your own."
We saw that our mishna used three expressions for "work" each of which anchors and develops the concept of Torah and work. First it told us that Torah is pleasant with Derech Ertetz. Then is told us that Torah study without "mel'acha" is destined to fail and bring about sin.
In this last part of the mishna, we are introduced to work without Torah and told that there is one setting in which work is of itself legitimate. Whereas generally Torah and the world must be combined, in one situation, work has a religious value even without Torah. It is working for community.
Unfortunately communal needs are varied and non-ending. Every askan who works selflessly for he community can tell you that he is spending much more money and time and exerting more effort that he can afford. There are many needs and not enough people meeting them. This is why "labor (amal)" is the term now being used to describe what it is that askonim perform on the behalf of others. Because communal work is so necessary, so overwhelming and has such a high religious value, it is legitimate even without Torah study. However, we might ask: Without Torah study and without gaining the wide perspective on what is right and what is wrong in relationships among people, what will protect the askan from errors and from hurting others, despite the best of intentions?
The answer is that working for the sake of Heaven will protect him. Anyone who works for the community should work for the sake of Heaven, for the merit of their [the community members's] forefathers will help him, and their righteousness endures forever.
We are not finished yet. Any askan will also tell you that he learned early on that all one can do is put in the effort but results are never guaranteed. One can spend a great deal of effort and time on a project that never succeeds and never comes to fruition. Many worthy ideas are brought down by petty jealousies, unprovoked antagonism, or simply by the circumstances that are not propitious.This can be profoundly dispiriting. In response the mishna says:And as for you, [says G-d], I will grant you much reward as if you accomplished it."
As R. Tarfon said: " The work is not for you to finish nor are you free to desist from it ( Avot 2: 15-16)"
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