Probably the most powerful line that was expressed at the last Siyum HaShas was that of Rabbi Yissocher Frand shlita, who shared, “Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good!”
Perfectionism often robs people from doing anything good, because they have the terrible mentality of “all or nothing.” If they cannot do everything, they think, why bother doing anything?
Imagine if Basya had had such a mentality.... Imagine if Moshe Rabbeinu himself had had such a perspective too....
Chasdei Hashem, it is because they did not that so much happened in their great zechus...because they just tried.
My rav, Rav Binyomin Forst shlita, pointed this out from what we see in both accounts given regarding Basya and Moshe above, as found in our parashah and in the Midrashim upon them.
Basya could see very clearly that the basket of that forlorn child was far from her reach; thus, there was really no reason to give it a try — and yet, she did anyway, and Hashem therefore allowed her to fulfill her desire.
In a similar vein, the Torah tells us that Moshe Rabbeinu saw and felt the pain of his brethren. Upon this Chazal explain that he did not only look; rather, he went ahead and lifted bricks together with his brothers, in order to at least try to physically as well as internally feel their pain.
Truly, if one thinks about it, what would that act of carrying bricks accomplish in the big picture of their terrible slavery? After all, a couple of bricks here and there would surely not help much in the enormity of what Pharaoh was forcing upon them! Yet, Moshe did not say that to himself; our questions is, why not?
The answer is that Moshe Rabbeinu understood that even if he cannot help everyone, and even if he cannot fix the problem in its entirety; he could do something — something small and seemingly insignificant, but nevertheless it was something — thus, that “something” is what he did.
And at the end of the day, it was really because of that effort itself (and other such similar efforts) that allowed Moshe Rabbeinu to become the redeemer of Klal Yisrael. For Hashem saw that great middah of real ne’sios ol needed for a leader of our people and thus He chose Moshe to become the manhig Yisrael....
Rav Forst added that it was this great middah of just acting — even without any expectation of finishing — that gave Moshe his name. For Moshe was called Moshe because he was pulled out of the water; that name represents the fact that a woman named Basya put her all into saving him against all odds, and because she did, HaKadosh Baruch Hu allowed it to happen.
Rav Forst then shared an amazing story from the Chofetz Chaim:
The Dubner Maggid found out about a blind Yid who lived with his young son in great poverty, and, R’l, at one point they ended up completely homeless. With great compassion, the Dubner Maggid took them into his home.... The blind Yid nebach was then niftar and the child became part of the Maggid’s family.
The Dubner Maggid sent the child to learn in yeshivah and raised him as a son... and this child became the great Gaon, Rav Shlomo Kluger zt’l!
Can any person save every Yid? Can anyone help all of Klal Yisrael? Make shidduchin for everyone? No; it is impossible... but everyone can try....
Every person has the ability to give of himself towards someone or something, and when the yetzer hora tries to pull out the all-or-nothing card, we must do our part, just keeping focused on the task at hand; for if one tries to grab too much, he will end up, chas veshalom, grabbing nothing at all, yet if a person dedicates himself towards a good endeavor, he will have great Siyata DiShmaya behind him — allowing him to achieve more than he could have dreamed possible.... B’Siyata DiShmaya.
