This week I received several emails asking me to vote in a contest held by a foundation in the United States that awards one million dollars to the most voted institution. It turns out that the Friendship Circle, A Jewish institution that helps children with special needs is participating in this contest.
Beyond inviting everyone to vote (by clicking here) and participate in the development of this activity, I wanted to explain how powerful this idea is.
Our sages say in the Ethics of Our Fathers (Pirkei Avot), "It is not your responsibility to finish the work, but neither are you free to refrain from doing it." Among the various interpretations of this idea, it is important to note that not everyone is required to do "all" the work in the world. In other words, no one is expected to refine the entire world, nor, working alone, modify the universe to make it a dwelling place for God. Each person has a limited capacity, given to them by God, to perform their work as completely as possible. This does not mean it is much or little, but simply what is appropriate according to the master plan of Divine Creation.
This is what "It's not your responsibility to finish the job" means—that you shouldn't do "everything" by yourself (even if it's your responsibility to do 100% of what you're capable of). On the other hand, "you're not the one to refuse to do it either," which means you shouldn't stop doing what's within your power simply because it seems insignificant to you.
Based on this, we can understand that simply clicking a few buttons and voting for the well-being of an institution may seem insignificant, but we must know that its effect can be very powerful, since, with little effort (and no monetary cost at all) one is helping a group of people who help an even larger group of people and so on, in an exponential effect to the point that those who receive this help are people who otherwise would never have been able to access such basic things as companionship, joy, education, community life, etc., due to having special needs.
In addition to all this, it is important to highlight the emphasis the Rebbe always placed on the small contributions each person can make to society, including the idea that one should never be satisfied, neither with one's own spiritual level nor with one's contribution to the overall upliftment and refinement of the world. It is never enough. There is always more that can be done.