For the past 11 years, I’ve spent most Thursday nights at my computer, pouring my heart into a document that later became an email, and more recently, website entries. I didn’t do it for recognition or reward, yet I invested time, money, and emotion into something that often felt like shouting into the void. No fortune, no fame—just the quiet, sometimes lonely act of writing, sending, and moving on, never knowing if it truly reached anyone. There were nights I asked myself: Does this even matter?
This week’s parsha, Tetzaveh, is the only one where Moshe’s name is missing. The leader who brought the Torah down from Har Sinai, who stood between Hashem and the Jewish people, is absent from the pesukim. And yet, his presence is undeniable. Hashem speaks to him directly—“And you shall command the Children of Israel”—without needing to name him. His impact wasn’t about being seen; it was about fulfilling a purpose. Tanya teaches that true service isn’t about recognition but about doing what’s right, even when no one is watching. Maybe the same is true for writing, for leadership, for any work we do that goes unnoticed. Maybe what matters isn’t who sees it—but that it’s done at all.
So today, I remind myself that just because something isn’t acknowledged doesn’t mean it isn’t valuable. The unseen efforts, the quiet persistence, the unnoticed acts of kindness—they all create ripples in ways we may never fully understand. And if what I do impacts even one person, even in the smallest way, then it is always worth it. If you’ve ever questioned whether your efforts matter, I see it! Keep going. The work itself is the mission.
Good Shabbos
All the best!
Avroham Y Ross
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