Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik – “Schlichut” from Y’mmei Zikaron
...”Come now, therefore, I will send you to Pharaoh (Exodus 3:10).” The entire truth is revealed in this verse: the Master of the Universe, who is hidden and concealed, the Ruler of Everything, Endless, the Living Infinite God, appoints to be His messenger flesh and blood, who today is here and tomorrow in the grave.…The fact that someone lives in a specific time, in a special time period and in specific place, and wasn’t born in another time or another situation, we are able to understand only if we come to accept the idea of the mission (shlichut) of man.”
(ג) הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, אַל תְּהִי בָז לְכָל אָדָם, וְאַל תְּהִי מַפְלִיג לְכָל דָּבָר, שֶׁאֵין לְךָ אָדָם שֶׁאֵין לוֹ שָׁעָה וְאֵין לְךָ דָבָר שֶׁאֵין לוֹ מָקוֹם:
(3) He (Ben Azzai) used to say: do not despise anyone, and do not discriminate against anything, for there is no person that has not their hour, and there is no thing that has not its place.
(14) On the contrary, if you keep silent in this crisis, relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from another quarter, while you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows, perhaps you have attained to royal position for just such a crisis.” (15) Then Esther sent back this answer to Mordecai: (16) “Go, assemble all the Jews who live in Shushan, and fast in my behalf; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maidens will observe the same fast. Then I shall go to the king, though it is contrary to the law; and if I am to perish, I shall perish!” (17) So Mordecai went about [the city] and did just as Esther had commanded him.
דָּרַשׁ בַּר קַפָּרָא: ...בַּאֲתַר דְּלֵית גְּבַר — תַּמָּן הֱוֵי גְּבַר. אָמַר אַבָּיֵי: שְׁמַע מִינַּהּ, בַּאֲתַר דְּאִית גְּבַר — תַּמָּן לָא תִּהְוֵי גְּבַר.
On a similar note, bar Kappara taught:...where there is no man, there be a man; where there is no one to fill a particular role, accept that role upon yourself. Abaye said: Infer from this that where there is a man, there do not be a man...Although you, too, are suited to fill that role, since another qualified person is already filling that role, allow him to succeed.
(יד) הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, אִם אֵין אֲנִי לִי, מִי לִי. וּכְשֶׁאֲנִי לְעַצְמִי, מָה אֲנִי. וְאִם לֹא עַכְשָׁיו, אֵימָתָי:
(14) He [also] used to say: If I am not for myself, who is for me? But if I am for my own self [only], what am I? And if not now, when?
Elizabeth Warren, March 5, 2020
Choose to fight only righteous fights, because then when things get tough — and they will — you will know that there is only [one] option ahead of you: nevertheless, you must persist.
(טז) הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, לֹא עָלֶיךָ הַמְּלָאכָה לִגְמֹר, וְלֹא אַתָּה בֶן חוֹרִין לִבָּטֵל מִמֶּנָּה. אִם לָמַדְתָּ תוֹרָה הַרְבֵּה, נוֹתְנִים לְךָ שָׂכָר הַרְבֵּה. וְנֶאֱמָן הוּא בַעַל מְלַאכְתְּךָ שֶׁיְּשַׁלֵּם לְךָ שְׂכַר פְּעֻלָּתֶךָ. וְדַע מַתַּן שְׂכָרָן שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים לֶעָתִיד לָבֹא:
(16) He [Rabbi Tarfon] used to say: It is not your duty to finish the work, but neither are you at liberty to neglect it; If you have studied much Torah, you shall be given much reward. Faithful is your employer to pay you the reward of your labor; And know that the grant of reward unto the righteous is in the age to come.