"In all the way which the Lord, your God, has commanded you, you shall go, in order that you may live and that it may be well with you, and so that you may prolong your days in the land you will possess". (Devarim 5:30)
Just try your best
Whenever R' Yitzchak from Vorka would learn about an argument or dispute taking place in another town, he would travel there to fulfill the mitzvah of making peace and shalom.
However, many times his efforts were unsuccessful. The chassidim felt it was demeaning and embarrassing for their Rebbe to exert so much effort for nothing. Yet, the Rebbe continued to travel and tried to make peace wherever he could.
One time while the Rebbe was preparing for a trip that was almost certainly going to fail, his close chassidim asked him, "Why is the Rebbe going through so much effort when it will most likely yield no results?"
"R' Tarfon has already answered this question," the Rebbe replied, "when he taught in Pirkei Avos (2:15), It is not incumbent upon you to finish the task... "
This is a core and foundational ideal in Avodas Hashem, in serving Hashem. A Jew must always make every effort to fulfill the mitzvos, even when he thinks that he will most likely be unable to complete the holy work. When a person does everything within his power to try and do a mitzvah, and - for whatever reason - he is unable to actually perform that mitzvah, he should not feel that all of his efforts were for nothing.
His efforts, the very fact that he tried, provides a tremendous nachas in the Heavens, and he will be rewarded for that effort alone as if he had completed the actual mitzvah. As it says (Kiddushin 40a) that Hashem considers a thought and good intention like the deed itself.
A pure mitzvah
In fact, in certain circumstances, the intention and effort are even more praiseworthy than the action itself being completed.
The Chozeh from Lublin was once travelling to be a Sandek at a bris in a village that was far away. While on the way, the Rebbe was delayed by circumstances beyond his control, and the family had to find someone else to serve as the Sandek to ensure that the bris occurred on the proper day. The Chozeh arrived right after the bris. The Rebbe sat for the meal and was even more joyous than the times when he merited to serve as a Sandek.
One of the chassidim asked the Chozeh, "Why is the Rebbe happy? The trip was a waste!?"
The Chozeh answered, "When I partake in an actual bris, there is a chance that my thoughts and intentions can become self-serving and mixed with personal enjoyment and happiness. However, now I have fulfilled this mitzvah, as Chazal taught (Brachos 6a): 'when a person tries to do a mitzvah but is prevented by circumstances beyond his control, it is as if he actually performed the mitzvah'. It is as if I completed this mitzvah wholly and purely without any wrongful intentions."
You are not a carpenter
A Jew must know and always remember that serving Hashem is different from any other kind of work. If a carpenter tries to make a table, and is unsuccessful, he doesn't get paid for his work. It was all for nothing. That is not the case with spirituality and serving Hashem. When a Jew tries to serve Hashem and he tries his very best, the outcome is irrelevant. He can receive reward for the effort alone.
The Chafeitz Chaim explained that this is the meaning of what we say in the prayer before we learn: "we work and receive reward while they work and do not receive a reward". The Jews alone are rewarded for their efforts alone.
A safe investment
This applies to acts of kindness as well. When you try and do something good and nice for another Jew, like finding them a shidduch for example, even if those efforts do not bear fruit, you have still fulfilled the mitzvah of doing acts of kindness. And, you are rewarded for that. The pasuk says (Hoshea 10:12) "reap according to loving-kindness". Chazal explained (49b) that whoever does an act of kindness is like someone who will harvest the grain and surely enjoy it. Not like planting a seed and the outcome is in doubt. For, you accept the reward for the effort to try and do a kind act.
Reb Tzadok HaKohein from Lublin taught (Divrei Sofrim 21), that the Torah does not relate the acts of kindness that Avraham Avinu did for countless people. However, the Torah does describe the kindness that he showed the angels, which truthfully was not a kindness because the angels did not need anything. Only out of respect, they acted as if they were eating what Avraham provided them. From this, we see how important and valuable Avraham Avinu's intention and effort was, and this teaches us the value of the effort and not the outcome.
When a Jew tries to do chesed, even if the outcome never comes to fruition, he is walking in the ways of Hashem. As Chazal explained (Sotah 14a) the meaning of the pasuk (Devarim 13:5) "You shall follow the path of the Lord, your God", that a Jew must emulate Hashem's kindness. Chazal also taught (Bava Metzia 30b) "the path is acts of kindness".
When non-Jews spend days focusing on an act of kindness, if that goal is never accomplished, then they feel like they have completely wasted their time; they "killed" their days working without an outcome. They feel like they did not achieve anything at all. However, when a Jew is working on an act of kindness, their intention is to walk in the ways of Hashem and to emulate His Chesed. The effort is made for the sake of Heaven, and their days spent on this project are considered "alive" and are valuable regardless of the outcome. Their effort alone fulfills the mitzvah of connecting to Hashem and they are rewarded for that.
Bring the final redemption
We can now have a deeper understanding of our pausk:
"In all the way which the Lord, your God, has commanded you, you shall go" ¬– you need to work, to try and make every effort to do the mitzvah of doing acts of kindness and, thereby, walking in the ways of Hashem, even if you doubt that there will be a successful outcome.
A Jew must realize that the effort alone is important, and those days spent on that kindness are "alive" as the pausk continues: "in order that you may live". They also receive reward for that effort – "it may be well with you".
And in that merit they can settle in Eretz Yisroel, as the pasuk concludes: "and so that you may prolong your days in the land you will possess". As Chazal taught (Sanhedrin 98a) that through acts of kindness we will merit the final redemption speedily in our days.
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