Selfless avodah without seeking recognition

במדרש רות אם הי' ראובן יודע שהקב"ה כותב עליו למען הציל.

In Midrash Rus: had Reuven known that Hashem would write about him "in order to save (him)" (Bereishis 37:21) —

The Midrash imagines Reuven's reaction had he realized the Torah would record his deed of saving Yosef.

על כתפו הי' מוליכו.

— he would have carried him (Yosef) on his shoulder.

Had Reuven known his act would be immortalized in the Torah, he would have done far more — carrying Yosef back to their father on his own shoulders.

אלו הי' בועז יודע שהקב"ה כותב עליו ויצבט לה קלי עגלות פטומות הי' מאכילה להגיד שבחן של הצדיקים הללו.

Had Boaz known that Hashem would write about him "and he handed her parched grain" (Rus 2:14), he would have fed her fattened calves — this is to tell the praise of these tzaddikim.

So too Boaz, had he known his small kindness to Rus would be recorded forever, would have given her a lavish feast. The Midrash highlights the greatness of these tzaddikim through this very point.

כי בודאי מאחר שזכו שנעשה ממעשיהם פרשה בתורה והקב"ה כתב מעשיהם בספר בודאי הי' להם כוונות רבות ונשגבות מאד.

For certainly, since they merited that their deeds became a portion in the Torah and Hashem wrote their deeds in the Book, surely they had many and exceedingly lofty intentions (kavanos).

The fact that their actions were worthy of inclusion in the eternal Torah proves these tzaddikim acted with profound, exalted kavanos.

ועכ"ז ראינו שלא עלה על דעתם שהקב"ה יכתוב דבריהם שאל"כ על כתפו הי' מוליכו ועגלות הי' מאכילה.

And even so, we see that it never entered their minds that Hashem would write their deeds — for otherwise he would have carried him on his shoulder and would have fed her (fattened) calves.

Despite their lofty intentions, it never occurred to them that their acts would be recorded; had they imagined it, they would surely have done even more.

וזה לאות כי לא עלה על דעתם להיות מעשיהם נזכרים לפניו ית"ש להיפוך מדורות השפלים כי מי שנדמה לו שעשה קצת עבודה מגבי' לבו עד לשמים.

And this is a sign that it never entered their minds that their deeds should be remembered before Him, blessed is His Name — the opposite of the lowly generations, in which one who imagines he has done a bit of avodah lifts up his heart to the heavens.

The true tzaddikim never sought to have their deeds noted on high. The "lowly generations" are the reverse: a person does a little avodah and immediately becomes haughty, his heart swelling with pride.

והוא סימן דלא ידע כלום שבוחי.

And this is a sign that he knows nothing of his Creator (literally: of "shevochi," his Maker / his praise).

Such pride is itself proof of ignorance: one who truly grasped before Whom he stands could never become arrogant over his small accomplishments.

וצא ולמד ממדתן של הראשונים הנ"ל:

And go and learn from the way (middah) of the earlier ones mentioned above.

The Sefas Emes urges us to learn humility from these tzaddikim, who performed their avodah with lofty intent yet without any thought of recognition.

Summary: The Midrash teaches that had Reuven and Boaz known their deeds would be recorded in the Torah, they would have done far more. Since their acts were worthy of eternal inclusion, they surely acted with exalted kavanos — yet it never even crossed their minds that their deeds would be remembered before Hashem. This is the mark of true tzaddikim, the very opposite of the lowly generations, in which a person who does a little avodah grows haughty. Such pride betrays ignorance of one's Creator; the proper path is to learn humility from the selfless avodah of these earlier ones.