בִּפְרָט בַּזְמַן הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר בְּחַסְדֵי הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרֵךְ אָנוּ עוֹמְדִים עַל סַף הַגְּאוּלָּה, עָלֵינוּ לְהִתְאַמֵּץ בְּכָל מִינֵי אִמּוּץ, לְחַזֵּק כָּל עִנְיָנֵי הַדָּת בְּהִדּוּר מִצְוָה, וְלִשְׁמוֹר אֶת כָּל הַמִּנְהָגִים מִבְּלִי לְוַתֵּר אַף כָּל שֶׁהוּא, וּמִצְוָה וְחוֹבָה עַל כָּל רַב בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל לְהוֹדִיעַ לִקְהַל עֲדָתוֹ כִּי הַצָּרוֹת וְהַיִּסּוּרִים חֶבְלֵי מָשִׁיחַ הֵמָּה, וַה' אֱלֹקֵנוּ דּוֹרֵשׁ מֵאִתָּנוּ תְּשׁוּבָה לְתּוֹרָה וּמִצְוֹת, שֶׁלֹּא נְעַכֵּב בִּיאַת מְשִׁיחַ צִדְקֵנוּ בְּקָרוֹב מַמָּשׁ.

Particularly in these times, when thanks to G‑d’s kindness we stand at the threshold of the Redemption, we must make every effort to strengthen all matters of our faith, [including] the conscientious observance of every mitzvah and of all our customs, without the slightest compromise. It is a mitzvah and an obligation incumbent upon every rabbi in the Jewish world to inform his community that [our people’s] difficulties and sufferings1 are the birth pangs of Mashiach. G‑d, our L‑rd, is demanding of us that we return to the Torah and its mitzvos, so that we will not delay the coming of our righteous Mashiach, in the immediate future.2

Peering Over the Horizon

On numerous occasions, the Rebbe discounted the various arguments that have been proposed over the generations to explain and (so to speak) excuse the delay in the long-awaited Redemption of our people and of the world at large. Instead, the Rebbe taught, we have to ask for — and even demand — the coming of Mashiach.3 For example,4 the Rebbe once cited the teaching of the Sages5 that if the Beis HaMikdash was not rebuilt in a person’s lifetime, it is as if it had been destroyed in his lifetime. He continued: “Imagine a Jew standing there on that day in front of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, and witnessing the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash before his very eyes. His anguish would make him overturn the world!”

The Rebbe concluded with a cry from the heart: “So overturn the world!”