מִשִּׂיחַת אַאַמוּ"ר: יעֶמאָלט, וועֶן מָשִׁיחַ וועֶט קוּמעֶן בִּמְהֵרָה בְּיָמֵינוּ אָמֵן, וועֶט מעֶן עֶרשְׁט בֵּיינקעֶן נאָךְ דִי גָּלוּת טעֶג. יעֶמאָלט וועֶט עֶרשְׁט פאַרדְרִיסעֶן פאַר וואָס מ'האָט נִיט געֶטאָן אִין עֲבוֹדָה. מעֶן וועֶט עֶרשְׁט דעֶרהעֶרעֶן דעֶם גְרוֹיסעֶן וֵוייטאָג פוּן הֶעְדֵּר הָעֲבוֹדָה. אִיצטעֶר אִין דִי יְמֵי הַגָּלוּת, אִיז דִי יְמֵי הָעֲבוֹדָה צוּ מֵכִין זַיין זִיךְ צוּ בִּיאַת הַמָּשִׁיחַ בִּמְהֵרָה בְיָמֵינוּ אָמֵן.

From a talk of my revered father, the Rebbe [Rashab]: When Mashiach arrives (May that be speedily in our days!), people will start hankering after the bygone era of exile. It is then that they will start feeling regret for not having devoted themselves to Divine service; it is then that people will feel anguish over their lack of avodah. As for now, during the era of exile, these are the days of avodah — to prepare oneself for the imminent coming of Mashiach.1

Peering Over the Horizon

There is a mishnah that teaches:2 “One hour of repentance and good deeds in this world surpasses the entire life of the World to Come. And one hour of bliss in the World to Come surpasses the entire life of this world.”

Both statements are true. In terms of our own satisfaction, nothing will surpass the World to Come, for then we will “derive pleasure from the radiance of the Divine Presence.”3 In terms of the satisfaction that G‑d derives from us, nothing can outshine an hour of the repentance and good deeds that we undertake in this world despite all challenges.

Presently, we feel the lack of our satisfaction, and thus yearn for the perfect world of the future. But when we will look back from that era, no longer feeling the pain of spiritual emptiness, we will remember all the opportunities we had to please G‑d by serving Him. We will wonder why we did not take advantage of them to the fullest. As the Rebbe Rayatz used to express it,4 “In the era of Redemption, we will grasp our heads [in regret]: ‘Gevald! While we were still in the era of exile, we could have accomplished so much.’ “