According to the legend, The Chasam Sofer spoke at a celebration of Napoleon's coronation in 1804. In front of the big secular crowd the great Rabbi and Rosh Yeshiva of Pressburg spoke for hours in German. Next to him at the dais was his closest student who noticed that while the Chasam Sofer spoke little tears formed at the edge of his eyes and trailed ever so gently down the side of his face.
After the lengthy dissertation he approached his master. “Why was it that you were crying during your drasha? Surely this is a good time for the Jews.” The Chasam Sofer answered with a parable... There was once a prince who committed an outrageous act forcing his father the king to exile him from the palace. The prince was forced to go far, far away from his royal abode. He dreamed of soon returning to the palace, but one day he saw many horses and wagons carrying gold and silver and beautiful wood towards his town and was frightened at the implication of what he was witnessing. He started to cry because he knew that he was not going home again to be with the king - all the gold and silver was to be used for a palace to keep him far away from his father.
The Chasam Sofer told his student- and so it is with us...it might be a great era for the Jewish people - but I know that if Hashem is making it so good for us here in galus - we are not going to be invited back to Eretz Yisroel anytime soon and the time for Moshiach is being pushed back even further. That is why I am crying.
We, today and it seems like almost every day, every minute (BH), are experiencing the most unbelievable moments we have ever experienced at the hands of our representatives, our government. For me, it gives real credence to the words Hayeenu K’Cholmin.. When the end of days starts to shine, it will seem as if we are dreaming! With every new pronouncement, executive order or law... it truly seems as if we are dreaming. This, as R’ Nachman has told us, is a propitious time to daven. When we feel deep inside that our tefilos are b’emes niskabel- surely heard, Rav Nachman says, double down. Daven as hard as you can!
Let us all daven now that Bez’H the final geulah will arrive soon, with the rest of it’s golden promises, Amen!
Written by R’ Avrohom Hillel Reich based on a lesson and story by Harav Ben Tziyon Sneh Shlita
