A group of people spoke with the Brisker Rav zt'l about the tzaros the Jewish nation was suffering, and someone said, "We need Moshiach to come quickly to save us." One of the men present whispered, "Moshiach isn't coming so fast." The Brisker Rav got very upset. He called this man to another room and said, "How can a Yid say such a thing?" The Brisker Rav took out a Rambam and read to him, "Whoever doesn't believe in Moshiach and doesn’t await his arrival, not only doesn't he believe in the Nevi'im – he doesn't believe in Moshe Rabbeinu's Torah as well."
This story illustrates how people wait for Moshiach; deep in their hearts, they don't expect him to come anytime soon. We must genuinely wait for Moshiach, and in that merit, Moshiach will come speedily in our days.
Reb Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld zt'l studied in the Ksav Sofer's yeshiva in Pressburg, and he repeated an episode that shows how the simple people of that city sincerely anticipated the coming of Moshiach. A woman asked her friend, "What did you prepare for lunch today?" She replied, "Beblach (beans)." "And what are you planning to cook for tomorrow?" "Sha sha! Al tiftach peh l'Satan. [Don't imply that tomorrow will be a regular day]! But if chas veshalom, Moshiach doesn't come, I'll cook noodles." This demonstrates how to wait for Moshiach. Every day, we should hope this will finally be the greatly anticipated day Moshiach will come.
Waiting for Moshiach is an obligation. The Gemara (Shabbos 31) teaches: "When a person is brought for judgment [in heaven], they ask him if he waited for Moshiach." Shaarei Teshuvah (118) writes, "When one says היום כל קוינו לישועתך in Shemonah Esrei, he should think, 'I am from the people who wait for Moshiach,' because after one's passing, he will be asked whether he waited for Moshiach. Mahar'i Tzemech writes, 'In addition, [when I say these words] I have in mind that I am awaiting Hashem's salvation to save us from all bad encounters that can occur every day and every moment. I often found this to be very beneficial...'"
The Midrash tells us, "There was a woman who lost her young son and cried over him every night. Rabban Gamliel heard her cries, which roused him to mourn for the Churban. He cried so much until his eyelashes fell out. When Rabban Gamliel's students discovered what was happening, they arranged for that woman to move out of the neighborhood." Why did this woman's tears rouse Raban Gamliel to cry for the Churban? Perhaps it is because all tzaros result from the Churban Beis HaMikdash. He heard her crying over her son and remembered the source of all her troubles: the Churban Beis HaMikdash.
Reb Shmuel Wosner zt'l notes that the Rambam begins his sefer (החזקה יד) with the obligation to believe in Hashem, and he concludes the sefer with our belief in Moshiach, and in between these two beliefs, he writes all the halachos of the Torah. This teaches us that the entire Torah is dependent on these two beliefs.
The Jewish community of Brisk wanted the Beis HaLevi zt'l to be their Rav, but the Beis HaLevi turned down their offer. Representatives from Brisk came to the Beis HaLevi and pleaded, "Twenty-five thousand people live in Brisk, and they all want you to come be their Rav. Will you turn them all down?" Immediately, the Beis HaLevi agreed to accept the position in Brisk. The Chofetz Chaim zt'l said about this episode, "The Beis HaLevi didn't want to turn down 25,000 Yidden. If thousands of Yidden yearn and request for Moshiach, Moshiach will certainly not turn them down."
