“How old are you?!” This was Pharaoh’s (impolite?) question when he met our forefather Ya’akov, who looked extremely old.
Ya’akov answered that he was 130 years old, and that his days were “few and bad”.
Hmm...130 years are called “few”?!
Ya’akov meant that his life was missing something. His whole life was all about the Redemption through Moshiach. He was ready for it already in his time. As long as the Redemption did not actually come, something was missing, and even 130 years of life were considered “few”. Ya’akov let Pharaoh know that he shouldn’t make the mistake of thinking that he and his family will be satisfied with living even in the best part of Egypt, because the main thing for them is the Redemption. The only reason for the Jewish People settling in Egypt for some time was in order that through refining Egypt, the Redemption would be on a higher level.
The same goes for us. We should believe in, yearn for and anticipate the Redemption through Moshiach so strongly that until it happens in an actual and revealed way, we feel that our life is missing something. This feeling will bring the Redemption.
And we should also bring the Redemption by learning more Torah and spreading the wellsprings of Chassidus outward!
(See talk of the Lubavitcher Rebbe King Moshiach Shlita, Mikeitz 5752 (1991))
