Sefer Bais Yisroel relates that in the year 5602 (1842), the Ruzhiner Rebbe once went for a walk in the forest. His attendants brought him a small table and chair, and he sat down in the middle of the woods. He turned to the chasidim who were with him and began to say words of chizuk about the great things the final generations can accomplish with every small thing they do for Hashem, and how much joy this brings Him. He said as follows:
Chazal say (Makos 24A) that Chavakuk came and summarized the entire Torah with one statement: ‘A tzadik lives with his emunah (Chavakuk 2:4).’ This is hard to understand. Chavakuk lived at the end of the period of prophecy and he was prophesizing about the generation immediately prior to Moshiach’s arrival and saying that a tzadik lives with his emunah. What tzadikim will be around then?
The truth is, however, that this is not so surprising. In the generation right before Moshiach, everyone will be doing whatever they want. People will have no shame to sin publicly. In such times, if a Yid slightly subjugates himself to Hashem, and certainly if he sighs about his situation, and even more so if he tries to repeat the words of a tzadik, he will need to look behind him to see if people are making a mockery of him. In such time, if a Yid strengthens his emunah, he will be deserving of great praise and will be considered a tzadik.
The Rebbe then placed his hand on his heart and said: In such times, if a Jew wakes up in the morning and says Modeh Ani – even if he is so ignorant that he doesn’t know the meaning of the words – and if he puts on talis and tefillin – even if he isn’t wearing them properly – but he at least knows that a Jew must wear tefillin, such a Jew is very beloved by Hashem. He has reached the highest level of emunah – the level of ‘mi la’Hashem ailei’, of serving Hashem when most others do not. And he is worthy of greeting Moshiach.
The Final Generations are the Purpose of Creation:
The Rama M’Pano (Asarah Maamaros, Maamar Chikur Din, Chelek 2, Perek 7) writes that the verse (Chavakuk 2:3): ‘If he delays, wait for him because he will come and will not take long’ has the numerical value of the word ‘bereishis’ because this is the purpose of the entire creation.
The Shomer Emunim (Drush Emunah 25) explains that this pasuk is referring to the final generation which will merit to see the geulah. Although our generation is currently at a very lowly level, since we are undergoing much suffering and many challenges, we will emerge purified as if we had been cleansed by fire. Therefore, our job now is to remain strong in our emunah and not to waver at all.