The chasid Rabbi Avrohom Vilny, one of the elders of Jerusalem, related: Rabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld, the rabbi of Jerusalem, had a class that took place every evening in the synagogue in the Battei Machseh neighborhood in the Old City of Jerusalem.
Rabbi Yosef Chaim would speak a lot about Moshiach's imminent arrival, and would arouse his listeners to anticipate his coming.
One of the students asked, "But are you not delaying Moshiach by talking about him, because Moshiach will only come 'b'hesech ha'daat,' when we're not thinking about him?"
Rabbi Yosef Chaim answered, "Even now we are distracted from thinking about Moshiach. The proof is that even if the most reliable person came right now and said that Moshiach is on HaYehudim Street in the Old City, wouldn't you hesitate for at least a moment before you ran out to greet him?"
Tzipisa L'Yeshua
