One of the chapters that discuss our present situation is in Tehillim (124). It states there, לנו שהיה 'ה לולי ,ישראל נא יאמר לנו שהיה 'ה לולי בשם עזרנו ...בנו אפם בחרות בלענו חיים אזי ,אדם עלינו בקום וארץ שמים עושה 'ה , "Had not Hashem been with us – let Yisrael declare now! Had not Hashem been with us when men rose against us, then they would have swallowed us alive, when their anger was kindled against us... Our help is the name of Hashem, maker of heaven and earth."
Reb Chaim Vital (Eitz HaDaas Tov) says this chapter discusses the galus of Yishmael, which we are in today. The chapter begins with the first four galuyos (Bavel, Madai, Yavan, and Edom) and states, ישראל נא יאמר לנו שהיה 'ה לולי, "Had not Hashem been with us – let Yisrael declare now!" The next pasuk, לנו שהיה 'ה לולי אדם עלינו בקום , "Had not Hashem been with us when men rose against us," alludes to the fifth galus, the galus of Yishmael. Chazal (Pirkei d'Reb Eliezer 32) say, "Why is his name ישמעאל? It is because the Yidden will shout out to Hashem when they are in galus of Yishmael, and ל-א ישמע Hashem will listen to them and save them. This is as it states (Tehillim 55:20), ויענם ל-א ישמע, "Hashem will hear [their tefillos] and answer them."
So, we are living in an extraordinary time, a time when Hashem awaits to hear our tefillah.
We return to the chapter of Tehillim (124) that Reb Chaim Vital reveals is referring to this era, and we quote Reb Chaim's Vital's commentary: "[Tehillim states that at this time] בנו אפם בחרות בלענו חיים אזי, 'They would have swallowed us alive when their anger was kindled against us.' This refers to the fifth galus of Yishmael, which is worse than all other galuyos, because they want to swallow us, and we don't know what we can do. Our only solution is to call out to Hashem in prayer. The chapter concludes, וארץ שמים עושה 'ה בשם עזרנו, 'Our help is through the name of Hashem, Maker of heaven and earth.' Hashem will speedily bring the geulah sheleimah, so heaven and earth can exist because they don't have existence without Bnei Yisrael."
Reb Chaim Vital is saying that Hashem created heaven and earth for Bnei Yisrael who serve Him. We are confident Hashem will save us because the entire world depends on our existence.
