Someone once said, “Cheerfulness is contagious, but don’t wait to catch it from others. Be a carrier!”.
The Midrash (Tanchuma in Toldos) links the tears that Hashem “has made us drink in great measure” (Tehillim 80:6) to the three tears that Esav shed when he learned that Yaakov had stolen his brachos. R' Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz commented: Imagine, if Esav has been so compensated for three tears, how much more so will Hashem compensate us for all our suffering? The Holocaust only deepened his faith in that eventual compensation.
Many have said that we are currently living in the Chevlei Moshiach, pangs of Moshiach, referring to the extremely difficult times preceding the era of Moshiach.
The following explanation has been said in the name of the Noam Elimelech. The term חבל (of חבלי משיח) can also mean a rope. Prior to the arrival of Moshiach, Hashem will be holding a rope from on top and will be shaking the rope. Our job is to hold on tight. May we all merit to hold on until the coming of Moshiach!
