There is a pasuk in Torah that says about Moshiach “Even if he tarries, we await his coming every day”. This means that even if he tarries, he will for sure come to redeem us. But how can we prevent Moshiach tarrying? How can we hasten his coming? By not tarrying in our own teshuvah, in our own “repentance” and returning to the path of G-d. The moment we do teshuvah, Moshiach will come. So it depends on each one of us.
Now in Elul is the opportune moment to do teshuvah and fix the past and prepare for redemption. We each have things to correct in ourselves. We need to awaken the truth within our souls and listen to our inner voice and return to the proper path of life. Each of us has things we know we need to give up or to fix. Each of us has things to refine or correct in ourselves. But we often feel apathetic or like we lack motivation or energy to fix things. We often are in bad habit patterns and are addicted to certain behaviors, habits or even to our phones, internet etc. in order to feel happy or to escape an unhappy reality of life.
We need to be willing to give up and sacrifice the things we find difficult….even if we do so little by little….and as we make the effort to heal and fix ourselves, Hashem will heal and fix the world. WE will be the catalysts for the coming of Moshiach.
Each generation has certain tests and things which are difficult to overcome. One of the tests of our generation is internet. It can be used for good or the opposite. Certainly it is something that needs to be controlled and should never take one away from learning Torah or from one’s children, family obligations etc. This is the great yetzer hara of our generation. And yet, we have been given great inner strength to defeat this yetzer hara. Our generation has been chosen for this. May we work on it together.
This new year is a year of pele gadol (the great wonder, which refers to Moshiach). It also is a year that will be filled with blessings of abundant parnassa, health and healing and all good things. Let us pray now , as the King is in the field, and let us do our work throughout the month of Tishrei, through each Jewish holiday, and may our collective prayers, tears and teshuvah bring about the actual redemption that we are awaiting for so many thousands of years.