Mourning and Hoping

A woman in Brooklyn decided to prepare her will and plan for the end of her life. She told her rabbi she had two final requests: First, she wanted to be cremated, and second, she wanted her ashes scattered all over the shopping mall. “Why the shopping mall?” asked the rabbi. “Then I’ll be sure my daughters visit me twice a week,” the mother responded.

Napoleon was once walking in a Jewish neighborhood and he heard many men crying inside the synagogues. So he walked into one of the Shtibels and approached a dignified looking Jew.
“Tell me, my dear man, why do you cry?”
The man responded, “I’m crying over the destruction of my temple!”
“Oh my!” exclaimed Napoleon. “Is there anything I can do to help you? Maybe tell me who destroyed it and I’ll punish him? Or maybe you need a donation to construct a new temple?”
“I’m sorry, Your Honor; you’ve misunderstood me. I’m crying and lamenting over the Holy Temple of Jerusalem destroyed close to two thousand years ago!”
Napoleon was amazed. “If a people still cries and prays two thousand years after a destruction of their temple, then I’m sure they will merit too see its rebuilding!”

Throughout the ages, although we’ve been scattered all over the world, we have always prayed and cried for the rebuilding of the Temple and our return to Zion. Seven out the 19 blessings in the Amida prayer discuss our yearning and anticipation for the time of the redemption and the coming of our righteous Moshiach.
It was on the lips of the Jews who entered the gas chambers and it kept the flame of Judaism alive in the hearts of Jews under oppression throughout the ages, as they hoped and believed in a better time that would soon arrive.
It is one of our Thirteen Principles of Faith as taught by Maimonides: “I believe in the coming of Moshiach, and though he may tarry I await his coming every day.”
Moshiach is not a dream fantasized by the sages in order to give the persecuted Jews hope - “Don’t despair; It will get better!” - Nor is it a reward for our devotion to Hashem in not abandoning the Torah and Mitzvoth even when it was inconvenient - or downright dangerous.
Rather, Moshiach is a much deeper concept, a central tenet of the Jewish religion. It is the reason and purpose of the entire creation and all that transpired in the almost six thousand years that have passed since then. Because it is only then that G-d will be able to feel at home, and reveal Himself completely His children, the Jewish people.
Building a home is a complex project. Every detail is attended to with the sole purpose of creating an environment in which the owner will feel comfortable. Since creation, we’ve been preparing that home. Every Mitzvah, each moment of Torah study, every warm gesture between two individuals - each of these brings more G-dliness into the world, creating a dwelling in which G-d can fully express Himself, as it were. When Moshiach will arrive, G-d will enter the home in all of His glory!
Automatically, when one will see G-d openly before him, there will be no room for hate and jealousy; he will lose his appetite for money, and having a good time won’t be the number one on his list of priorities. A world in which G-dliness is revealed will not tolerate war or strife. All will see the true and eternal enjoyment of learning Torah and knowing G-d, and nothing else will matter!
So let’s get ready for our face-to-face meeting with G-d. We want to look presentable; there is never a second chance for a first impression…