"Daven for the Geulah"

23 Tishrei 5785
Erev Shabbat Kodesh
Parashat Bereishit - Mevorchim 

Excerpted from The End Illuminated Sequel by Rabbi Yisroel Moshe Sorotzkin...

"Daven for the Geulah" - Not to Be Saved from Tzaros

...although many of our tzaros throughout the galus were a function of the galus itself, necessitating various forms of hishtadlus, the purpose of the tzaros preceding the Geulah is entirely different - to motivate us to daven for the Geulah.

Remarkably, already in 1809, during a time of war, the Chasam Sofer wrote that since Chazal have told us that wars are a part of the process of Geulah (as stated in Megillah 17b), it would be both wrong and counterproductive for the Yidden to daven that the war should end and instead they should ask for the Geulah.

Based on this ruling of the Chasam Sofer and the fact that numerous sources point to World War I as an intrinsic part of Milchemes Gog U'Magog...the Minchas Elazar (vol. 4, 6) ruled that it would be incorrect to establish a fast day to daven for World War I to end, since it would hold back the Geulah (and therefore davening for this would be a "chutzpah" to Hashem).  He wrote that they should rather just daven for the Geulah.

...As Rav Chaim Kanievsky clearly stated, our task at this time is only to "daven for the Geulah."  Now, when we are so close, is not the time for hishtadlus, nor for tefillos that Hashem fix our current difficult situation so we can "comfortably" continue our stay in this bitter galus, R"l.

Now is the time to beg for the Geulah.

~ Shabbat Shalom - Chodesh Tov ~