Q&A: Awaiting the Messiah
Awaiting the Messiah
Question
Hello Rabbi, for several years now I’ve been asking myself why so many people are waiting for the Messiah. After many generations of persecution and suffering, we have a state with an army, a government, infrastructure, a strong economy, etc. I’m trying to understand where the urgency for the Messiah comes in here. Is the claim about the Messiah even justified at all? In my view, following the great suffering we endured over the years in exile, an expectation developed among us that someone would come save us. Has the expectation for the Messiah remained because of that?
Answer
Does the current situation look ideal to you? If so, then we aren’t living in the same country. Of course, there is also no Temple, there is no observance of the commandments, and the security situation is terrible.
Besides that, there is a religious matter of awaiting the Messiah and redemption. That doesn’t necessarily mean that people really are waiting and feeling distress.