BELIEVE AND ALSO WAIT
On the subject of the Messiah's arrival, the Torah emphasizes not only the need to believe in his coming, but also the obligation to await his encounter. Maimonides, in his thirteen principles of faith, highlights: "If he delays, wait for him" (Habakkuk 2:3 and also Zephaniah 3:8: "Therefore wait for me, says the Lord, for the day when I will establish myself forever"). This is how the concept is articulated.
in the principles of faith: "Even if he delays, I will wait for him every day that he comes.".
Furthermore, Maimonides writes at the beginning of chapter 11 of the Laws of Kings in the book Yad HaChazakah, which deals with the Messiah issue:
""And whoever does not believe in him or does not await his coming, not only denies the rest of the prophets but also the Torah and Moses our teacher." We see not only the importance of his belief but also his waiting.
The words of the Talmud (Shabbat 31a) are well-known, concerning the question posed to the soul on the Day of Judgment: "Did you wait for salvation?" A Jew may believe in the thirteen principles of faith, diligently observe the Torah and the mitzvot every day, but if he lacks hope for the coming of the Messiah and the salvation of Israel, he will be ashamed before the Divine rebuke: "Did you wait for salvation?" From this, we see that the Torah demands that we have a genuine sense of hope for the coming of the Messiah, coupled with essential faith in him.
A TESTIMONY OF FAITH
Hope, quite simply, demonstrates the level of faith. It is natural that the believer in the expected redemption, and aware of the wonderful future, fervently longs for the awaited moment. As the prophets say (Isaiah 30:18): "Blessed is the one who waits for him." That is to say, blessed is the person who awaits the arrival of the Messiah.
A Jew who claims to have faith in the coming of the Messiah, but has no hope for it, testifies to himself that his faith is weak, a faith lacking, however it may be; for if it is not so, how is it possible that there is no hope in his soul directed toward the great day to come? A Jew who believes in this marvelous good, which awaits the people of Israel, the entire world, and the Shekhinah (for Divine revelation is also exiled and will be redeemed in the same way), how is it possible that he is not filled with tremendous hope of seeing the arrival of the Messiah? Therefore, the more he awaits his arrival, the more it testifies to him that his faith in the coming of the Messiah is complete.
HOPE AS AN ACCELERATOR
The importance of hope lies not only in what has been mentioned above. Hope hastens and brings closer redemption. Hashem wants redemption to come like rain that quenches a thirsty land, not to fall on indifferent ground. When we await redemption and ask for it, we hasten its arrival.
The Midrash Yalkut Shimoni states, "If there is a generation that awaits my reign, they will be delivered immediately." The Chida explains that hope is a great merit of the people of Israel. For when we ask for redemption, there may be a counterclaim that we lack sufficient merit. But when we wait and await the arrival of the Messiah, we are worthy of its fulfillment simply by virtue of having hope. The Chida supports this with another quote from the Midrash Yalkut Shimoni: "Even if they have nothing but hope, redemption is their reward.".
The sages conclude that, at the end of the exile, God expects the people of Israel to unite in a great cry for the arrival of the Messiah. Perhaps this explains the extremely difficult situation we are experiencing, in which no solution based on natural laws seems possible.
We must understand that our salvation can come only through true and complete redemption, and when we expect and ask for it, Hashem will send it swiftly.
(Sijat HaShavua, Chabad Israel)