The phrase "waiting for the Messiah" is sometimes seen as an expression of passivity and inaction.
There are those for whom waiting for the Messiah means sitting idly by, doing nothing, believing that someone will do the work for them and solve all their problems.
This is a distorted perception of the concepts of redemption and of man's role in this mission of the coming of the Messiah. Sitting idly by is the complete opposite of waiting for the Messiah.
He who sits idle is not truly expecting the Messiah. He is simply a person devoid of energy and the spirit of action. The expectation of the Messiah is a driving force. It pushes a person to act and do in order to realize this expectation and hasten its fulfillment.
To ask intentionally
Indeed, the expectation of the Messiah introduces a spiritual, supernatural element into our system of concepts. It is not satisfied with an earthly analysis of reality and the provision of human solutions.
The believing Jew knows that a divine redemption awaits us, which is part of a new world order and the correction of the entire world in the kingdom of God.
The expectation of the Messiah does not contradict human action, and the coping with challenges with rational tools. A Jew is required to act in the ways of nature. If there is a medical problem – we go to a doctor. When there is a financial problem – we turn to a financial expert. Against a security challenge, we must equip ourselves with the appropriate weapons and provide a defensive or offensive response as required.
But alongside all this, the Jew knows that true redemption will come through a divine move that transcends earthly and human systems. This is the redemption that our prophets promised us, and for which it was worth going through all the suffering and persecution that the Jewish people went through. This is the wonderful vision of the end times, which is the very soul of the Jewish faith.
And we are required to act so that this redemption comes one day earlier.
It is not enough to expect and hope, but we must act to be worthy of it. We must pray for its coming.
Look at how many references to redemption are in our prayer book. Sometimes we say the words as a mitzvot of learned people, and we do not put into these words the intention and inner wish that should sometimes be in our hearts.
An insoluble reality
The combination of earthly activity and the expectation of redemption also puts things in proportion.
Some despair in the face of the insoluble situations we face. Others are tempted by false illusions, that they 'must' achieve a 'solution.' But a Jew who knows what redemption is, knows that there are things that will not be solved by earthly means, and that the complete solution will not be achieved until the Messiah comes.
The holiday of Passover gives us the strength to strengthen our faith in redemption and make it a driving force all year long. It is not easy to persevere in this expectation, after another day passes and yet Ben-David is still lingering.
Therefore, we need to strengthen this faith and we must not let it fade.
The last holiday of Passover is particularly associated with the coming redemption. The Baal Shem Tov says that on this day the illumination of the Messiah shines. Hence the custom he established to eat the 'Messiah' meal' on this day, with matzah and wine, in order to instill in us the faith and expectation of the coming of the Messiah, which will be tangible and real.
Let us all therefore strengthen our faith in redemption, increase our hearts' anticipation of its coming, and work to hasten the coming of our righteous Messiah, very soon.
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