One of the foundations to Torah and Judaism is the belief in the coming of Mashiach. In the Thirteen Principles of Faith outlined by the Rambam, we declare, I believe with complete emunah in the coming of Mashiach, and even though he may seem to be delaying his arrival, I nevertheless will eagerly await and anticipate his arrival every day. We've discussed many times that our job in this world ultimately is to have emunah, to believe specifically when we don't see and we don't understand.

And here we find another area where we are called on to practice our emunah, our belief. It's been thousands of years that we as a nation have existed and Mashiach has not come yet. So logically, why should we think that today should be different to yesterday? If he did not come yet, who knows when he will come? Nevertheless, we are called on to build our belief that Mashiach can arrive at every single moment.

It is told of the saintly Chofetz Chaim that he would constantly have a bag ready and packed with clothes and the things he would need if Mashiach would arrive, so that he would be able to leave immediately at every single moment. And similarly, it is told about the great Rav Moshe Feinstein that it was his practice when he needed to carry something around on Shabbos, he would keep it in his hands rather than putting it in his pockets. And the reason for that was because he was concerned that he would encounter a situation where he would mistakenly walk on Shabbos with something in his pockets in an area without an Eruv, which is prohibited.

So in order to avoid that, he would never place items in his pockets on Shabbos. And in his elderly years, when he was not able to leave his house because of his health, it once happened that people saw he was carrying something around in his hands on Shabbos and not putting it in his pockets. And when he was asked why he was doing so, because he was clearly not able to leave his house anymore because of the state of his health and his elderly age.

So there was no concern anymore that he would mistakenly forget and walk in an area outside of an Eruv on Shabbos. And he responded, Mashiach can come at any given moment. And when Mashiach does come, all the sickly people will be made better.

I am waiting for Mashiach to come in the next few moments. And if that does happen, I will get better. And then I will want to keep up my practice of not walking outside on Shabbos with anything in my pockets.

Throughout the year, it is not always easy to be constantly mindful of the absence of our Besamikdash. Of course, even throughout the year, we should make our maximum effort to remember Hashem's house, the Besamikdash that has been destroyed, and hope for Mashiach and the rebuilding of the Besamikdash. It is worthwhile to take to heart that as part of the prescribed prayer of Birkas Hamazon, Grace After Meals, there is a preliminary chapter of Tehillim that we say, one during the week, Al-Naharus Bavel, and on Shabbos, Shir Amalos.

And both of those chapters ultimately were enacted to be said whenever we eat bread, which is something quite common, in order to remind us of Yerushalayim and the destruction of the Besamikdash. Although we might not be on the level of the Chofetz Chaim or of Moshe Feinstein or the many great other people who were able to hope in a very real, vivid way for the coming of Mashiach at every given moment, whatever we are able to hope for, everyone in their own way, is a tremendous mitzvah. Whether we are able to commit to saying the Animamin of the Rambam, which is our affirmation in the belief of the coming of Mashiach, or whether we are able to commit to saying the preliminary prayer to the Birkas Hamazon both on Shabbos as well as during the week, which is the appropriate thing to do as outlined by the halachic authorities, every small act that we do to remember the destruction of the Besamikdash is saying to Hashem, Hashem, I care about You, and I care about the fact that Your house was destroyed.