Rav Uri Zohar Quotes Gedolim on Mashiah

In a Kikar article that is taken from the Israeli Yated, Rav Uri Zohar was interviewed for Lev Le'achim and tells us what Rav Chaim Kanievsky Shlit"a and Rav Shteinman Shlit"a said about Mashiah.

I'll translate a couple sections. In the first section, Rav Zohar mentioned that in the coming year, there will be more than half of the State's children in a religious school. He was then asked about the 2 conflicting progressions: that of the government enacting laws that contradict religion and that of the great amount of Ba'alei Teshuva returning. Here's his answer:

As always, and at every moment, HKB"H controls the world. It says in Daniel "Many shall purify themselves, and make themselves white, and be refined." These are the 3 processes of "Birur" [filtration], and this is not only among our far-away brothers - this is also among ourselves. We are asked to withstand the test of faith to Hashem and to His Torah and to Gedolei Yisrael. This is the "Birur" of before the Geula.

My friend R' Natan Heifetz and I went in to Maran Sar HaTorah Hagaon Rav Chaim Kanievsky Shlit"a and we asked about a family from the United States whose sons are in need of Shidduchim, and they want to know what they can do to have a salvation.

Maran Shlit"a [Rav Kanievsky] answered: "They should make Aliya to Eretz Yisrael."

We continued and asked, "And if it's hard for them to leave the land in which they were born and to make Aliya to Israel?"

Maran Shlit"a answered, "What's so hard for them? Either way, Mashiah Tzidkenu is coming in a little bit and they will go up to Zion with joy..."

When we returned to our homes, we thought to ourselves, "Did the words of Maran Shlit"a - about Mashiah Tzidkeinu coming - have a special meaning or were they just as a prayer and a hope?"

We turned to his loyal trustee Harav Yeshaya Epstein Shlit"a to ask Maran Shlit"a what was hidden in this expression. He answered our request and asked Maran Shlit"a as he specified the entire contents of the question and the answer and our wanting to know about the wording of the answer. Maran Shlit"a answered and said, "Indeed, all the signs that are written about Ikveta Dimshiha are being fulfilled one by one, and especially, Haza"l's statement that in Ikveta Dimshiha, Hutzpa will increase..." The intent is also among us - one needs to know what is the authority of Gedolei Yisrael!

[It's interesting to note that this statement is consistent with a few other statements Rav Kanievsky Shlit"a made recently.]

Later in the interview, Rav Uri Zohar was asked to give stories that made him cry. Here's one:

A 4-year-old girl in Yokne'am was a daughter of completely secular parents. The father took her a few times on Saturday nights to her grandfather's house to say "Shavu'a Tov". Once, they got there early and she saw her grandfather making Havdala. The girl was very interested. "What is this?" she asked her father. He stuttered a little.

The grandfather heard and asked his son, "You never brought her to the synagogue?"

"No," answered the father.

The girl didn't let go. "Abba, I want you to take me to the synagogue."

The father decided to bet on something that would ensure his standing. He stipulated with her, "If you will stop sucking your finger, I'll take you."

He was sure that the condition would never be met. However, the girl paid the price. The first night, she didn't sleep, but she didn't suck her finger. She wanted the right to go to the synagogue. The second night, the same thing. On the third day, the daycare teacher called, "What happened with your daughter? She is sleeping in the middle of daycare." The mother was embarrassed to tell her.

On the sixth day, the mother already decided that the payment must be paid... She informed the father that he must take the girl to the synagogue, "and if not, you're not going to just deal with the girl, but with me!"

And he took her!! The story goes on that the mother started lighting Shabbat candles, and this family in Yokne'am today is getting others to become Ba'alei Teshuva all around them.

I was moved to tears when I heard this story. The soul of a Jewish girl.

And when they told over this story to Maran the Rosh Yeshiva Hagaon Rav Aharon Yehuda Leib Shteinman Shlit"a, he was amazed and declared, "This is the light of Mashiah!!"

He mentions some other Geula concepts in the interview. If you know Hebrew, check it out.