[רמז] כאשר הש"י מאיר פניו לאדם היינו שמאיר בלבו אמיתות הש"י איך הוא באמת מלא כל הארץ כבודו ואפס זולתו כלל. זה הוא כבר נושע בישועה שלימה וכמ"ש האר פניך ונושעה. כי מעט מן האור דוחה הרבה מן החשך וכאשר נכנס אור בבית הרי החשך מסתלק ממנו.
When the Lord alights His face to man, that is, He illuminates in a person's heart the truths of the Lord, how He truly filled the whole earth with His glory and there is nothing other than Him at all. This is already a complete salvation, and it is written, "Lift your face and be saved." For a little of the light repels much of the darkness, and when light enters the house, the darkness runs from it.
But what if one does not find a way out of their despair?
אש קודש: פרשת שופתים , שנת תש''א (עמ' קעט)
והנה בכל הצרות שרואים שבאם ידעו כולם שתכיף למחר יושעו כי אז חלק גדול דם מן המתיאשים עוד היו יכולים להתחזק,
אבל דא עקא שאינם רואים את הקץ לחושך,
והרבה אים להם במה להתחזק וחס וחלילה מתיאשים ורוחם נופל.
וזה ''תמים תהיה עם ד' אלוקיך'' אפילו אם אתה שבור ומרוסס מכל מקום תהיה תמים ושלם והתחזק עם ד' אלוקיך, כי יודע אתא שד' אלוקיך עמך בצרה, לכן לא תחזור אחר עתידות לומר איני רואה קץ לחושך אלא כל מה שיבוא עליך קבל בתמימות ואז תהיה עמו ולחלקו, וממילא על ידי זה יקרב ישועתך כמו שביקש משה רבינו ''והם עמך ונחלתך'' (דברים ט, כט)
Esh Kodesh - Holy Fire: Parashat Shoftim, August 1941
It is clear, amidst all this suffering, that if only everyone knew that they would be rescued tomorrow, then a great majority - even of those who have already despaired - would be able to find courage.
This problem is that they cannot see any end to the darkness.
Many find nothing with which to bolster their spirits, and so, G!d forbid, they despair and become dispirited.
This is the meaning of "Be guileless (sincere) with G!d your Lord." Even if you are broken and oppressed, nevertheless be artless and whole. Take strength in G!d your Lord because you know that G!d your Lord is with you in your suffering. Do not attempt to project into the future, saying, "I cannot see an end to the darkness," but simply accept whatever happens to you, and then you will be with G!d, to be His portion. Then, naturally, your salvation will draw close, for, as Moshe said (Deut. 9:29), "They are Your people and Your inheritance."
אש קודש: פרשת מטות, שנת תש''ב (עמ' רעג)
ובמה אפשר לחזק עצמו על כל פנים מעט כל עוד לא באה ישועה, ובמה אפשר להקים על כל פנים מעט את הרוח בשעת שבירה ורציצה כזו,
ראשית כל בתפילה ובבטחון שד' אב הרחמן אי אפשר שישליך כל כך את בניו מעל פניו, ואי אפשר שחס וחלילה יעזבנו בכל כך סכנה שמסוכנים אנו למען שמו יתברך, ובטח ירחם תיכף ומיד וכהרף עין יושיענו.
Esh Kodesh - Holy Fire: Parashat Matot, July 1942
With what can he strengthen himself, at least a little, so long as salvation has not appeared? And with what can the spirit be elevated, even the tiniest bit, while crushed and broken like this?
Firstly, with prayer and with faith that G!d, Merciful Father, would never utterly reject His children. It cannot be possible, G!d forbid, that He would abandon us in such mortal danger as we are now facing for His blessed Name's sake. Surely, He will have mercy immediately, and rescue us in the blink of an eye.
The Greek enacted decrees forbidding the learning and teaching of Torah. However the Sages of the time came up with an ingenious tactic. They devised the game of dreidel, so that if the Greek encountered Jews leaning Torah, the Jews would quickly take out their dreidels and pretend that they were playing the game. Therefore, the dreidel allowed the Jews to continue learning and teaching Torah right under the noses of the Greek. The custom of playing dreidel on Chanukkah remained thereafter to commemorate the miracle that with the help of the dreidel, the Torah was saved from being completely forgotten from Israel.
- Otzar Kol Minhagei Yeshurun 19:4
published in the late 19th / early 20th century
Why do you think this narrative began to spread exactly at that time?
About Tzidkat HaTzaddik:
A person's dreams reflect a lot about who we are. It is the measure of our aspirations, goals, and of those values we hold dear and place above all else.
One does not squelch the evil inclination but rather helps channel its energies positively.
Written by R' Tzadok HaKohen Rabinovitz (Kreissburg 1823 - 1900 Lublin); born into a Litvish family and became a follower of R' Mordechai Yosef Leiner, also known as "Iszbitzer Rebbe" (Mei Shiloach).
About Esh Kodesh:
A collection of sermons grappling with the unfolding disaster of the Holocaust and with the difficulty in continued faith in G!d's justice under such circumstances.
Written by R' Kalonymus Kalman Shapira (1889, Grodzisk - 1943 Trawniki), also known as Piasetzna Rebbe, who also gained a reputation for his pedagogical methods. The Rebbe argued that a child must be brought up “with a vision of his own potential greatness” and be enlisted "as an active participant in his own development." Rabbi Shapira argued for positive, psychologically sensitive, joyous educational methods.