1) suffering: "The Israelites groaned because of their work"
2) repentance: "and their cries reached Heaven...";
3) mercy: "G-d saw the Israelites";
4) the merit of the Forefathers; and
5) the end of the time limit which He had set: " and He knew" (Shemot 2:23, 25)
It will be the same in the future as well: When you are in distress (1) In the end of days (5), you will finally return to Hashem your G-d (2) He is a merciful Power (3) He will not forget your fathers' covenant (4) (Devarim 4:30-31)
All 5 of these components lead to redemption. For example if there was complete repentance, even before G-d's appointed time redemption would follow: "Today if you listen to his voice" (Tehillim 95:7) Yet in an age where there is no complete repentance all five factors are needed for the redemption to come.
The Chafetz Chaim asks how our generation is going to merit being redeemed when previous generations were so much more devoted to G-d. The simple answer he says is that previously the proper time had not yet arrived, and also perhaps their suffering had not reached the climax it has now. He says that as we can hope that all the other aspects of redemption have been already met with a little arousal to repentance we can anticipate that the redemption will approach.
The merit of our repentance will cause G-d to take pity upon us, and to recall His covenant with the Avot and redeem us forever "You will return to Hashem your G-d and obey him. He is a merciful G-d... and He will not forget the covenant of our ancestors." (Devarim 4:30)
He emphasized that each of us on his own must arouse himself to repent and those capable of doing so must arouse others (See also Chomas Hadas, Chaps 1,6)
He also sites a source from The Ramban ( Hilchot Taanit):
Those who do not cry out to G-d over misfortune attributing it instead to chance have developed a cruel attitude. Such people become entrenched in their own evil ways, and further misfortune visits them. "If you remain indifferent to Me, then I will be indifferent to you with a vengeance"
*Source Chofetz Chaim Hagada Let my People Go page 72-73
Am Yisrael, we have to wake up. Reading this Hagadah from the Chofetz Chaim, it as if he is still living and speaking directly to us. The fact that he has come to several Rabbis in their dreams to say that Moshiach is right around the corner, helps us link his words of urgency then to even more urgency now, as we are many more years closer to Moshiach's arrival. Hashem wants us to return to him... to cry out... to ask what we can do to get closer. We do not need any specific tefilot, we just need open hearts and have a desire to connect. Pesach is a time for this prayer as the complete exodus is recreated. If we open our hearts with full longing and desire Hashem will do the rest and may even split the sea for us once again. Am Yisrael there is no time to wait.
Tefila for Pesach (an excerpt link to follow)
I beg of You, my Merciful Father, draw us to You so that we will serve You with a powerful desire, with true longing. On this night, let my soul yearn to race after You, my heart and flesh will pine for You and sing to You. Every fiber of my being will rejoice on this day that You draw me out of exile. You will enclothe me in a pure body from Gan Eden, just as the faithful shepherd Moshe was enclothed in a pure body when You sent him to release Your children from bondage. And when his body returned to its original state, his heart was completely devoted to you. He was drawn after You like water until he ascended to receive the Torah, until he ascended to Your holy chambers.
I beg of You, Hashem, Lord of hosts Who does wonders and knows all, You send down the dew of resurrection on this night to atone for all of our sins and return us to Gan Eden, our source. Oh, Hashem, that we would only really pray on this night, the night when Adam HaRishon called to his children and revealed his secret to them as he trembled! It is a day on which You send down the dew of resurrection, which can cancel out the decree of death. He said, “Please, merciful and beloved children that shine like the very heavens, have mercy on me as well as yourselves. Have mercy on all the coming generations and make your prayers your sacrifices. Pour out your hearts like water before the One who dwells on high.”
If you would like access this incredible prayer written by Ha Rav Elizer Berland shlit"a for
Pesach http://shuvubonim.org/pray2.html . Thanks Zhus Avos Yagen Aleinu
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