forcing the end

[Pinky Pie of Doom]

I was reading a book in wich the author mentioned a Hebrew concept called forcing the end,he didn't say much except that it referred to human effort to hasten the arrival of the Messiah.And I was wondering if any of the Jewish members of TWeb could please explain it to me in more detail.

[Heathen Dawn]

Just what it says: bringing on the signs of the Messiah by human means. The actuality of that issue is great, since Haredi (Ultra-Orthodox) Jews deem the construction of the state of Israel to be a Messianic sign. Rabbi Yoel Teitelbaum, head of the rabidly anti-Zionist Satmar Hasidim, went so far as to say the Holocaust was God’s punishment for the Zionist effort to set up a Jewish homeland in Palestine.

[GrayPilgrim]

Heathen -- Eek! (on the Rabbi Yoel Teitelbaum bit).

I don't know if it is completely relevent, but I read somewhere (can't remember where, it was been about 6-8 years ago) and heard from my Hebrew instructor at OSU that the move among some within contemporary Judaism, e.g. the Temple Mount Faithful, to rebuild the Temple is just such a "forcing the end". Their logic runs that if we rebuild the Temple then God will have to send Elijah to restore the genealogical record in order that the priesthood may be reinstated, and then Messiah will come. Thus among some who wish to rebuild it is to force the end, however there are also those who just wish to return to the sacrificial system w/o such a Messianic expectation or motice to force the end as well.

GP

[Pinky Pie of Doom]

addendum:When I originally posted I was curious about exactly what specific acts could be undertaken in order to "force the end",I probably should have made that more clear in my original post.However Heathen Dawn and GrayPilgim answered it for me,and I thank them both.