Editing Completion of the Exile's Work (section)

== Polishing the Buttons ==
'''Extended article - Polishing the Buttons'''

On Simchat Torah 5689 (1928), in a talk delivered by the Rebbe Rayatz, he announced that the work that remains now is "polishing the buttons." The meaning of this expression is that all that remains to be done in order to bring the Redemption are small, final actions. The Rebbe used this expression many times over the years.

But at the end of the 5740s (1980s), the Rebbe began to use this expression in the past tense, as an action that has already been completed:<blockquote>"It has been discussed several times that according to all the signs mentioned by our Sages regarding the end of days (in addition to the general announcement at the time of the Gemara that 'all deadlines have passed'), our generation is the last generation of exile and the first generation of redemption, as testified by my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, leader of our generation - in connection with his well-known proclamation 'immediate repentance, immediate redemption' - that in his days (decades ago) all aspects of the work were completed, and we only need to 'polish the buttons' and stand ready to receive our righteous Moshiach. How much more so after the abundant work of spreading Torah, Judaism, and the wellsprings of Chassidism outward from then until now... certainly and most definitely we have also finished 'polishing the buttons,' and stand ready to receive our righteous Moshiach."

— Parshat Nasso 5751 (1991), section 13</blockquote>