The Purpose of Galus

Rav Eliyahu Dessler in Michtav MeiEliyahu [3:207] writes, "It is very important to understand the purpose of each Galus that Am Yisroel went through since we became a nation. Galus - like all things that happen through the ways of Hashem - comes to awaken us, teach us, and bring us to better ourselves. If the purpose of the Galus is not clear to us, we are lacking a fundamental understanding in how to serve Hashem. Certainly we must understand the Galus that we ourselves are in." 

He continues. According to all the signs given by Chazal, our generation is the Ikvisa D'Mishicha. We now stand at the moment in time just before the coming of the Bias Go'el Tzedek. It is a great loss if we don't learn to understand where Hashem is leading the world and why. For if not we won't know how to properly respond at this moment to the specific obligations put on us.

Source: Revach L'Neshama