In time of distress/ in time of emergency
In a time of pressure or distress. In an emergency. When there is a necessity to narrow down (דחק meaning pressure or crowding).
(And Rabbi Yehuda said: An incident with the people of Karkhin who would bequeath their lulavs to their sons. They asked him: What proof is there? There is no proof from a time of distress - Sukkah 53b, and also: "In a time of distress - such as when one rises early to set out on a journey - one reads the Shema initially from the moment the dawn breaks" - Rambam / Sefer Ahavah, Laws of Kriat Shema, Chapter 1, 12, 174, and also: "Lawyers approach him in his time of distress, receive money from him and offer him advice" - Shalom Aleichem / Five and Seventy Thousand, 42, and also: "In a time of distress they used to add to a small minyan, a chumash in hand" - Bialik / The Trumpet Was Ashamed, 1, 125, and also: "He stood and mentioned several holy, tested, and experienced names which in a time of distress it is permitted to use" - Agnon / The Bride's Entrance)
Translation
Expression (Hebrew)
בִּשְׁעַת הַדְּחָק
Definition (Hebrew)
בִּשְׁעַת לַחַץ אוֹ מְצוּקָה. בִּשְׁעַת חֵרוּם. כְּשֶׁיֵּשׁ הֶכְרֵחַ לְהִצְטַמְצֵם (דַּחַק מַשְׁמָע לַחַץ צְפִיפוּת).
("וְאָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה: מַעֲשֶׂה בִּבְנֵי כְּרַכִּין שֶׁהָיוּ מוֹרִישִׁין אֶת לוּלְבֵיהֶן לִבְנֵי בְנֵיהֶן. אָמְרוּ לוֹ: מִשָּׁם רְאָיָה? אֵין שְׁעַת הַדְּחָק רְאָיָה"- סֻכָּה לֹא ע"ב, וְכֵן:"וּבִשְׁעַת הַדַּחַק- כְּגוֹן שֶׁהָיָה מַשְׁכִּים לָצֵאת לַדֶּרֶךְ- קוֹרֵא לְכַתְּחִלָּה מִשֶּׁיַּעֲלֶה עַמּוּד הַשַּׁחַר"- הָרַמְבָּ"ם/ סֵפֶר אַהֲבָה, הִלְכוֹת קְרִיאַת שְׁמַע, פֶּרֶק רִאשׁוֹן, יב, 174, וְכֵן:"וְעוֹרְכֵי הַדִּין מְקָרְבִים לוֹ בִּשְׁעַת דַּחֲקוֹ, מְקַבְּלִים כֶּסֶף מִמֶּנּוּ וּמַשִּׂיאִים לוֹ עֵצוֹת"- שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם/ חֲמִשָּׁה וְשִׁבְעִים אֶלֶף, מב, וְכֵן:"בִּשְׁעַת הַדְּחָק הָיוּ מְצָרְפִים לְמִנְיָן קָטָן וְחֹמֶשׁ בְּיָדוֹ"-בְּיָאלִיק/ הַחֲצוֹצְרָה נִתְבַּיְּשָׁה, א, קכה, וְכֵן:"עָמַד וְהִזְכִּיר כַּמָּה שֵׁמוֹת קְדוֹשִׁים בְּדוּקִים וּמְנֻסִּים שֶׁבִּשְׁעַת הַדַּחַק מֻתָּר לְהִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בָּהֶם"-עַגְנוֹן/ הַכְנָסַת כַּלָּה)