He was pressed by the hour/ to be pressed by time
He was under pressure due to circumstances. The period was pressing.
("And at this time more troubles attacked, and the hour pressed everything, and the wisdom of our sages was lost and the understanding of our wise men concealed. Therefore those explanations, rulings, and answers, which the Geonim wrote and saw that they were clear things, became difficult in our days, and no one understands their matters properly" - Sefer Orchot Tzadikim, Sha'ar HaTorah; and also: "Good and pleasant, my son, his father said to him in calm and peace, the hour does not press" - Y. Burla / Kisufim, 71; and also: "There are many things that a man's heart longs for; meanwhile the hour is pressed upon them" - Agnon / Temol Shilshom, 196)
Translation
Expression (Hebrew)
דָּחֲקָה לוֹ הַשָּׁעָה
Definition (Hebrew)
הָיָה נָתוּן בְּלַחַץ בִּגְלַל הַנְּסִבּוֹת. הַתְּקוּפָה הָיְתָה לוֹחֶצֶת.
("וּבַזְּמַן הַזֶּה תָּקְפוּ הַצָּרוֹת יְתֵרוֹת, וְדָחֲקָה הַשָּׁעָה אֶת הַכֹּל, וְאָבְדָה חָכְמַת חֲכָמֵינוּ וּבִינַת נְבוֹנֵינוּ נִסְתְּרָה. לְפִיכָךְ אוֹתָם הַפֵּרוּשִׁים וְהַהֲלָכוֹת וְהַתְּשׁוּבוֹת, שֶׁחִבְּרוּ הַגְּאוֹנִים וְרָאוּ שֶׁהֵם דְּבָרִים מְבֹאָרִים, נִתְקַשּׁוּ בְּיָמֵינוּ, וְאֵין מֵבִין עִנְיְנֵיהֶם כָּרָאוּי"- סֵפֶר אָרְחוֹת צַדִּיקִים שַׁעַר הַתּוֹרָה, וְכֵן:"טוֹב וְנָאֶה בְּנִי, אָמַר לוֹ אַבָּא בְּשַׁלְוָה וְנַחַת, אֵין הַשָּׁעָה דּוֹחֶקֶת"- י.בּוּרְלָא/ כִּסּוּפִים, 71, וְכֵן:"יֵשׁ דְּבָרִים הַרְבֵּה שֶׁלִּבּוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם שׁוֹקֵק לָהֶם. בֵּין כָּךְ דְּחוּקָה עֲלֵיהֶם הַשָּׁעָה"- עַגְנוֹן/ תְּמוֹל שִׁלְשׁוֹם, 196)