Sanhedrin 98b — Sefaria version 'William Davidson Edition - English' (The William Davidson Talmud, Koren Noé edition with Steinsaltz commentary), CC-BY-NC (CC BY-NC)
Rav says: The son of David will not come until the evil Roman kingdom will disperse throughout Eretz Yisrael for nine months, as it is stated: “Therefore will He give them up, until the time when she who is in labor has given birth; then the remnant of his brethren shall return with the children of Israel” (Micah 5:2). Once a period equivalent to a term of pregnancy passes, the redemption will come.
§ Ulla says: Let the Messiah come, but after my death, so that I will not see him, as I fear the suffering that will precede his coming. Likewise, Rabba says: Let the Messiah come, but after my death, so that I will not see him. Rav Yosef says: Let the Messiah come, and I will be privileged to sit in the shadow of his donkey’s excrement. I am willing to undergo all the pain and disgrace associated with his arrival.
Abaye said to Rabba: What is the reason that you are so concerned? If we say it is due to the pains preceding and accompanying the coming of the Messiah, but isn’t it taught in a baraita that Rabbi Elazar’s students asked Rabbi Elazar: What shall a person do to be spared from the pains preceding the coming of the Messiah? Rabbi Elazar said to them: They shall engage in Torah study and acts of kindness. Abaye continued: And as far as the Master is concerned, isn’t there the Torah and aren’t there the acts of kindness that you performed?
Reproduced in full. Translation: Sefaria version 'William Davidson Edition - English' (The William Davidson Talmud, Koren Noé edition with Steinsaltz commentary), CC-BY-NC (CC BY-NC).
Why Pitre cites it
Rab reads Micah 5 of nine months of oppression before the son of David comes; Ulla says 'Let him come, but let me not see him'; Rabbi Eleazar's disciples ask how to be spared 'the birth pangs of the Messiah.'
Notes
Three consecutive segments: Rav on Micah 5:2 and the 'nine months'; Ulla/Rabba/Rav Yosef ('Let the Messiah come, but after my death, so that I will not see him'); Abaye's exchange with Rabba quoting the baraita 'Rabbi Elazar's students asked Rabbi Elazar: What shall a person do to be spared from the pains preceding the coming of the Messiah?' The wording given in the item ('Let him come, but let me not see him'; 'birth pangs of the Messiah') is Soncino-style; Davidson/Steinsaltz interleaves the literal text (bold on Sefaria) with explanatory expansion, e.g. 'as I fear the suffering that will precede his coming' is expansion. Talmud citation of Micah appears as Micah 5:2 (= 5:3 in English Bibles).