"For with You is the source of life; by Your light we see light." Rabbi Yochanan said, "There was a story of someone who was lighting a candle on Saturday night, but it kept going out. He said, 'Until when will I keep struggling with this? I will wait until the sun rises and then I will go out into the light of the sun.'
So too, the Jewish people were enslaved in Egypt, but Moses and Aaron came and redeemed them. They were enslaved again in Babylon, but Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah came and redeemed them. They were enslaved again by Greece, but were redeemed by Mattathias the Hasmonean and his sons. And they were enslaved again by Rome, and they said, 'We have already struggled enough, we will not seek flesh and blood to help us, but only the Holy One, blessed be He.'
As it says, 'O Hashem, shine Your light upon us.' Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said, 'The Holy One, blessed be He, says to Israel, 'Do you want to count yourselves among the nations in this world?' They said before Him, 'Master of the Universe, let not my heart be drawn to any evil thing.' Why?
Because they are like those who play with evil. Even in their pleasant gifts we do not seek. As it says, 'I will not pour out their drink offerings of blood.' But what do we desire?
'For with You is the source of life; by Your light we see light.'" Rabbi Oshaya said in the name of Rabbi Pinchas, "In the future, Jerusalem will become a metropolis for all the nations to come." As it says, 'And the nations will walk by its light.' Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani said, "While Israel serves in this world, they are servants of the sun and the moon.
But in the future, they will not need them, as it says, 'And the sun will no longer be your light by day.' And who will give them light? The Holy One, blessed be He. As it says, 'And Hashem will be your everlasting light.'
Rabbi Pinchas said in the name of Rabbi Reuven: "The Holy One, blessed be He, will bring the Beit Hamikdash to Tavor and Carmel, and He will give Jerusalem the lead. As it is said: 'And the mount of the house of the LORD shall be established on the top of the mountains' (Micah 4:1)." Rabbi Yehuda said further: "Moreover, they are destined to sing hymns of praise to God, as it says: 'And the city of God shall be established in joyous song' (Psalms 87:3)."...