Draw your kindness towards your devotees. Rabbi Yitzchak said, "Do not draw your kindness towards the nations of the world." Rabbi Yannai said, "If a person lights a candle during daylight, what benefit does he have? And when does he benefit from it?

When it illuminates for him in darkness. And that same kindness that the Israelites did in the desert has been established for them since the days of Moses. And when will it be repaid to them? In times of darkness, as in the days of Jeremiah.

As it is stated, 'Go and call out in the ears of Jerusalem.' Draw your kindness towards your devotees." Rabbi Yitzchak said, "A generation goes and a generation comes, but the earth always stands. These are the Israelites who will stand forever.

And there is no land but Israel, as it is stated, 'For you shall be a desirable land.' And so it says, 'Until the day that the land is exiled.' And was the land exiled? Only Israel, who were exiled."

Rabbi Elazar ben Kahana said, "Two generations used the explicit name of God: the Men of the Great Assembly and the generation of the Destruction. It happened with Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi that Elijah, may he be remembered for good, was engaging with him in Torah study, while they were also engaged in the cave of Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai. And Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi had difficulty with a certain halacha."

Elijah said to him, "Do you want to ask Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai something? Come with me and I will introduce you to him." They immediately went and Elijah called Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai, who answered him immediately. Ben Levi came to ask him about a halacha, but was not pleased with the answer he received.

Elijah said to him, "Ben Levi, it is enough for you to see that Rabbi Shimon is a righteous person." Ben Levi replied, "If he were truly righteous, the rainbow would not have appeared during his lifetime." Despite this, the rainbow did not appear throughout the lifetime of Ben Levi. Some say that even in the generation of Zedekiah, they knew the explicit name of God, as it says, "Thus says the Lord: Behold, I am about to turn over to you the instruments of war that are in your hands" (Jeremiah 21:4), which is the explicit name that they used to go out to war and defeat their enemies.

However, once they sinned and the Temple was destroyed, they fell into the hands of their enemies. Rabbi Ibbo and the rabbis say that the angels would peel off the name of God that was engraved on the instruments of war, while others say that it would peel off on its own. Once the Temple was destroyed, they began to go out to war and fall in battle, as it says, "There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your indignation" (Psalms 38:4).