The ancient rabbis felt it too, especially after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE. They saw the world changing, and not for the better.

Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Psalms, captures this sense of loss poignantly. In one passage, the rabbis grapple with the question: What happened? What changed after the Temple fell?

Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel, a prominent leader of his time, doesn’t mince words. He says, "Since the destruction of the Temple, there is no day without a sign of curse." Every single day, a sign of curse. He adds that even the dew – usually seen as a blessing, bringing life to the land – no longer carries that life-giving power. And even the taste of fruit…gone.

Rabbi Yehuda chimes in, focusing on something else: the oil of fruits has been taken away. Imagine a world where the rich, nourishing oil that gives fruits their succulence just...vanishes.

The list goes on. Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar laments that even taharah, purity, has diminished. The fragrance, the ma'aserot, tithes for the Temple and the poor...all gone. And let’s not forget the oil and grain. Vanished. What a stark picture of a world depleted of its blessings!

So, what was the cause? Why this decline? According to the sages in this midrash, prostitutes and sorcerers took these things away. Strong words. It might seem harsh to modern ears, but remember, these rabbis were trying to understand a profound loss. They were looking for explanations for why the world felt so broken. They link this loss to a verse from Psalms (7:12) – "And [God] is angry every day."

Rabbi Zeira offers a slightly different perspective. He suggests that "each and every generation has its own difficulties." Maybe it wasn’t all directly tied to the Temple's destruction, but rather a constant cycle of challenges that each generation must face. Is he saying that suffering is simply part of the human condition?

But here’s a glimmer of hope, a lifeline in the midst of all this despair. Rabbi Acha asks, "By what merit do we stand?" His answer? "By the merit of the Birkat Kohanim," the Priestly Blessing. This blessing, recited by the kohanim (priests), is a prayer for peace, grace, and divine favor.

Even in the darkest of times, even when the world feels cursed and depleted, the rabbis clung to the power of blessing. They believed that even without the Temple, even with all the challenges they faced, the Priestly Blessing could sustain them. It reminds us that even now, in our own challenging times, there's still power in seeking blessings, in connecting to something higher, in finding moments of grace amidst the chaos.

So, what do you think? Is the world a little less flavorful than it used to be? And if so, where do we find our blessings today?