Sotah Chapter 9, Mishnah 12. Continuing the discussion of the things Israel lost over the course of the generations, the Mishnah lists a series of qualities and realities that ceased from the world with the death of the prophets and with the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash.
"Mishemeisu nevi'im harishonim batlu Urim veTumim":
"The early prophets" refers to the prophets in general, excluding the last of them - Chaggai, Zechariah and Malachi, who lived in the days of the Second Beis HaMikdash. Once the prophets of the First Beis HaMikdash period passed from the world, the Urim veTumim ceased to function.
And what were the Urim veTumim? The choshen worn by the Kohen Gadol had stones set into it, with the names of the tribes engraved upon them. Within the folds of the choshen, behind it, a special Name of Hashem written on parchment was placed - that is the Urim veTumim. This Name was, as it were, the power that activated the choshen mishpat, enabling the letters to light up when the Kohen Gadol posed a question through it. This reality came to an end with the destruction of the First Beis HaMikdash and the passing of those prophets.
"Misheicharav Beis HaMikdash":
"Batel haShamir" - the shamir was a tiny, unique creature that had existed since the six days of Creation, and it had the power to split the hardest of stones. It was used to engrave the stones of the choshen mishpat, and it disappeared from the world with the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash. The commentators disagree as to which Beis HaMikdash is meant - the first or the second.
"Nofes tzufim" - a special type of honey, wondrous in its appearance, its taste and its fragrance, which also ceased to exist.
"UFasu anshei emunah" - men of faith came to an end. The Mishnah brings a source for this from the verse in Tehillim: "Hoshi'ah Hashem ki gamar chasid" - may Hashem save us, for the devout man is no more. The Mishnah quotes only the beginning of the verse, but it continues: "ki fasu emunim mibnei adam" - the faithful have ceased from among mankind, and that is the meaning of "men of faith."
"Amar Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel mishum Rabbi Yehoshua":
From the day the Beis HaMikdash was destroyed, the reality of the world changed in three respects:
"Ein yom she'ein bo kelalah" - there is no day that does not contain some form of curse.
"Velo yarad hatal livrachah" - the dew no longer falls in a manner that brings blessing.
"Venital ta'am hapeiros" - the flavor of the fruits was taken from them, and they are not as tasty as they once were.
And Rabbi Yose adds: "Af nital shuman hapeiros" - the richness and substance of the fruits, and their ability to satisfy a person, have also diminished since the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash.
In summary: this Mishnah lists the losses the world suffered in two stages: with the death of the early prophets the Urim veTumim ceased, and with the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash the shamir, nofes tzufim and the men of faith ceased. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua adds that from that day on there is no day without a curse, the dew does not fall for blessing, and the flavor of the fruits was taken away, and Rabbi Yose adds that their richness was taken from them as well.