When Jacob entered the cave, all the perfumes of Eden filled it and a light went up from it and a lamp was kindled there. When the patriarchs went to Jacob in Egypt, to be with him, the light of the candle departed, but when Jacob entered the cave it returned.
With his admission the cave obtained its full complement, and it never again received another occupant, nor will it ever receive one. The souls that are worthy pass before the patriarchs in the cave in order that they may awake and behold the seed which they have left in the world, and rejoice before the Almighty.’ R. Abba asked: ‘What was the embalming of Jacob?’
He said to him: ‘Go and ask a physician. It says: “and Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father, and the physicians embalmed Israel”. Apparently, this embalming was like that of any other person. It cannot have been on account of the journey to Canaan, because Joseph also was embalmed and yet he was not taken out of the country.
The real reason was that it was the custom to embalm kings in order to preserve their bodies. They were embalmed with very special oil mixed with spices. This was rubbed on them day after day for forty days. After that, the body could last for a very long time.
For the air of the land of Canaan and of the land of Egypt corrupts the body I more rapidly than that of any other country. Hence they do this to preserve the body, embalming it within and without. They place the oil on the navel, and it enters into the body and draws out the inside, and thus preserves it inside and outside.
תָּא חֲזֵי, כַּד הֲוָה עָאל יַעֲקֹב בִּמְעַרְתָּא, כָּל רֵיחִין דְּגִנְתָּא דְעֵדֶן אִשְׁתַּכַּח בִּמְעַרְתָּא, וּמְעַרְתָּא סָלְקָא נְהוֹרָא, וּשְׁרַגָּא חַד דָּלִיק. וְכַד עָאלוּ אֲבָהָן לְגַבֵּי דְּיַעֲקֹב לְמִצְרַיִם, לְאִשְׁתַּכָּחָא עִמֵּיהּ, אִסְתַּלַּק נְהוֹרָא דְּשַׁרְגָּא. כֵּיוָן דְּעָאל יַעֲקֹב בִּמְעַרְתָּא, הַדְרָא שְׁרַגָא לְאַתְרֵיהּ, כְּדֵין אִשְׁתְּלִים מְעַרְתָּא מִכָּל מַה דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ.
When Jacob entered the cave, all the perfumes of Eden filled it and a light went up from it and a lamp was kindled there. When the patriarchs went to Jacob in Egypt, to be with him, the light of the candle departed, but when Jacob entered the cave it returned.
וְעַד יוֹמֵי עַלְמָא, לָא קַבִּילַת מְעַרְתָּא בַּר נָשׁ אָחֳרָא, וְלָא תְקַבֵּל. וְנִשְׁמָתִין דְּזָכָאן אִעַבְרָן מִקַּמַּיְיהוּ בְּבֵי מְעַרְתָּא, בְּגִין דְּיִתְעָרוּן, וְחָמִין זַרְעָא דִּשְׁבָקוּ בְּעַלְמָא, וְיֶחדוּ קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא, חֲנִיטָא דְיַעֲקֹב מַאי אִיהוּ, אָמַר לֵיהּ, זִיל שְׁאִיל לְאַסְיָא.
With his admission the cave obtained its full complement, and it never again received another occupant, nor will it ever receive one. The souls that are worthy pass before the patriarchs in the cave in order that they may awake and behold the seed which they have left in the world, and rejoice before the Almighty.’ R. Abba asked: ‘What was the embalming of Jacob?’
תָּא חֲזֵי, כְּתִיב וַיְצַו יוֹסֵף אֶת עֲבָדָיו אֶת הָרוֹפְאִים לַחֲנוֹט אֶת אָבִיו וַיַּחַנְטוּ הָרוֹפְאִים אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, סַלְקָא דַעְתָּךְ כִּשְׁאָר בְּנִי נָשָׁא הֲוָה חֲנִיטָא דָא. אִי תֵימָא בְּגִין אוֹרְחָא הוּא דְּעֲבָדוּ, הָא כְּתִיב וַיָּמָת יוֹסֵף בֶּן וְגו' וַיִּישָׂם בָּאָרוֹן בְּמִצְרָיִם, הָא לָא אֲזְלוּ עִמֵּיהּ בְּאָרְחָא, דְּהָא תַּמָּן אִתְקַבַּר, וּכְתִיב וַיַּחַנְטוּ אוֹתוֹ.
He said to him: ‘Go and ask a physician. It says: “and Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father, and the physicians embalmed Israel”. Apparently, this embalming was like that of any other person. It cannot have been on account of the journey to Canaan, because Joseph also was embalmed and yet he was not taken out of the country.
אֶלָּא, אָרְחָא דְּמַלְכִין אִינוּן, בְּגִין לְקַיְימָא גוּפַיְיהוּ, חֲנָטֵי לוֹן בִּמְשַׁח רְבוּת, עִלָּאָה עַל כָּל מִשְׁחִין, מְעוֹרָב בְּבוּסְמִין, וְשָׁאִיב לֵיהּ בְּגוּפָא יוֹמָא בָּתַר יוֹמָא בְּהַהוּא מִשְׁחָא טָבָא, אַרְבְּעִין יוֹמִין. דִּכְתִיב, וַיִּמְלְאוּ לוֹ אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם כִּי כֵן יִמְלְאוּ יְמֵי הַחֲנוּטִים. בָּתַר דְאִשְׁתְּלִים דָּא, קָיְימָא גוּפָא שְׁלִים זִמְנִין סַגִּיאִין.
The real reason was that it was the custom to embalm kings in order to preserve their bodies. They were embalmed with very special oil mixed with spices. This was rubbed on them day after day for forty days. After that, the body could last for a very long time.
בְּגִין דְּכָל הַהוּא אַרְעָא דִכְנַעַן, וְאַרְעָא דְּמִצְרַיִם, מְכַלָּה גּוּפָא וּמְרַקֵּב לֵיהּ לִזְמַן זְעִיר מִכָּל שְׁאָר אַרְעָא, וּבְגִין לְקַיְימָא גוּפָא עָבְדֵי דָא, וְעָבְדֵי חֲנִיטָא דָא מִגּוֹ וּמִבָּרָא. מִגּוֹ דְּשַׁוְיָן הַהוּא מִשְׁחָא עַל טַבּוּרָא, וְהוּא עָאל בְּטַבּוּרָא לְגוֹ וְאִשְׁתְּאִיב בְּמֵעוֹי, וְקָאִים לֵיהּ לְגוּפָא מִגּוֹ וּמִבָּרָא לְזִמְנִין סַגִּיאִין.
For the air of the land of Canaan and of the land of Egypt corrupts the body I more rapidly than that of any other country. Hence they do this to preserve the body, embalming it within and without. They place the oil on the navel, and it enters into the body and draws out the inside, and thus preserves it inside and outside.