Jerusalem Talmud Sotah 1.10

משנה: יוֹסֵף זָכָה לִקְבּוֹר אֶת אָבִיו וְאֵין בְּאֶחָיו גָּדוֹל מִמֶּנּוּ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וַיַּעַל יוֹסֶף לִקְבּוֹר אֶת אָבִיו. מִי לָנוּ גָדוֹל מִיּוֹסֵף שֶׁלֹּא נִתְעַסֵּק בּוֹ אֶלָּא מֹשֶׁה. מֹשֶׁה זָכָה בְעַצְמוֹת יוֹסֵף וְאֵין בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל גָּדוֹל מִמֶּנּוּ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וַיִּקַּח מֹשֶׁה אֶת עַצְמוֹת יוֹסֵף עִמּוֹ. מִי גָדוֹל מִמֹּשֶׁה שֶׁלֹּא נִתְעַסֵּק בּוֹ אֶלָּא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וַיִּקְבּוֹר אוֹתוֹ בַּגַּיא. וְלֹא עַל מֹשֶׁה בִּלְבַד אָמְרוּ אֶלָּא עַל כָּל הַצַּדִּיקִים שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְהָלַךְ לְפָנֶיךָ צִדְקֶךָ כְּבוֹד יי יַאַסְפֶךָ.

MISHNAH: Joseph had the merit to bury his father and none of his brothers was greater than he, as it is said: “Joseph ascended to bury his father.” Who would be greater than Joseph? Only Moses could occupy himself with him. Moses had the merit to take Joseph’s bones and no one in Israel was greater than he, as it is said: “Moses took Joseph’s bones with him.” Who would be greater than Moses? Only the Holy One, Praise to Him, could occupy himself with him, as it is said: “He buried him in the valley.” Not only about Moses was this said but about all the just, as it is said: “Your righteousness will precede you, the glory of the Eternal will gather you in.”

הלכה: יוֹסֵף זָכָה לִקְבּוֹר אֶת אָבִיו וְאֵין בְּאֶחָיו גָּדוֹל מִמֶּנּוּ כול׳. אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק. כְּבוֹד חַי הָעוֹלָמִים הָיָה עִמָּהֶן. כְּתִיב וַיָּבוֹאוּ עַד גּוֹרֶן הָאָטָד. וְכִי יֵשׁ גּוֹרֶן לָאָטָד. אָמַר רִבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָן. חִיזַּרְנוּ בְּכָל הַמִּקְרָא וְלֹא מָצִינוּ מָקוֹם שֶׁשְּׁמוֹ אָטָד. אֶלָּא מַהוּ אָטָד. אֵילּוּ הַכְּנַעֲנִים שֶׁהָיוּ רְאוּיִין לִידוֹשׁ כְּאָטָד. וּבְאֵי זוֹ זְכוּת נִיצּוֹלוּ. בִּזְכוּת וַיַּרְא יוֹשֵׁב הָאָרֶץ הַכְּנַעֲנִי אֶת הָאֵבֶל בְּגוֹרֶן הָאָטָד. וּמַה חֶסֶד עָשׂוּ עִמּוֹ. רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אָמַר. אֵיזוֹרֵיהֶם הִתִּירוּ. רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ אָמַר. קִישְׁרֵי כִתְפֵיהֶן הִתִּירוּ. רַבָּנִן אָמְרִין. זָקְפוּ קוֹמָתָן. אָמַר רִבִּי יוּדָן בַּר שָׁלוֹם. הֶרְאוּ בְאֶצְבַּע וְאָמְרוּ אָבֵל כָּבֵד זֶה לְמִצְרַיִם. וּמַה אִם אֵילּוּ שֶׁלֹּא עָשׂוּ חֶסֶד לֹא בִידֵיהֶן וְלֹא בְרַגְלֵיהֶן רָאוּ מַה פָרַע לָהֶן הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא. יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁהֵן עוֹשִׂין חֶסֶד בִּידֵיהֶן וּבְרַגְלֵיהֶן עִם גְּדוֹלֵיהֶן וְעִם קְטָנֵיהֶן עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה.

HALAKHAH: “Joseph had the merit to bury his father and none of his brothers was greater than he,” etc. Rebbi Isaac said: The glory of the Lifegiver of the Worlds was with them. It is written: “They came to the threshing place of the brambles.” Since when does the bramble-bush have a threshing place? Rebbi Samuel ben Naḥman said, we checked in all of Scripture and did not find a place called “brambles”. What are “brambles”? These are the Canaanites who should have been threshed like brambles. By which merit were they saved? By the merit of: “The inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning at the threshing place of the brambles.” What act of kindness did they do for him? Rebbi Eleazar said, they unbelted. Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish said, they undid the knots on their shoulders. The rabbis said, they stood up. Rebbi Yudan bar Shalom said, they pointed with their fingers and said, “a heavy mourning is that for Egypt”. Now these who did no act of kindness with their hands or feet; look what the Holy One, praise to Him, did reward them with; Israel who are used to do acts of kindness with their hands or feet for their great and their little ones, [they deserve] so much more!

אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּהוּ כָּל אוֹתָן שִׁבְעִים יוֹם שֶׁבֵּין אִיגְרוֹת לְאִיגְרוֹת כְּנֶגֶד שִׁבְעִים יוֹם שֶׁעָשׂוּ הַמִּצְרִיִים חֶסֶד עִם אָבִינוּ יַעֲקֹב.

Rebbi Abbahu said, these seventy days between letters and letters correspond to the seventy days in which the Egyptians performed kindness with our father Jacob.

כְּתִיב וַיְקוֹנֵן דָּוִד אֶת הַקִּינָה הַזֹּאת וגו׳ וַיֹּאמֶר לְלַמֵּד לִבְנֵי יְהוּדָה קָשֶׁת. לֹא מִסְתַּבְּרָא דְלֹא. לְלַמֵּד בְּנֵי יְהוּדָה מִי הָיָה. אֶלָּא אָמַר דָּוִד. כֵּיוָן שֶׁהַצַּדִּיקִים מִסְתַּלְּקִין הַשּׂוֹנְאִין בָּאִין וּמִתְגָּרִין בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל. הֲלֹא הִיא כְתוּבָה עַל סֵפֶר הַיָּשָׁר. תְּרִין אֲמוֹרִין. חַד אָמַר. זֶה סֵפֶר בְּרֵאשִׁית. וְחָרָנָה אָמַר. זֶה חוּמָשׁ הַפִּיקּוּדִים. מָאן דְּאָמַר. זֶה סֵפֶר בְּרֵאשִׁית. נִיחָא. וּמָאן דְּאָמַר. זֶה חוּמָשׁ פִּיקּוּדִים. מַה מִלְחָמָה הָיְתָה שָׁם. וּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל נָסְעוּ מִבְּאֵרוֹת בְּנֵי יַעֲקֹן מוֹסֵרָה שָׁם מֵת אַהֲרֹן. וְכִי בְמוֹסֵירוֹת מֵת אַהֲרֹן. וַהֲלֹא בְהֹר הָהָר מֵת. הָדָא הִיא דִכְתִיב וַיַּעַל אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֶן אֶל הֹר הָהָר וָיָּמָת שָׁם. אֶלָּא כֵּיוָן שֶׁמֵּת אַהֲרֹן וְנִסְתַּלְּקוּ עֲנָנֵי כָּבוֹד וּבִיקְּשׁוּ הַכְּנַעֲנִים לְהִתְגָּרוֹת בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל. הָדָא הִיא דִכְתִיב וַיִּשְׁמַע הַכְּנַעֲנִי מֶלֶךְ עֲרָד יוֹשֵׁב הַנֶּגֶב כִּי בָא יִשְׂרָאֵל דֶּרֶךְ הָאֲתָרִים. מַהוּ דֶּרֶךְ הָאֲתָרִים. שָׁמַע שֶׁמֵּת אַהֲרֹן הַתַּיָיר הַגָּדוֹל שֶׁלָּהֶן שֶׁהָיָה תָר לָהֶן אֶת הַדֶּרֶךְ. בּוֹאוּ וְנִתְגָּרֶה בֵהֶן. וּבִיקְּשׁוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לַחֲזוֹר לְמִצְרַיִם וְנָסְעוּ לָאַחֲרֵיהֶן שְׁמוֹנֶה מַסָּעוֹת. וְרָץ אַחֲרָיו שִׁבְטוֹ שֶׁלְּלֵוִי וְהָרַג בָּהֶן שְׁמוֹנֶה מִשְׁפָּחוֹת. אַף הֵן הָרְגוּ מִמֶּנּוּ אַרְבַּע. הָדָא הִיא דִכְתִיב לְעַמְרָמִי לְיִצְהָרִי לְחֶבְרוֹנִי לְעוֹזִּיאֵלִי. אֵימָתַי חָזְרוּ. בִּימֵי דָוִד. הָדָא הִיא דִכְתִיב יִפְרַח בְּיָמָיו צַדִּיק. אָמְרוּ. מִי גָרַם לָנוּ כָל הַדָּמִים הַלָּלוּ. אָמְרוּ. עַל שֶלֹּא עָשִׂינוּ חֶסֶד עִם אוֹתוֹ הַצַּדִּיק. וְהָלְכוּ וְקָשְׁרוּ לוֹ הֶסְפֵּד וְגָמְלוּ לַצַּדִיק חֶסֶד. וְהֶעֱלָה עֲלֵיהֶם הַכָּתוּב כְּאִילּוּ מֵת שָׁם וְנִקְבַּר שָׁם. שֶׁגָּמְלוּ לַצַּדִיק חֶסֶד.

It is written: “And David sang this elegy”, etc., “and said: To teach the people of Judah archery.” Is it reasonable that he had to teach the people of Judah, who was he? But David said, when the just have disappeared, the haters come and attack Israel. “Is that not written in the book Yashar?” Two Amoraïm. One says, that is the book of Genesis. But the other said, that is the fifth of Numbers. The one who said, this is the book of Genesis, is understandable. But the one who said, that is the fifth of Numbers, what war is reported there? “The Children of Israel travelled from the springs of Bene-Ya‘aqon to Mosera; there Aaron died.” Did Aaron die at Mosera? Did he not die on Mount Hor? That is what is written: “Aaron the Cohen ascended Mount Hor and died there.” But when Aaron died and the clouds of glory disappeared, the Canaanites desired to attack Israel. That is what is written: “The Canaanite, the king of Arad, dweller in the Southland, heard that Israel came by the way of the scouts.” What is “the way of the scouts”? He heard that Aaron died, the great scout, who did scout the way for them. They came and attacked them. Then Israel wanted to return to Egypt and travelled eight stations backward. The tribe of Levi ran after them and killed eight families from them. They also killed four of their families. That is what is written: “The Amramite, the Yiṣharite, the Ḥebronite, the Uzielite.” When were they re-established? In David’s time. That is what is written: “In his days, the just will blossom”. They said, what caused us all this bloodshed? They said, because we did not perform kindness for that just man. They went and organized a eulogy and performed kindness for that just man. The verse considers it as if he died and was buried there where they performed kindness for that just man.

עִמּוֹ. רִבִּי קְרִיסְפָּא בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. עִמּוֹ. עִם נַפְשָׁךְ אַתְּ עֲבַד. אָמַר רִבִּי חָמָא בַּר חֲנִינָא. מָשָׁל לְמֶלֶךְ שֶׁהָיָה מֵשִׂיא אֶת בְּנוֹ. וּבָא אֵיפַּרְכוֹס לִטְעוֹן בָּאַפִּירְיוֹן וְלֹא הָנִיחוּ לוֹ. אָמַר הַמֶּלֶךְ. הָנִיחוּ לוֹ. לְמָחָר הוּא מֵשִׂיא אֶת בִּתּוֹ וַאֲנִי מְכַבְּדוֹ בְמַה שֶׁכִּיבְּדָנִי. כַּכָּתוּב אָנֹכִי אֵרֵד עִמְּךָ מִצְרַיִםָ וְאָנֹכִי אַעַלְךָ גַם עָלֹה. מַה תַלְמוּד לוֹמַר גַּם עָלֹה. אָמַר. אוֹתְךָ אֲנִי מַעֲלֶה וּשְׁאָר כָּל הַשְּׁבָטִים אֲנִי מַעֲלֶה. מְלַמֵּד שֶׁכָּל שֶׁבֶט וְשֶׁבֶט הֶעֱלָה עַצְמוֹת רֹאשׁ שִׁבְטוֹ עִמּוֹ.

“With him”. Rebbi Crispus in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: You do it for yourself. Rebbi Ḥama bar Ḥanina: A parable of a king who was marrying off his son. There came a prefect to carry the litter, and they did not admit him. The king said, let him; tomorrow he will marry off his daughter and I can honor him the way he honored me. As it is written: “I shall descend with you to Egypt and I shall bring you up, also ascending.” Why does the verse say, “also ascending”? I shall bring you up and the other tribes also I shall bring up. That teaches that every tribe brought the bones of their ancestor with them.

תַּנֵּי בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יוּדָה. אִילּוּלֵא שֶׁהַדָּבָר כָּתוּב לֹא הָיָה אֶיפְשַׁר לְאוֹמְרוֹ. מְלַמֵּד כְּשֶׁמֵּת מֹשֶׁה הָיָה מוּטָּל עַל כַּנְפֵי שְׁכִינָה כְּאַרְבָּעַת מִיל מִנַּחֲלַת בְּנֵי רְאוּבֵן עַד נַחֲלַת בְּנֵי גָד. שֶׁמֵּת בְּנַחֲלַת בְּנֵי רְאוּבֵן וְנִקְבַּר בְּנַחֲלַת בְּנֵי גָד. וּמְנַיִין שֶׁמֵּת בְּנַחֲלַת בְּנֵי רְאוּבֵן. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וּבְנֵי רְאוּבֵן בָּנוּ אֶת חֶשְׁבּוֹן וְאֶת אֶלְעָלֶה וְאֶת קִרְיָיתַיִם וְאֶת נְבוֹ. וּכְתִיב עֲלֵה אֶל הַר הָעֲבָרִים הַזֶּה הַר נְבוֹ וּמוּת בָּהָר אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה עוֹלֶה שָׁמָּה. וּמְנַיִין שֶׁנִּקְבַּר בְּנַחֲלַת בְּנֵי גָד. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וּלְגָד אָמַר בָּרוּךְ מַרְחִיב גָּד וגו׳ כִּי שָׁם חֶלְקַת מְחוֹקֵק סָפוּן. וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר. וַיֵּתֵא רָאשֵׁי עָם. וּמַלְאֲכֵי שָׁרֵת הָיוּ אוֹמְרִים. צִדְקַת יי עָשָׂה. וְיִשְׂרָאֵל הָיוּ אוֹמְרִין. וּמִשְפָּטָיו עִם יִשְׂרָאֵל. אֵילּוּ וָאֵילּוּ הָיוּ אוֹמְרִים. יָבוֹא שָׁלוֹם יָנוּחוּ עַל מִשְׁכְּבוֹתָם הוֹלֵךְ נְכוֹחוֹ.

It was stated in the name of Rebbi Jehudah: If it had not been written, it would have been impossible to say: This teaches us that when Moses died, he was lying on the wings of the Shekhina about four miles, from the inheritance of the tribe of Reuben to the inheritance of the tribe of Gad, since he died in the inheritance of the tribe of Reuben and was buried in the inheritance of the tribe of Gad. From where that he died in the inheritance of the tribe of Reuben? Because it was said, “the tribe of Reuben built Ḥešbon, Elaleh, Qiryatayim, and Nebo.” And it is written: “Ascend this ‘Abarim mountain, the Mountain of Nebo, and die on the Mountain up which you will climb.” And from where that he was buried in the inheritance of the tribe of Gad? For it was said: “To Gad he said, praised be He Who enlarges Gad, etc. For there the part of the lawgiver is hidden.” The Holy One, praise to Him, added: “He came at the head of the people.” The angels of the service said, “he executed the justice of the Eternal”, and Israel were saying, “and His laws with Israel.” All together were saying: “ May he come in peace, may they rest on their couches, he goes in His pleasure.”