וְחִכֵּךְ כְּיֵין הַטּוֹב, אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה קָרָא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת כֻּלָּן וְאָמַר לָהֶם רְדוּ וְנַשְּׁקוּ שִׂפְתוֹתֵיהֶן שֶׁל אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם שֶׁל אֵלּוּ, שֶׁכְּשֵׁם שֶׁפָּעֲלוּ הֵם לְפָנַי בָּאֵשׁ, כָּךְ פָּעֲלוּ לְפָנַי בְּנֵיהֶם בָּאֵשׁ. רַבִּי עֲזַרְיָה בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בְּרַבִּי סִימוֹן בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה קָרָא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת וְאָמַר לָהֶם רְדוּ נַשְּׁקוּ שִׂפְתוֹתֵיהֶן שֶׁל אֵלּוּ, שֶׁאִלּוּלֵי אֵלּוּ לֹא קִבְּלוּ תּוֹרָתִי וּמַלְכוּתִי בְּסִינַי, הָיִיתִי נַעֲשָׂה בַּעַל דְּבָב לְאֵלּוּ שֶׁהֵם יְשֵׁנִים בִּמְעָרַת הַמַּכְפֵּלָה. דּוֹבֵב שִׂפְתֵי יְשֵׁנִים, אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן בֶּן תּוֹרְתָה, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁמֵּת שִׂפְתוֹתָיו רוֹחֲשׁוֹת עָלָיו בַּקֶּבֶר, מַאי טַעְמָא, דּוֹבֵב שִׂפְתֵי יְשֵׁנִים. שְׁמוּאֵל אָמַר כְּכֹמֶר זֶה שֶׁל עֲנָבִים שֶׁהוּא זָב מֵאֵלָיו. רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בַּר פַּפָּא וְרַבִּי סִימוֹן, חַד אֲמַר כַּהֲדֵין דְּשָׁתֵי קוֹנְדִיטוֹן, וְחַד אֲמַר כַּהֲדֵין דְּשָׁתֵי חֲמַר עַתִּיק, אַף עַל גַּב דְּהוּא שָׁתֵי לֵיהּ, טַעֲמָא וְרֵיחָא בְּפוּמֵיהּ.
“Your palate is like fine wine that goes pleasantly for my beloved, moving the lips of the sleeping” (Song of Songs 7:10). “Your palate is like fine wine.” Rabbi Yoḥanan said: At that moment, the Holy One blessed be He called the ministering angels, all of them, and He said to them: ‘Go down and kiss the lips of the ancestors of these; just as they took action before Me in fire, so too, their descendants took action before Me in fire.’ Rabbi Azarya [said] in the name of Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon: At that moment, the Holy One blessed be He called the ministering angels and said to them: ‘Go down and kiss their lips, for had they not accepted My Torah and My dominion at Sinai, I would have become the enemy of those who sleep in the Cave of Makhpela.’ “Moving the lips of the sleeping,” Rabbi Yoḥanan ben Toreta said: Even though one is dead, his lips move for him in the grave. What is the source? “Moving the lips of the sleeping.” Shmuel said: It is like a basket of grapes whose liquid flows on its own. Rabbi Ḥanina bar Pappa and Rabbi Simon, one said: Like one who drinks spiced wine, and one said: Like one who drinks aged wine. Even though he drank it already, its taste and its fragrance remains in his mouth.