Midrash su Genesi 50:11

{Another interpretation (of Gen. 49:28): AND THIS IS WHAT THEIR FATHER SPOKE TO THEM.} [(Gen. 50:12:) SO HIS CHILDREN DID FOR HIM JUST AS HE HAD COMMANDED THEM.] What did they do? They embalmed him and brought him up < to the land of Israel >.⁸²Tanh., Gen. 12:17; Gen. R. 97, New Version, on 49:29 (= pp. 1228-1229 in the Theodor-Albeck edition); Sot. 13a. What is written (in Gen. 50:10)? WHEN THEY CAME TO THE THORNBUSH THRESHING FLOOR.⁸³THE THORNBUSH THRESHING FLOOR is usually regarded as a proper name, i.e., as GOREN HA’ATAD. Is there a threshing floor for thorns, as it says: TO THE THORNBUSH THRESHING FLOOR? It is simply that these were Canaanites who had taken their crowns and surrounded Jacob's coffin, as a threshing floor when one surrounds it with thorns. R. Eliezer says: When they saw the coffin of our father Jacob, they undid the girdles on their waists and < so > showed honor to our father Jacob.⁸⁴Gen. R. 100(101):6; ySot. 1:10(17b). R. Samuel bar Nahman said: They undid their finger joints; and our masters say: They pointed the finger at Jacob's coffin and said (in Gen. 50:11): THIS IS A SOLEMN MOURNING FOR THE EGYPTIANS. For this reason the Holy One gave them a threshing floor.⁸⁵A sign of fruitfulness in what had been unfruitful, a mere thornbush threshing floor. (Gen. 50:10:) AND HE CARRIED OUT SEVEN DAYS OF MOURNING FOR HIS FATHER. From here we learn that the time for mourning is seven days. They also give evidence for it from here (in Lev. 8:33): AND YOU SHALL NOT GO OUT FROM THE DOOR OF THE TENT OF MEETING FOR SEVEN DAYS. And why do they carry out seven days of mourning rites? < It > corresponds to the seven days of feasting (on a joyous occasion). The Holy One said to them: In this world you have exhibited sorrow in the company of this righteous man and observed a seven-day mourning for him. In the world to come I am turning this mourning into feasting, as stated (in Jer. 31:13): FOR I WILL TURN THEIR MOURNING INTO JOY, COMFORT THEM, AND CHEER THEM IN THEIR GRIEF. Then, just as I comfort them, so I will give comfort to Zion, as stated (in Is. 51:3): TRULY THE LORD HAS COMFORTED ZION; HE HAS COMFORTED ALL ITS RUINS. HE HAS ALSO MADE ITS DESERT LIKE EDEN AND ITS DRY PLAIN LIKE THE GARDEN OF THE LORD. JOY AND REJOICING SHALL BE FOUND IN IT, THANKSGIVING AND THE SOUND OF MUSIC.

Rabbi Eliezer said: In the hour of the death of Jacob he called to his son Joseph, and said to him: O my son! Swear to me by the covenant of circumcision that thou wilt take me up to the burial-place of my fathers in the land of Canaan to the Cave of Machpelah. The ancients used to swear by the covenant of circumcision prior to the giving of the Torah, as it is said, "Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh" (Gen. 47:29), and "he sware unto him" (Gen. 47:31). He kept (the oath) and did (accordingly), as it is said, "And he said, Swear unto me" (ibid.). And all the mighty men of the kingdom went up with him to bury him, and to show loving-kindness to Jacob his father, as it is said, "And Joseph went up to bury his father" (Gen. 50:7). The camp of Israel numbered 5040 (people). All the (people of the) land were bringing food on account of the famine to the camp of Joseph. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: Ye have shown loving-kindness to Jacob, My servant, I also will give you your reward, and also unto your children in this world. When the Egyptians died in the Reed Sea they did not die in the water, but they were deemed worthy to be buried in the earth. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: Ye have submitted yourselves to the divine punishment; I also will give you a place of burial, as it is said, "Thou stretchedst forth thy right hand, the earth swallowed them" (Ex. 15:12).