(Mishnah): If a widow said 'I do not want to leave the house of my [deceased] husband', the orphans cannot say 'return to your father's house; and we will feed you there.' Rather, they feed her, and give to her living quarters according to her honor.

(Gemara): It says "b'Mesim Chafshi" - once a person dies, he becomes free (exempt) from Mitzvos. (This was said regarding a Mishnah about using Sha'atnez for shrouds. It is brought here due to the other teachings taught there with this, which are relevant here.)

Rebbi commanded three things at the time he died - do not make my widow leave my house, do not eulogize me in medium cities, and one who dealt with (served) me in my lifetime, will deal with me in my death.

Question: [Why did he need to say] 'do not make my widow leave my house'? Does our Mishnah not teach that if a widow said 'I do not want to leave the house of my husband' [they cannot force her]?

Answer #1 (R. Dosa): [Rebbi commanded] lest they tell her 'the Nasi's house is Meshubad to the Nasi' (so the next Nasi can expel her).

Answer #2 (R. Lazar ben Yosi): It is like [a Beraisa] taught - she lives in a house like she lived when her husband was overseas, and she uses silver and gold Kelim like she did when her husband was overseas, and she is fed like she was fed when her husband was overseas. (Rebbi commanded that they let her stay in his house, even though the Halachah does not obligate such an honorable dwelling.)

[Rebbi] said 'do not eulogize me in medium cities', due to arguments [about who will eulogize him. In big cities, the Chacham of the city will eulogize him.]

One who dealt with me in my lifetime, will deal with me in my death - R. Chaninah of Tziporin said, this is like Shimon of Efrat and Yosi of Chafni.

R. Chizkiyah adds, [Rebbi commanded also] 'do not make excess shrouds for me, and my coffin should be punctured to the ground' (so it is considered that I am buried in the earth).

Some say that he was buried in one sheet (without any shrouds. ALEI TAMAR - his Talmidim understood that he wanted this, just he did not command so, lest they not obey).

This is because Rebbi said that the way a person goes (to burial, in his shrouds) is not the way he comes (is revived. Therefore, it is wasteful to spend much money for shrouds.)

Rabanan say, the way a person goes, so he comes.

(Beraisa - in the name of R. Nasan): The garment that descends with a person to the grave, it comes with him (when he is revived).

What is the source? "Tis'hafech k'Chomer Chosam v'Yisyatzvu Kemo Levush" (the form of man changes in the grave, and later he stands in his clothes).

Question (Antolinus, to Rebbi): What is the meaning of "Tis'hafech k'Chomer Chosam"?

Answer (Rebbi): The One who revives the generation and transforms physicality with [His] signet, He will clothe [them in clothes that He will create].

R. Yochanan commanded '[when I die,] dress me in dull [shrouds, e.g. brown, but] not in white or black. If he will stand (be revived) among Tzadikim (who wear white), he will not be ashamed (like he would be if he were wearing black). If he will stand among Resha'im, he will not be ashamed (for he did not establish himself to be a Tzadik, and wear white).

R. Yoshiyah commanded '[when I die,] dress me in white [shrouds] like my measure.'

[Talmidim]: Are you better than your Rebbi?! (R. Yochanan commanded not to be dressed in white, lest he stand among Resha'im!)

R. Yoshiyah: Am I ashamed of my actions?!

Note: How does this answer the question? Why was he less concerned than R. Yochanan? Perhaps we can answer the way Lev Eliyahu explains R. Yochanan ben Zakai's fear before his death (Brachos 28b) - 'I do not know if I am going to Gan Eden or Gehinom' - surely, if he had any sin, he would repent! Rather, he was worried lest he neglected to influence his Talmidim as much as he could have. R. Yochanan was Rosh Yeshivah for 80 years, and was similarly concerned. I did not find that R. Yoshiyah was a Rosh Yeshivah. Alternatively, R. Yochanan was worried lest he be punished for causing Reish Lakish's death (Bava Metzi'a 84a. Also R. Yanai, R. Yochanan's Rebbi, commanded similarly (Nidah 20a); perhaps this is because he once insulted an Am ha'Aretz with good Midos - Vayikra Rabah 9:3). R. Yoshiyah had no such concern (PF).

R. Yirmeyah commanded '[when I die,] dress me in a white outer garment like my measure, and put shoes on my feet, and a stick in my hand, and put me on my side. If Mashi'ach will come, I will be ready!'

[The day that Rebbi expired,] people of Tziporin said 'anyone who will say that Rebbi died, we will kill him!' Bar Kapara looked out from the window - his head covered (like a mourner), and his clothes were torn. He said 'Tzadikim and angels were holding the Luchos. The angels overpowered, and seized the Luchos!'

The people: Did Rebbi die?!

Bar Kapara: You said it. (I did not.)

They tore their clothing (everyone is like a relative of the Nasi). The sound of the tearing reached Papasah, which was three Mil [away].

(R. Nasan citing R. Mana): Miracles occurred that day. It was Erev Shabbos, and all the medium cities entered to eulogize him. They stopped 18 times on the way to burial (to enable others to join the eulogies), and took him down to Beis She'arim. The day extended long enough for everyone to get home and fill a flask of water [for Shabbos] and like Ner Shabbos. After the sun set, the rooster crowed (i.e. it was already morning, just Hash-m had delayed sunset almost 12 hours to enable them to properly eulogize Rebbi).

They began to be pained, and said 'perhaps we [erred about the sun, and] we were Mechalel Shabbos!'

A Bas Kol (voice from Heaven) came out and said 'whoever was not lazy about [engaging in] the eulogy of Rebbi is informed [that is prepared] for the world to come, except for the launderer (he used to come in front of Rebbi every day, just that day he did not come). Once he heard this, he ascended to the roof and jumped off and died. A Bas Kol came out and said 'even the launderer.'

Note: He killed himself to atone for Chilul Shabbos (he worked when it was really night; Misas Skilah is being cast from a high platform). PESACH EINAYIM (103b) brings sources that permit; YEFAS TO'AR forbids. SHEVUS YAKOV (2:111) permits killing oneself for the sake of Teshuvah.

Rebbi dwelled in Tziporin for 17 years, and applied to himself "and Yakov lived in Eretz Mitzrayim 17 years", Yehudah lived in Tziporin [in pain] 17 years. For 13 years his teeth hurt.

(R. Yosi bei R. Bun): All those 13 years, no Yoledes died in Eretz Yisrael, and no one miscarried her fetus in Eretz Yisrael.

Question: Why did his teeth hurt?

Answer: Once, he was passing in the market and saw a calf about to be slaughtered. It cried, and said 'Rebbi - save me!' He said, you were created for this!

Question: At the end, how was he cured?

Answer: He saw that people were about to kill a nest of mice. He said 'leave them - it says "v'Rachamav Al Kol Ma'asav."'

Rebbi was very humble, and said that he would do whatever someone told him, except for the Chachamim [Bnei] Beseira did to my ancestor (Hillel) - they removed themselves (from being Nesi'im) and appointed him.

If Rav Huna, the Reish Galusa would come to here, I would seat him above me, for he is from Yehudah, and I am from Binyamin (paternally). He is [from Yehudah] from the males (paternally), and I am [from Yehudah] only from the females (maternally).

Once, R. Chiyah Ruba ascended to [Rebbi], and said 'Rav Huna is here!' Rebbi's face turned [yellow, like saffron; he thought that R. Chiyah was testing if he would fulfill his words]. R. Chiyah said, it is his coffin. Rebbi said, go see what [the one outside] wants here.

[R. Chiyah] went out and did not see anyone. He knew that [Rebbi] was angry with him [for testing him].

[R. Chiyah] conducted [like one who is shunned], and did not enter [to Rebbi] for 30 days. (We explained this like PNEI MOSHE.)

(R. Yosi bei R. Bun): In those 30 days, Rav learned from [R. Chiyah] all the general rules in the Torah.

At the end of the 13 years and the 30 days, Eliyahu came to [Rebbi] in it the guise of R. Chiyah Ruba. [Eliyahu] said, what are you doing? [Rebbi] said, one tooth is hurting me. He asked him, show it to me; he showed him. He put his finger on it, and it healed.

The next day, R. Chiyah Ruba came to [Rebbi]. He asked, my master, what is with your tooth? He said, from the moment you put your finger on it, it healed.

At that time, [R. Chiyah] said 'woe to you, Yoldos in Eretz Yisrael! Woe to you, fetuses in Eretz Yisrael!' (Rebbi no longer has afflictions to guard you.) It was not me!

From then, Rebbi began to show honor to R. Chiyah. (He knew he must be Kadosh, for Eliyahu to come in his appearance.) When he came to the Beis Midrash, he said 'let R. Chiyah Ruba enter before me!'

R. Yishmael b'Rebbi Yosi: Should [R. Chiyah] enter before me?

Rebbi: Heaven forbid! Rather, R. Chiyah will be in front, and R. Yishmael b'Rebbi Yosi will be in front of in front.

Rebbi was telling the praises of R. Chiyah Ruba in front of R. Yishmael b'Rebbi Yosi. Once, [R. Chiyah] saw [R. Yosi] in the bathhouse, and was not humble [to stand] for him. R. Yosi said [to Rebbi], for him you recount praises?!

Rebbi asked, what did he do to you? He said, he saw me in the bathhouse (in a part of the bathhouse where one honors Chachamim), and was not humble in front of me.

Rebbi asked [R. Chiyah], why did you do so? He said, [punishments] should come upon me if I was not [even] aware that I was bathing. At the time, I put my eye (mind) on Agada of all Sefer Tehilim. (PNEI MOSHE)

From that time, Rebbi appointed two Talmidim to go with R. Chiyah, lest (amidst oblivion to what happens around him amidst his concentration on Torah) he come to danger.

R. Yosa fasted 80 fasts in order to merit seeing R. Chiyah Ruba [in a dream]. At the end, he saw him, and his hands trembled and his eyes weakened,

Suggestion: Perhaps R. Yosa was a small person (therefore he did not merit to see R. Chiyah without repercussions)!

Rejection: A weaver came in front of R. Yochanan and said, I saw in my dream that Shamayim was about to fall, and one of your Talmidim held it up!

R. Yochanan asks if he knows the Talmid. He said, when I see him, I will recognize him. All of the Talmidim passed, and he recognized R. Yosa.

Reish Lakish fasted 300 fasts in order to merit seeing R. Chiyah Ruba [in a dream]; he did not see him. At the end, he was pained.

Reish Lakish: Did he toil in Torah more than me [and therefore I do not merit to see him]?!

[His colleagues]: He spread Torah throughout Yisrael more than you did. (Perhaps this alludes to teaching orphans, so that Torah would not be forgotten from Yisrael - Bavli 103b - PF.) Also, he exiled himself (he came from Bavel to Eretz Yisrael for the sake of Torah).

Reish Lakish: Did I not exile myself [for Torah]?!

[His colleagues]: You exiled yourself in order to learn Torah. He exiled himself in order to teach Torah. (We explained this like PNEI MOSHE.)

When Rav Huna the Reish Galusa died, they brought [his coffin] here (to Eretz Yisrael). They said, where will we bury him? (This is not the same Rav Huna Reish Galusa mentioned above, whose coffin came to Eretz Yisrael in R. Chiyah's lifetime.)

They said, we will bury him by R. Chiyah, for he is from them (both of them came from Bavel). They said, who will enter him there?! (Not everyone merits to enter where R. Chiyah is buried!)

R. Chagai: I will enter him there.

[His colleagues]: You seek an excuse! You are an old man, and you want to enter there, and [if you die, you will] be buried there!

R. Chagai: Tie a rope around my leg. If I delay, you will take me out.

He entered, and found three judging (whether or not it is proper for Rav Huna to be buried there. One said) 'Yehudah my son is after you (R. Chiyah, on one side), and no one else [deserves to be there.' One said] 'Chizkiyah my son is after you (on the other side), and no one else. One said 'Yosef ben Yisrael (Avinu) is after you, and no one else.' (MAHARA FULDA, Kil'ayim 9:3 - 'my son' is an expression of importance; the one talking was not their father R. Chiyah. Alternatively, angels were talking on behalf of Hash-m; Hash-m sometimes calls people 'My son', e.g. Gitin 6b - PF)

R. Chagai lifted his eyes to look [at R. Chiyah and his sons. A voice told him] 'lower your face' (do not look, lest you be harmed).

R. Chiyah Ruba: Yehudah my son - [move and] make room for Rav Huna. Yehudah moved, but [Rav Huna] did not accept to sit there (he did not consider himself worthy).

They said [in Shamayim] 'since he did not accept to sit there, his seed will never cease.'

[R. Chagai] was 80 years old when he left, and he lived another 80 years (for they falsely suspected that he seeks to be buried there).

Question: It says "u'Nsasani mi'Mitzrayim u'Kvartani bi'Kvurasam" - Yakov [could be buried] anywhere (he did not need atonement). What would he lose (if he were buried in Mitzrayim)?

R. Lazar said, there is a deep matter here. R. Yehoshua ben Levi said, there is a deep matter here. R. Chanina said, there is a deep matter here.

Question: What is the deep matter here?

Answer (Reish Lakish) Question: "Es'halech Lifnei Hash-m b'Artzos ha'Chayim" - [this cannot refer to worldly desires], for there are no lands of [physically pleasurable] life other (i.e. more) than Tzur, Kisarin and their colleagues. There is everything, there is satiation! (Why is Eretz Yisrael called Eretz ha'Chayim?)

Answer (Reish Lakish citing Bar Kapara): [Eretz Yisrael] is the land whose dead are revived first in the days of Mashi'ach.

What is the source? "Nosen Neshamah la'Am Aleha."

Question: If so, our Rebbeyim [who are buried] in Bavel lose?!

Answer (R. Simai): Hash-m will carve out [tunnels] in the ground in front of them, and they roll like flasks. Once they reach Eretz Yisrael, their Nefesh is with them (they are revived).

What is the source? "V'Heiveisi Eschem El Admas Yisrael", "V'Nasati Ruchi Vachem vi'Chyisem."

Question (R. Berachiyah to R. Chelbo, and R. Chelbo to R. Imi, and R. Imi to R. Elazar, and R. Elazar to R. Chaninah, and some say that R. Chaninah asked R. Yehoshua): Is this even for people like Yaravam and his colleagues?! (A Mishnah teaches that they have no share in the world to come!)

Answer (R. Chanina or R. Yehoshua): "Gafris va'Melach Sereifah Chol Artzah." (We will discuss this answer.)

R. Berachiyah: What [we Amora'im] asked [our Rebbeyim], we do not hear from this [verse] anything!

Question: What do we learn from [the verse]?

Answer: Since Eretz Yisrael was burned, Midas ha'Din was fulfilled on them (they received their punishment, and they will be revived. This is like the opinion that argues with the Mishnah, and holds that even the Yisraelim listed there have a share in the world to come. Pirkei d'R. Eliezer - Resha'im who died after Sereifas Eretz Yisrael, Hash-m will cast them out of Eretz Yisrael, so the revival will not apply to them. We explained this like SEDEI YEHOSHUA, Kil'ayim 9:3.)

(Beraisa - in the name of R. Yudah): Eretz Yisrael was burned for seven years. It says "v'Higbir Bris la'Rabim Shavu'a Echad." (Also the Bris mentioned with Gafris va'Melach... was seven years.)

Question: What did Nochrim in [Eretz Yisrael] do [when it was burned? How did they get food?]

Answer: It was burned sections at a time. (There were always places that could be cultivated.)

"V'Atah Pashchor v'Chol Yoshvei Veisecha Telchu ba'Shevi'i u'Vavel Tavo Sham Tamus v'Shamah Tikaver" - R. Aba said that R. Chelbo and R. Chama bar Chaninah [argued about this]. One of them said, if he died there (in Chutz la'Aretz) and was buried there, it is like two [deaths]. If he died there and was buried here, it is like one. The other said that [the latter is not considered death at all;] burial [here] atones for death there.

(R. Yonah citing R. Chama bar Chaninah): A person's legs take him where he needs to be - "va'Yomer Hash-m Mi Yefateh Es Achav v'Ya'al v'Yipol b'Ramos Gil'ad" - he died in his house (when he returned to Shomron), not there. (The decree was that he fall, i.e. be struck, in Ramos Gil'ad, so Hash-m needed to entice him to go there.)

Elichoref and Achiyah were two scribes of Shlomo. [Shlomo] saw the angel of death gazing at them and gnashing his teeth (due to inability to kill them. Shlomo) said a matter, and they were suspended in the air. The angel of death took them from there;

The angel of death came smiling. Shlomo stood opposite him, and said 'you were gnashing your teeth, and now you smile?'

The angel of death: Hash-m told me to take Elichoref and Achiyah from the air. I said (thought), who will give to me these in the place from which I must take them?! And He put in your heart to do so (suspend them in the air), in order that His Shelichus be done. I went and took them from there.

The two sons of R. Reuven bar Istobiliya were Talmidim of Rebbi. [Rebbi] saw the angel of death gazing at them and gnashing his teeth. He said, they should be exiled to the south - perhaps exile will atone! [The angel of death] went and took them from there.

Ula the descender (he often descended to Bavel) was about to die there. He started to cry. The asked him, why are you crying? We will take you up [to be buried in Eretz Yisrael]!

Ula: What benefit will I have [from burial in Eretz Yisrael], and I lose my pearl (Neshamah) in a Tamei land? One who is cast into his mother's lap (dies in Eretz Yisrael) in unlike one who is cast into a stranger's lap (dies in Chutz la'Aretz).

R. Meir was about to die in Chutz la'Aretz. He said, say to Bnei Eretz Yisrael 'when your Mashi'ach comes, [this] will be yours.' (R. MEIR SIMCHAH - Kini, Kenizi and Kadmoni, which will be added to Eretz Yisrael, are Ardiskis, Asiya and Aspamiya - Bava Basra 56a.) Even so, he told them 'put my coffin on the sea shore (it has an aspect of Eretz Yisrael) - "Ki Hu Al Yamim Yesadah v'Al Naharos Yechoneneha."

Note: R. Shimon said that Kenizi is Asiya. R. Meir said that it is Arva'ah! Perhaps there is no argument, just the Tana'im give different names that they were called.

Seven seas surround Eretz Yisrael - the Great (Meditarranean) Sea, Yam Tiverya, Yam of Kochbo, the Salt (Dead) Sea, the Sea of Chilsa, the Sea of Shilachas, the Sea of Ifamiya.

Question: There is [an eighth,] the Sea of Chamatz!

Answer: [King] Duklitianus gathered rivers and made it. (It is not a sea from the time of Bereishis.)

It says "v'Nishkafah Al Pnei ha'Yeshimon" - R. Chiyah bar Ba said, anyone who ascends Har ha'Yeshimon, and sees a [round rock] like a small sifter in Yam Tiverya, this is the Be'er of Miryam.

(R. Yochanan bar Marah): Rabanan estimated - it is opposite the middle gate of the old Beis ha'Keneses of Yisrognin.

Rabah bar Kariya and R. Elazar were strolling in Istrin. They saw coffins coming from Chutz la'Aretz to Eretz Yisrael.

Question (Rabah bar Kariya, to R. Elazar): What does it help (for those who died in Chutz la'Aretz to be buried here)? I apply to them "v'Nachalsi Samtem l'So'evah" in your lifetimes, "va'Tavo'u v'Titam'u Es Artzi" in your deaths!

Answer (R. Elazar): Once they reach the land, they take a clump of earth and put it on their coffin - "v'Chiper Admaso Amo."