850. Rabbi Shimon opened the discussion saying, "And they came to the threshing floor of Atad" (Beresheet 50:10). HE ASKS, What is the threshing floor of Atad? HE ANSWERS, It is an allusion to the dominion of Egypt, which is removed. The threshing floor of Atad is the dominion of Egypt which passed to give way to the dominion of Yisrael. For they saw a threshing floor, WHICH ALLUDES TO THE REIGN OF YISRAEL, as in "having put on their robes, in a threshing floor" (I Melachim 22:10). Therefore "they mourned with a great and very sore lamentation."

851. "So that the name of it was called the mourning of the Egyptians" (Beresheet 50:11): Assuredly the Egyptians MOURNED FOR THEIR DOMINION WHICH PASSED, but here also the weeping was not for Jews, though there were Jews among the dead. Had they been good Jews, they would not have been killed. But having died, the Holy One, blessed be He, pardons their sins.

852. Rabbi Shimon said, Come and behold, though Jacob yielded his soul in Egypt, it did not depart under the dominion of the other, NAMELY THE OTHER SIDE. Why? Because, as we learned, there has not been a bed more whole than Jacob's bed since the Creation of the world, FOR ALL HIS SONS WERE PROPER. As soon as he departed from the world, his soul joined its place, as has already been explained.