Daf 251a (דַּף רנ״א ע״א)

Because all that land of Kena‘an and the land of Egypt (בְּגִין דְּכָל הַהוּא אַרְעָא דִכְנַעַן, וְאַרְעָא דְּמִצְרַיִם), consumes the body and causes it to decay in less time than any other land (מְכַלָּה גּוּפָא וּמְרַקֵּב לֵיהּ לִזְמַן זְעִיר מִכָּל שְׁאָר אַרְעָא), and to preserve the body they performed this (וּבְגִין לְקַיְימָא גּוּפָא עָבְדֵי דָא), and they made this embalming from within and without (וְעָבְדֵי חֲנִיטָא דָא מִגּוֹ וּמִבָּרָא). From within-they placed that ointment upon the navel (מִגּוֹ דְּשַׁוְיָן הַהוּא מִשְׁחָא עַל טַבּוּרָא), and it entered through the navel inside and absorbed into the intestines (וְהוּא עָאל בְּטַבּוּרָא לְגוֹ וְאִשְׁתְּאִיב בְּמֵעוֹי), and it preserved the body from within and without for many times (וְקָאִים לֵיהּ לְגוּפָא מִגּוֹ וּמִבָּרָא לְזִמְנִין סַגִּיאִין). And Ya'akov was in such bodily endurance, and this was necessary (וְיַעֲקֹב הָכִי הֲוָה בְּקִיּוּמָא דְּגוּפָא, וְהָכִי אִצְטְרִיךְ), for he was the body of the Patriarchs (דְּגוּפָא דְּאֲבָהָן אִיהוּ), and he was enduring in both body and soul (וְהֲוָה בְּקִיּוּמָא בְּגוּפָא וְנַפְשָׁא). Similarly Yosef, who was the counterpart of the body (כְּגַוְונָא דָא לְיוֹסֵף, דְּאִיהוּ דוּגְמָא דְּגוּפָא), and he endured in both body and soul (וּבְקִיּוּמָא דְגוּפָא וְנַפְשָׁא הוּא).

In bodily endurance-as it is written: “And they embalmed him” (בְּקִיּוּמָא דְגוּפָא, דִּכְתִיב: וַיַּחַנְטוּ אוֹתוֹ) (Bereishit 50:26); in endurance of soul-as it is written: “And he was placed in a coffin in Egypt” (בְּקִיּוּמָא דְּנַפְשָׁא, דִּכְתִיב: וַיִּישָׂם בָּאָרוֹן בְּמִצְרָיִם). And we have learned: why two yuds? (וּתְנִינָן תְּרֵי יוּדִי״ן אַמַּאי). Rather, Yosef guarded the covenant below and the covenant above (אֶלָּא, יוֹסֵף נָטַר לֵיהּ בְּרִית לְתַתָּא, וְנָטִיר לֵיהּ בְּרִית דִּלְעֵילָא). He departed from the world and was equated in two arks (אִסְתַּלַּק מֵעַלְמָא, אִתְשַׁוִּי בִּתְרֵי אֲרוֹנֵי): an ark below and an ark above (בְּאָרוֹן לְתַתָּא וּבְאָרוֹן לְעֵילָא). What is the ark above? (אָרוֹן דִּלְעֵילָא מַאן אִיהוּ). As it is said: “Behold, the Ark of the Covenant, Master of all the earth” (אֶלָּא, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, הִנֵּה אֲרוֹן הַבְּרִית אֲדוֹן כָּל הָאָרֶץ) (Yehoshua 3:11). The Ark above is called the Ark of the Covenant (דְּאָרוֹן דִּלְעֵילָא אֲרוֹן הַבְּרִית אִקְרֵי), and it is not inherited except by one who guards the covenant (דְּהָא לָא יָרִית לֵיהּ אֶלָּא מַאן דְּנָטַר בְּרִית).

And because Yosef guarded the covenant, he was equated with two arks (וּבְגִין דְּיוֹסֵף נָטַר לֵיהּ לִבְרִית, אִתְשַׁוֵּי בִּתְרֵי אֲרוֹנֵי). “And he was placed in an ark in Egypt”-so it truly is (וַיִּישֶׂם בָּאָרֹן בְּמִצְרָיִם, הָכִי הוּא וַדַּאי). And the verse reveals another secret (וּקְרָא אוֹכַח רָזָא אָחֳרָא): that even though his soul departed in the domain of another, it was bound to the Shekhinta (דְּאַף עַל גַּב דְּנָפְקַת נִשְׁמָתֵיהּ בִּרְשׁוּ אָחֳרָא, אִתְקַשַּׁר בִּשְׁכִינְתָּא). This is what is written: “And he was placed in an ark” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב: וַיִּישֶׂם בָּאָרוֹן), both above and below (לְעֵילָא וּלְתַתָּא), because he was a Tzaddik (בְּגִין דְּהֲוָה צַדִּיק). For every Tzaddik inherits the supernal holy land (דְּכָל צַדִּיק יָרִית אַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא עִלָּאָה), as it is said: “And Your people, all of them Tzaddikim, forever shall they inherit the land…” (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, וְעַמֵּךְ כֻּלָּם צַדִּיקִים לְעוֹלָם יִרְשׁוּ אָרֶץ נִצֶר מַטָּעַי מַעֲשֵׂה יָדַי לְהִתְפָּאֵר) (Yeshayah 60:21).

Blessed is Hashem forever, amen and amen (בָּרוּךְ ה׳ לְעוֹלָם אָמֵן וְאָמֵן)

Sefer Bereshit is complete. (סָלִיק סֵפֶר בְּרֵאשִׁית)