In this world, you have the burden of livelihood and many other worries. Therefore, you are not aware of minor annoyances. A mosquito can bite you, but because of your many concerns, you may not even feel it.
But in the grave, you have no distractions. You can even hear the sound of the maggots crawling toward you and feel the pain of their every bite into your flesh.121Cf. Berakhot 18b; Shabbat 13b; Alim LeTerufah #167. This is Chibut HaKever, the punishment of the grave (see note 172). There is nothing that can take your mind away from this suffering, may God spare us.
וְאַל תֹּאמַר שֶׁהַשְּׁאוֹל וְהַקֶּבֶר בֵּית מָנוֹס לָךְ (אָבוֹת ד).
Do not say that the pit and grave will be your refuge (cf. Avot 4:22).
כִּי בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה שֶׁיֵּשׁ לְהָאָדָם טְרָדוֹת וְעֹל הַפַּרְנָסָה, יָכוֹל לִהְיוֹת שֶׁיַּעֲקֹץ וְיִנְשֹׁךְ אוֹתוֹ פַּרְעוֹשׁ וְהוּא לֹא יַרְגִּישׁ, מֵחֲמַת שֶׁמַּחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ טְרוּדָה בְּאֵיזֶה מַחֲשָׁבָה שֶׁל פַּרְנָסָה וְכַיּוֹצֵא.
In this world, you have the burden of livelihood and many other worries. Therefore, you are not aware of minor annoyances. A mosquito can bite you, but because of your many concerns, you may not even feel it.
אֲבָל שָׁם בַּקֶּבֶר, שֶׁאָז אֵין לְהָאָדָם שׁוּם טִרְדָּא וְשׁוּם מַחֲשָׁבָה אַחֶרֶת, אָז הוּא שׁוֹמֵעַ אֲפִלּוּ הָרְחִישָׁה וְהַהִלּוּךְ שֶׁל הַתּוֹלָעִים, אֵיךְ הֵם רוֹחֲשִׁים וּבָאִים אֵלָיו, וּמַרְגִּישׁ הַצַּעַר שֶׁל כָּל נְשִׁיכָה וּנְשִׁיכָה. וְאֵין שׁוּם דָּבָר שֶׁיַּטְרִידֵהוּ וְיִמְנָעֵהוּ מִגֹּדֶל צַעֲרוֹ הַקָּשֶׁה רַחֲמָנָא לִצְלָן.
But in the grave, you have no distractions. You can even hear the sound of the maggots crawling toward you and feel the pain of their every bite into your flesh.121Cf. Berakhot 18b; Shabbat 13b; Alim LeTerufah #167. This is Chibut HaKever, the punishment of the grave (see note 172). There is nothing that can take your mind away from this suffering, may God spare us.