He is referred to as “Arizal HaChai – the Living Arizal,” an epithet that is not used for other great Jews, even those who only died on account of “the serpent’s bite,” and even those of whom it is said that they “did not die” at all.
The deceased replied to Rav Nachman: I am Achai bar Yoshiya. Rav Nachman asked: How is it that your body has not decomposed? Indeed, Rav Mari has said: Even the bodies of tzaddikim are destined to become dust in the grave. * Source materials compiled by Rabbi Shloma Majeski.
For roughly two decades after his passing, the body of Rebbi Elazar, son of Rashbi, did not decompose. In fact, he continued to serve as a judge, ruling in actual legal cases, judgments that were carried out in practice.
At that point, Rabbi Yechiel began to laugh from within the coffin. All those gathered saw him do so. * From this story we learn that in these cases, the tzaddik maintains or assumes a physical presence in the world.
The Torah alludes to a tzaddik whose mortality can be traced solely to the sin of the Tree of Knowledge, inheriting, as it were, the venom of “the bite of the snake.” * One has free volition to be entirely righteous, like Chanoch or Eliyahu, or Rabbeinu HaKodesh.
Regular people upon their passing are free from Mitzvos, but tzaddikim at the level of Rebbi Yehuda HaNasi, even after their histalkus, remain alive and can even discharge others of their obligation for Mitzvos.
Dovid HaMelech’s eternal state of life pertains to every single Jew who says, “Dovid Melech Yisroel chai v’kayam,” on a monthly basis, at the time of Kiddush Levana. * Through Dovid HaMelech, Dovid Malka Meshicha, one goes out of his own personal exile.
In each generation, the soul of Moshe is manifest within … the nasi ha’dor, the leader of the generation. Indeed, “there is no generation within which there is not someone like Moshe.” There must be a “Moshe” in each generation within which the soul of Moshe is manifest, enclothed.
It appeared to us that Moshe had died because we were struck by the perception of lacking the presence of Moshe Rabbeinu and we were confronted by his absence. However, Moshe experiences life, in virtue of the spiritual height he had attained. * Moshe Rabbeinu did not die. Rather, he ascended and serves Above.
When a person dies, he is free from Mitzvos – specifically a regular person, but this is not so regarding tzaddikim, who are called “alive” even posthumously. And of course this is not so of Yaakov Avinu, who “did not die”; it is certain that he is obligated in Mitzvos. * But how can tzaddikim fulfill Mitzvos, such as eating matza and the like, in the actual, real sense?!
Our Sages teach that if a physical sense is put into question, contradicted by something that has been conveyed by the holy Torah – in that case we conclude that the physical sense is mistaken, and [in the case of Yaakov Avinu] it only appears that the process of embalming had been done.
“Regarding the fact that “they embalmed” him – (this is because) it appeared to them that he had died, but he was actually alive.” That is to say that even his body did not die.
Yaakov Avinu did not pass away; he faded, as one who went into a faint.
September 18, 2013