Musar zu Tehillim 116:15

The experience of death when it is the death of one of His pious ones, is something very precious in the eyes of G–d (Psalms 116,15), because it enables man to return to his lofty place in גן עדן and his soul to live forever. Once there, his soul will ascend to ever higher levels. The reason Adam was buried in the cave of Machpelah is that it is the site which has an opening to גן עדן. The Zohar (page 28 Sullam edition) on חיי שרה says that Abraham recognised a secret sign in the cave after he had seen Adam and Eve buried there. How could he have known? After all, had he ever seen Adam and Eve? He had a vision of Adam and a door opened to גן עדן. Adam had lived in גן עדן at one time; it was appropriate therefore that his burial place should adjoin it. The Zohar continues that anyone who has a vision of Adam will die immediately. Abraham, however, saw an apparition of Adam and survived. He beheld the cave light up and one candle remained lit. He now decided that he also wanted to be buried there. From then on his constant longing was to be buried in that cave. Thus far the Zohar.

ענין כתנות אור שנהפך לעור . Originally, man wore clothing made from "light" i.e. the word Or spelled with the letter א, whereas after the sin G–d had to provide man with clothing made from hide. This teaches the need to refine one's body until one again reaches the spiritual level when one can wear clothing made of אור. One way of qualifying for such garments once more in the future is to accept any afflictions we experience in life with love, to perceive them as acts of G–d designed to help us refine our body. Even death itself is a means of refining the material the body is made of. This is why the Psalmist says: יקר בעיני ה' המותה לחסידיו, "The death of His pious ones is precious to G–d." There is a very interesting comment in the book עמק ברכה page 85 on Genesis 3,22: "What if man were to stretch out his hand and take also from the tree of life, and eat from it and live forever!" G–d's fear of that eventuality was based on His not wanting man to miss his chance at rehabilitating himself through death.

The general rule we can derive from all that we have said so far is that the "inner" i.e. most sublime, sacrifice is אדם. This explains our tradition (Chagigah 12) that after death the archangel (High Priest) Michael offers up our souls on the Celestial Altar. This is all part of the great mystery of man having been created in the image of G–d. In view of all these considerations we can understand the Torah warning us repeatedly how careful we must be not to take human life before the most exhaustive interrogations of the witnesses and before a thorough examination of all the circumstances surrounding the accusation leveled against someone accused of a capital crime. When an execution is ordered after all these precautions not to commit judicial murder had been taken, such a death of the accused may be viewed as death at the hands of Heaven. Just as G–d is a true witness and a true judge, so the members of the Supreme Court, Sanhedrin, must be as clear about the guilt of the accused before they convict him as G–d is clear in His mind about the guilt of people He decides to kill. Once these procedures have been followed, the verse in Psalms 116,15: "Death is precious to G–d," has been fulfilled.