Midrash su Salmi 116:9

(Deut. 33:1:) “Before his death.” Would it cross your mind that he blessed Israel after he died?¹¹PRK 31(suppl. 1):14; see Sifre, Deut. 33:19(342); Deut. R. 11:6. Then what is the meaning of before his death? Before the angel of death. When the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him (in Deut. 32:49-50) “Ascend [this mountain of the Abarim]…. And you shall die,” the angel of death thought that the Holy One, blessed be He, had already given him authority over Moses' life. He came and stood directly above him. Moses said to him, “The Holy One, blessed be He, has already promised me that he would not deliver me into your hand.” He [answered], “The Holy One, blessed be He, has sent me to you; that you are to depart on this day.” Moses said to him, “Go away from here, as I want to praise the Holy One, blessed be He, ‘I will not die, but rather live and tell the acts of the Lord (Ps. 118:17).’” The angel said to him, “Why are you bragging, He [already] has someone to praise Him, (in Ps. 19:2), ‘The heavens recount God’s glory.’” Moses said, “I will quiet them and praise,” as stated (in Deut. 32:1), “Listen O heavens....” He came to him a second time. What did Moses do? He mentioned the explicit name [of God], and [so the angel] fled, as stated (Deut. 32:3), “For I proclaim the name of the Lord.” He [then] came to him a third time. [At that point,] Moshe said, “Since he is coming from the Heavens, I must justify the judgement [of death] upon myself.” He immediately began saying (in Deut. 32:4), “The Rock, His actions are just.” R. Isaac said, “Moses’ soul was hesitating to leave him, and he spoke with it. He said to it, ‘Tell me, my soul, what will you say, since the angel of death seeks to subdue you?’ It said to him, ‘He will not do so to me, as the Holy One, blessed be He, promised me that he would not deliver me into his hand.’ He said to it, ‘Tell me [what you will say] when you see them crying and you cry with them.’ It said to him (in Ps. 116:8), ‘You have delivered me from death, my eyes from tears’. He said to it, ‘Tell me [what you will say] when they try to push you to Gehinnom.’ It said to him (in Ps. 116:8, cont.), ‘my feet from stumbling.’ He said to it, ‘And where will you be walking in the future?’ It said to him (in Ps 116:9), ‘I shall walk before the Lord in the lands of the living.’ When Moses heard this from it, he said to it (Ps. 116:7), ‘Return, O my soul.’” R. Abba said, “Once he was departed, the lower creatures (people) said (Deut. 33:4), ‘Moses charged us with Torah.’ The higher creatures (angels) said, ‘He executed the Lord’s judgments and His decisions for Israel.’ And even the Holy One, blessed be He, Himself, in all of His glory praises him and says (in Deut. 34:10-11), ‘Never again did there arise in Israel a prophet like Moses [...]. For the various signs and portents.’”

Why were the patriarchs anxious to be buried in the land of Israel? R. Eliezer said: There is a reason for this. R. Hanina said: There is a reason for this; and R. Joshua the son of Levi said: There is a reason for this. What did they mean by “There is a reason for this”? It is written: I shall walk before the Lord in the land of the living (Ps. 116:9). However, our sages said in the name of R. Helbo that there were two reasons why the patriarchs longed to be buried in the land of Israel: The dead in the land of Israel would be the first to be resurrected in the Messianic age, and they would be the first to enjoy the years brought by the Messiah.

(Gen. 47:30:) WHEN I SLEEP WITH MY ANCESTORS…. Why do all the ancestors search for and cherish burial in the land of Israel?¹⁵Gen. R. 96:5(7). R. Hananiah said: R. Joshua ben Levi said: There is a reason for this (in Ps. 116:9): I WILL WALK BEFORE THE LORD IN THE LANDS OF THE LIVING. Our masters have said two things in the name of R. Helbo: Why did the ancestors cherish the land of Israel for burial? Because the dead in the land of Israel shall be the first to revive in the days of the Messiah and enjoy the messianic years.¹⁶See above, 7:23, and the references noted there. R. Hama b. R. Hanina said: The one who dies outside of the land and is buried there has two deaths. Where is it shown? Where it is stated (in Jer. 20:6): YOU ALSO, PASHUR, AND ALL WHO DWELL IN YOUR HOUSE SHALL GO INTO CAPTIVITY. SO YOU SHALL COME TO BABYLON, WHERE YOU SHALL DIE AND WHERE YOU SHALL BE BURIED, YOU ALONG WITH ALL YOUR FRIENDS TO WHOM YOU PROPHESIED FALSELY.¹⁷The burial outside Israel is seen here as the second death. R. Simon said: If so, are the righteous who are buried outside the land at a disadvantage? So what does the Holy One do? He {goes back to} [bores through] the land before them and makes them like skin bottles¹⁸See yKet. 12:3 (35b); cf. the parallel in Tanh., Gen. 11:3: “He makes cavities for them in the land and makes them (the cavities) like these caverns….” Cf. also Ket. 111b. so that they come rolling < on through > until they arrive in the land of Israel. Then, when they arrive in the land of Israel, he puts the spirit of life in them; and they arise. Where is it shown? Where it is stated (in Ezek. 37:12): BEHOLD, I WILL OPEN YOUR GRAVES … < O MY PEOPLE, AND BRING YOU UNTO THE LAND OF ISRAEL >. Then afterwards (in vs. 14): AND I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT WITHIN YOU SO THAT YOU SHALL LIVE. Resh Laqish said: Scripture clearly states that, when they arrive in the land of Israel, the Holy One puts breath in them, as stated (in Is. 42:5): WHO GIVES BREATH TO THE PEOPLE UPON IT¹⁹The antecedent of IT is ha’arets, which is usually translated here as THE EARTH but can also mean THE LAND. AND SPIRIT TO THOSE WHO WALK THEREON.