Likutei Moharan Torah 144
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(לְשׁוֹן רַבֵּנוּ זִכְרוֹנוֹ לִבְרָכָה) אֵין אָדָם מֵת וַחֲצִי תַּאֲוָתוֹ בְּיָדוֹ: (מ"ר קהלת סדר א)
Ein Adam Meit (A man does not die) with half his desires in hand. (Kohelet Rabbah 1:13)
כִּי אֵצֶל הַצַּדִּיק אֵין חִלּוּק בֵּין הַחַיִּים וּבֵין לְאַחַר מִיתָה, כִּי גַּם לְאַחַר מִיתָה הוּא עוֹבֵד אֶת הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ.
For the tzaddik, there is no difference between life and after death. This is because he also serves God after he dies.
וְאֵין זֶה הַחִלּוּק. אֶלָּא אֵצֶל זֶה הָאָדָם שֶׁנִּמְשָׁךְ אַחַר תַּאֲווֹת אֲכִילָה וּשְׁתִיָּה כָּל יָמָיו, וּלְאַחַר מִיתָה אֵין אוֹכֵל וְשׁוֹתֶה, זֶה נִקְרָא מֵת, וְהַמִּיתָה נִכֶּרֶת אֶצְלוֹ.
There is only a difference for that man who all his days is drawn by the desire for eating and drinking, but after dying does not eat and drink. This is called being dead, and in his case death is recognizable.
וְיֵשׁ יָמִים שֶׁהֻתְּרָה אֲכִילָה וּשְׁתִיָּה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ חָכָמֵינוּ, זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (פסחים סח:): חֶצְיוֹ לַה' וְחֶצְיוֹ לָכֶם. וְהַצַּדִּיק, אֲפִלּוּ בְּזֹאת הַחֲצִי הוּא כּוֹבֵשׁ אֶת יִצְרוֹ, וְאוֹחֵז אֶת תַּאֲוָתוֹ בְּיָדוֹ.
Now, there are days when eating and drinking are permitted. As our Sages teach: Half for God and half for yourselves (Pesachim 68b). But the tzaddik conquers his inclination even in this half and keeps a tight grip on his desires.
וְזֶהוּ: וַחֲצִי תַאֲוָתוֹ בְּיָדוֹ – אֲפִלּוּ זֹאת הַחֲצִי שֶׁהֻתַּר לוֹ, אֲפִלּוּ בָּזֶה הוּא אוֹחֵז תַּאֲוָתוֹ בְּיָדוֹ.
This is the meaning of: **half his desires in hand—**Even in that half which is permitted him, he keeps a tight grip on his desire.
בְּוַדַּאי זֶה אֵין מֵת, אֶלָּא תָּמִיד חַי, אֲפִלּוּ לְאַחַר מִיתָה. וְאֵין חִלּוּק אֶצְלוֹ בֵּין מִיתָה לְחַיִּים, כִּי תָּמִיד הוּא עוֹבֵד הַשֵּׁם:
So certainly, this [person] **does not die—**Rather, he lives always, even after death. So for him, there is no difference between death and life. He serves God, always.