ךיִחָא ןֹרֲהַא ףַסֱאֶנ רֶ שֲאַ כ הָ תָא םַ ג ךיֶ מַע לֶא תְפַסֱאֶנְו הָתֹא הָתיִאָרְו...
And you shall see and you, too, shall be gathered to your nation, as your brother Aaron was gathered.
The Ohr Hachaim explains the comparison between the two deaths. The Yalkut says that when Aaron passed away with this uniquely lofty method of ‘the kiss of death’ from Hashem, he told Moshe, “If I would have been aware of this kind of death, I would have desired it earlier.” Hashem was telling Moshe that he should not be fearful of this death because he, too, will have the same enjoyment and sublime pleasure of incorporating himself with his Creator, with the removal of any corporeal barriers between him and holiness. Just like Aaron lost any sense of pain or regret when experiencing this death, so too Moshe Rabbeinu would suffer no pain or regret. Moshe could just look at Aaron’s sense of peace, and he would know that this isn’t a death to fear.
The Ohr Hachaim then offers another, novel, explanation. A righteous man is obligated to approach death with the correct mindset. He must stay cognizant that he deserves whichever decree Heaven has decided, and he should wish for it to be performed. He must accept this Heavenly decree with equanimity and thank Hashem for the opportunity to carry out His will.
The Torah says גַם אָתָה – you too shall agree to your own death, without feeling any pangs of regret. כַאֲשֶּר נֶּאֱסַף אַהֲרֹן אָחִּיךָ – like your brother Aaron was gathered. Chazal tell us that Moshe told Aaron, “My brother Aaron, have you made peace with your death?” and he answered in the positive. They went up to Hor Hahar with peace and happiness, knowing he was fulfilling Hashem’s will. Hashem does not wish to end a tzadik’s life without his acquiescence. Indeed, when Moshe Rabbeinu passed away, the possuk (Devarim 32:49) says וּמֻת בָהָר אֲשֶּר אַתָה עֹלֶּה שָמָה – and die on the mountain that you are ascenting. He was commanded to die, he was not merely being told a piece of news. Hashem does not wish to kill a tzadik in a seemingly cruel fashion; He only does so when the tzadik agrees to his own death.
This is the meaning of the possuk (ibid 6:5) וְאָהַבְתָ אֵת ה' אֱ לוֹקיךָ בְכָל לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל נַפְשְךָ – and you shall love Hashem your G-d with all of your heart and all of your soul. Chazal (Berachos 54a) say, ובכל נפשך - אפילו הוא נוטל את נפשך - even when Hashem removes your soul, you must love Him and serve Him. The Ohr Hachaim explains that this applies even as the soul is being removed. A person must serve Hashem even with the removal of his soul, by accepting Hashem’s will to end his life with total love.
The Sefer Derech Eidosecha (from the author of the Bnei Yissochor) writes, on the possuk (Yehoshua 1:1) וַיְהִּי אַחֲרֵי מוֹת משֶּה עֶּבֶּד ה' – and it was after the death of Moshe servant of Hashem, that anyone that is called ‘servant of Hashem’ at the time of his death, has served Hashem in his death too. How can a person serve Hashem with his death? Which Mitzvah has he performed by dying?
The Rema MiPano writes (Asarah Ma’amaros, Chikur Hadin, Vol. 2 Chap. 7) that dying is the way a human repairs his aveira. The Torah (Bereishis 2:17) says וּמֵעֵץ הַדַעַת טוֹב וָרָע לֹא תֹאכַל מִּמֶּנוּ כִּי בְיוֹם אֲכָלְךָ מִמֶּנּוּ מוֹת תָמוּת – and from the tree of knowledge of good and bad, you shall not eat. For on the day that you will eat from it, he will surely die. This is what is considered in the Gemara a לאו הניתק לעשה – a prohibition that is removed by a positive commandment. Some prohibitions in the Torah are punished with lashes. However, some prohibitions are attached to positive commandments, which serve to remove the punishment from the prohibition. In this case, Adam was prohibited from eating from the Tree of Knowledge, but if he did, he must follow the positive commandment of dying to repair that sin.
The Halacha is that every Mitzvah must be done with correct intent. Even according to those opinions that a mitzvah done without intent is de facto eligible, there is no doubt that a person should perform all mitzvos with intent. The mitzvah of dying is no different. Additionally, mitzvos are supposed to be performed with happiness and goodwill. The mitzvah of dying is also included. Every Tzadik who dies as he should, with a willing heart following the commandment and will of Hashem to die, has repaired the sin of Adam, and is called a servant of Hashem. This is why Moshe can be called a servant of Hashem, right when he passed away.
