It is known that Reb Avrohom Hecht A”H asked the Rebbe (Chanuka time 5738) to explain the significance of the event of שמיני עצרת that year. The Rebbe wrote עיין בהקדמה לזהר. In the Zohar’s introduction ד, א-ב there is a remarkable story of Rav Chiya going up and with the intervention of רשב”י he was given more physical years! The Zohar describes Rav Chiya discovering that רשב”י “was not swallowed by the earth” and therefore he seeks to see him. He succeeds and finds himself in Gan Eden with Moshiach and other רשב”י .צדיקים negotiates more years for him from משיח.
