In my yeshiva a while back, one of the rabbis who is actually a decendent of the Vilna Gaon told us that when the Vilna Gaon died and was buried, that his body didn't disentegrate. The rabbi also said that many great Torah scholars bodies don't disentegrate when they die. I asked him in class why this was so, and I could tell that he did not want to discuss it, so I did not persist. However, I thought that perhaps this might be a better forum for my questions about this.

It seems to me that Judaism does not teach an importance of preservation of the body after death. Isn't there somewhere in the Torah that states that man comes from dust and returns to it? When we buried my bubbie(grandmother), I distinctly remember that her coffin was made out of wood. When I asked why this was so in contrast to xtians who make them out of metal, I believe I was told that it was because the preservation of the physical body was not important. This sort of logic seems to make sense to me. From what I've learned I think that the body is the vehical (so to speak) through which the soul can perform mitzvot in this world and affect the other worlds. The continued existence of the soul seems much more important than that of the body.

However, I am confused following my logic on this issue about the issue of ressurection. I have heard that some of the rabbonim believe that the ressurection does not include the physical body as we know it due to the existence of various gilulim (reincarnations). I think others such as the Rambam(?) think that it is the physical body that we know of. If it is the physical body, and the physical body disentegrates in the grave, then that may present a problem... I don't know.

I'm sorry that I have alot of ideas here and they are not organized very well. If anyone can help me clear up this confusion, it would be greatly appreciated.

See the Gemmmarah Shabbos 152b that decomposition is only for those who get jealous.
Those who don't don't decompose. The Gemaarah asks from your Pusek about returning
to ash and answers that's talking about a moment before Techias Hamasim. resurrection of
the dead)

See Sanhedrin 46b that the whole concept of burying is atonement for the dead (besides
removing from the presence of the living (Kovod Hachai)) and 47b that the decomposition
of the flesh is also an atonement. Thus Tzadikim who need not such atonement may not
need the decomposition.

Also, see Mishna B'rurah 330:2 that brings down that there is a bone called the "Niscoy"
that only gets it's nourishment from Milava malka that is indestructible (see Shareey TZion
there in the name of Elya Raba the reason, since it only gets nourishment from things eaten
Moitzieh Shobbos, non of the Eitz Hadas went into it, so it wasn't affected by it) and from
that the Techias Hamasim will come from.

Thanks for your very thorough answer.

you're welcome