Arso, you wrote: “At any rate, in regards to Rashi on Taanis 5b and Rashi on Chumash, I just don’t see how they contradict.” They don’t contradict at all and no one said that Rashi contradicts himself. I said that Menachem Shmei is saying that Rashi said things which make it seem like Rashi is contradicting himself.
You can believe whatever you want regarding Yaacov Avinu being buried and at the same time PHYSICALLY ALIVE, but Rashi never said he is physically alive, period. Rashi says that the posek says he EXPIRED but not that he died and that’s why he did not die. Not dying can mean the spirit doesnt die, or that he could live through his descendants, it could mean a lot of things according to the different meforshim, but Rashi NEVER said he was physically alive, after him expiring and being buried. That’s your and Menashe Shmei pshat on this Rashi but you can’t prove that Rahi said he was physically alive after his burial.
You write:”Note that this is impossible for us to understand, as he was buried, so what does it mean that he is alive? Furthermore, I believe that embalming involved the removal of a number of inner organs, so how can someone be alive in that manner? Nonetheless, that is what, according to Rashi, the gemoro is saying, and just because we can’t understand it it doesn’t allow us to reject it. So the conclusion for a maamin, and I hope we all fit into that category, is that because Chazal say it, and only because Chazal say it do we accept it”.
Certainly we can’t understand everything, but you can’t say that Chazal said something that they never did.