I completely forgot about both instances. But then wouldn't that mean that Mat died three times, twice when Rand used Balefire to save him, and once when he was hanged from the tree? I still can't help feeling like it is that third one that is the most important, and most miraculous, since we still don't know what exactly Rand did, or what was done to Mat to enable him to return to life. The Balefire incidents are just good examples of why absolute rules are never a good idea.
But I thought Rand gave Mat CPR which is what revived him?
I, at least, was always of the opinion that it was just too convenient for Rand to come by exactly within the few minute window when CPR is still effective, and that Mat had likely hung there considerably longer. Maybe that's irrational, but I always felt like something magical and unexplained happened in that seen, though whether it was due to Rand, Mat, the tree, or the location, is beyond my knowledge. And of course I could be utterly wrong.