Why the Day of Death Outweighs the Day of Birth

[It was taught:] Three names are called for a person: one that his father and mother called him, one that he called himself, and one that is written in the book. Rabbi said: And we do not know which of them comes first—whether the one that he called himself, or the one that his father and mother called him. Solomon came and explained: "And the day of death than the day of one's birth" (Ecclesiastes 7:1). When a person is born, they count toward death; when he dies, they count for him toward life. When a person is born, all rejoice; when he dies, all weep. But it is not so. Rather, when a person is born, all ought to weep, because they do not know upon which station he stands; when he dies, all ought to rejoice, because they know that he departed in peace from the world. [A parable] of two ships that were setting out upon the sea: one entering the harbor, and one going out from the harbor. The one entering the harbor—all were not rejoicing over it; and the one going out from the harbor—all were rejoicing over it. A certain clever man was there. He said: I see matters in reverse. The one entering the harbor—all ought to rejoice over it, because they know that it has entered in peace from the sea; and the one going out from the harbor—all ought not to rejoice, because they do not know upon which station it stands. So too a person: when he is born, all rejoice; when he dies, all weep. But it is not so. Rather, when he is born all ought to weep, because they do not know upon which station he stands; when he dies all ought to rejoice, because they know that he departed in peace from the world. And when David was born, no creature took note of him; but once he died, all Israel took note of him. This is what is written: "And Hadad heard in Egypt that David slept with his fathers" etc. (1 Kings 11).