The book of Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Ecclesiastes, dives right into this question, offering a perspective that might just flip your expectations.
Rabbi Pinḥas kicks things off with a fascinating idea: a person is beloved by their name. But which name? Solomon, in his wisdom, clarifies: "A good name is better than fine oil, and the day of death than the day of one's birth" (Ecclesiastes 7:1). It’s the name you have at the end of your life that truly matters. : we count down to someone's death, but we should be counting up their life.
It's natural to rejoice at a birth and mourn at a death. But this passage challenges that. Imagine two ships: one leaving the port, full of promise, and one entering, weathered but safe. We cheer the departing ship, but should we? We don't know what storms it will face. The wise person, says this teaching, rejoices when the ship enters the port safely. Similarly, shouldn't we rejoice when someone dies with a good name, having navigated the storms of life and reached safe harbor?
The text goes on to illustrate this point with powerful examples. Miriam, Aaron, Moses, Joshua, David, Samuel – when they were born, no one necessarily noticed. But their deaths? They resonated throughout Israel, marked by the vanishing of the miraculous spring, the departure of the clouds of glory, the cessation of manna. As it says in Ta’anit 9a, the spring disappeared when Miriam died, and the people thirsted for water. These weren't just deaths; they were seismic events.
And then there’s the sobering story of Joshua's burial. (Joshua 24:30) tells us he was buried "north of Mount Gaash." But the Rabbis ask, what is Mount Gaash? They scour the Bible and find no such place. The Rabbis explain Gaash (גַּעַשׁ) alludes to the people being preoccupied, nitga’ashu (נִתְגָּעֲשׁוּ), with settling the land after Joshua's conquests, neglecting to properly honor him in death. As a result, tradition says that God sought to lehagish (לְהַגִּשׁ), to quake and spew lava upon them. They were so caught up in their own affairs – their fields, vineyards, and charcoal – that they forgot to show gratitude. Their negligence almost brought about their destruction!
The text highlights the different terms used for the deaths of David and Yoav in I (Kings 11:21). David, the king, "lay with his fathers," a more respectful term, while Yoav, the commander, simply "died." Rabbi Pinḥas offers several explanations: David was king, David was anointed, David died in his bed, David's sons inherited his position. Each reason emphasizes David's unique status and the honor due to him.
The passage about Samuel’s death is particularly poignant. I (Samuel 25:1) tells us that Samuel died, while I (Samuel 28:3) reiterates that "Samuel had died." Rabbi Asi says the second verse "certainly informs of his death," while the first instance sets the stage for the story of Naval. This Naval fellow, described as a scoundrel (Psalms 14:1), was busy throwing parties while everyone else mourned Samuel. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman tells us that people were mourning and clapping hands [in grief] over the death of the righteous one, and this wicked one [Naval] was making drinking parties. Rabbi Yehuda points out that rejecting acts of kindness is akin to rejecting belief in God itself.
David, in contrast, exemplified gemilut chasadim (גְּמִילוּת חֲסָדִים), acts of loving-kindness. He extended kindness to everyone, even killers and the persecuted. As he says in (Psalms 13:6), "But I, in Your mercy I trust; my heart will rejoice in Your salvation, I will sing to the Lord, because He has been kind to me [gamal alai]."
So, what does this all mean for us? It's a powerful reminder that our actions, our character, the "name" we build throughout our lives, truly matters. It's not just about the splash we make at birth, but the legacy we leave behind. Are we building a "good name," one that will be remembered with respect and gratitude long after we're gone? Are we focused on our own "fields and vineyards," or are we actively engaging in acts of kindness and honoring those who came before us? Maybe, just maybe, the true measure of a life isn't in its beginning, but in its ending and the impact it leaves on the world.
Rabbi Pinḥas said: Man is beloved by his name, but I would not know which of them. Solomon came and explained: “A good name is better than fine oil, and the day of death than the day of one's birth.”14It is his name at the end of his life, when he dies, that is most important. When a person is born, one counts to his death. When he dies, one counts his life. When he is born everyone is joyous; when he dies, everyone weeps. But that should not be so; rather, when a person is born no one should be joyous, as they do not know the challenges and actions that will confront him, and whether he will be righteous or wicked, good or bad. When he dies, they should rejoice that he passed away with a good name and departed from the world in peace. This is analogous to two ships at sail in the Mediterranean Sea; one was leaving the port and one was entering the port. Regarding the one leaving the port, everyone rejoiced, and regarding the one leaving the port, they did not rejoice. There was one clever person there. He said to them: ‘I see matters to the contrary. Regarding the one leaving the port, they should not rejoice with it, because they do not know what challenges will confront it, how many days it will be challenged, how many storms it will encounter. When it enters the port, everyone should rejoice that in entered in peace.’ Similarly, when a person dies, everyone should rejoice, and praise him that he passed away in peace from the world with a good name. That is what Solomon said: “And the day of death than the day of one's birth.” You find that when the righteous are born no one is aware of it, and when they die, everyone is aware of it. When Miriam was born, no one was aware of it and when she died, the spring vanished, and everyone was aware. The spring publicized her death.15A spring of water miraculously accompanied Israel through the wilderness, on Miriam’s account. When she died, the spring disappeared and the people thirsted for water (Ta’anit 9a). When Aaron the High Priest was born, no one was aware of it, and when he died, the clouds of glory vanished, and everyone was aware. The cloud publicized his death. When Moses our master was born, no one was aware of it, and when he died, everyone was aware. The manna publicized his death. When Joshua was born, no one was aware of it, and when he died, everyone was aware, as it is stated: “They buried him on the border [of his inheritance]…north of Mount Gaash” (Joshua 24:30). The Rabbis say: We reviewed the entire Bible and we did not find a place named Mount Gaash. Rather, what is Mount Gaash? [It is a reference to the fact that] because they were preoccupied [nitga’ashu]16They were involved in settling the land. and were negligent in performing acts of kindness to Joshua,17They did not express their respects for him when he died. the Holy One blessed be He sought to quake and spew [lehagish] lava upon them in order to destroy them. [They were preoccupied] because the Land of Israel had been distributed and its distribution was too dear to them; this one was involved in his field, that one was involved in his vineyard, this one was involved in his olive grove, that one was involved in his charcoal. They were all involved in their labor, and that is why the Holy One blessed be He sought to quake the world upon them. Therefore, everyone was aware of it, and his death was publicized. When David was born, no one was aware of it, but when he died everyone was aware of it, as it is stated: “When Hadad heard in Egypt that David lay with his fathers, [and that Yoav, commander of the army, had died]” (I Kings 11:21). Rabbi Pinḥas said: Is laying not death?18Why does the verse use two different expressions for death with regard to David and Yoav? Rather, for David, who was king, [the term] lying is written;19This is a less direct and therefore more respectful term than the term death. for Yoav, who was commander of the army, [the term] death is written. Alternatively, is laying not death? Rather, for David, who was anointed with the anointing oil, [the term] lying is written; for Yoav, who was not anointed with the anointing oil, [the term] death is written. Alternatively, is laying not death? Rather, for David, who died in his bed, [the term] lying is written; for Yoav, who was killed, [the term] death is written. Alternatively, is laying not death? Rather, for David, whose sons inherited his position, [the term] lying is written; for Yoav, whose sons did not inherit his position, [the term] death is written. Therefore, everyone was aware of it when David died, as Solomon publicized his death.20By inheriting David’s position. When Samuel was born, no one was aware of it, but when he died everyone was aware of it, as it is stated: “Samuel died and…all Israel eulogized him” (I Samuel 25:1). Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: The parable says: One who is bitten by a snake, a rope frightens him.21Since the people had almost been destroyed due to the insufficient honor they accorded Joshua upon his death, they were very careful to pay the proper respects when Samuel died (Matnot Kehuna). Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: They gave him his due, as it is stated: “He went each and every year and circulated in Beit El, [Gilgal, and Mitzpa, and he judged Israel in all those places]” (I Samuel 7:16).22Since he made himself available to the people in so many different places, they all accorded him respect. One verse says: “Samuel died” (I Samuel 25:1), and one verse says: “Samuel had died” (I Samuel 28:3).23Whey does the book of Samuel report Samuel’s death in two separate locations? Rabbi Asi said: “Samuel had died,” certainly [informs of his] death. “Samuel died,” the matters are stated only with regard to Naval, as it is stated: “Samuel died…there was a man in Maon” (I Samuel 25:1–2).24In chapter 28, the book of Samuel reports the death of Samuel as its own event, and recounts the people’s eulogies for him. In chapter 25, the book mentions Samuel’s death in passing in order to provide context for the incident involving Naval, who threw a celebration at this time and was stingy toward David. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: Everyone was mourning and clapping hands [in grief] over the death of the righteous one, and this wicked one [Naval] was making drinking parties. Rabbi Yehuda said: This is to teach you that anyone who repudiates acts of kindness, it is as though he repudiates the fundamental doctrine.25The reference is to the doctrine of belief in God. Naval refused to bestow kindness on David, and of him it is said: “The scoundrel [naval] says in his heart: There is no God” (Psalms 14:1) (Matnot Kehuna). But King David, may he rest in peace, what would he do? He would perform acts of kindness for everyone. He would say thus: Even a killer, or one who was killed, even a pursuer, or one who is pursued, I perform acts of kindness for him as I do for the righteous. That is what is written: “But I, in Your mercy I trust; my heart will rejoice in Your salvation, I will sing to the Lord, because He has been kind to me [gamal alai]” (Psalms 13:6).26Because I have accepted the responsibility of performing acts of kindness [ole gemilat ḥesed], I will merit to rejoice in God’s salvation (Matnot Kehuna).
