Chapter 7 - Introduction
Chapter 7 of Kohelet opens a new phase in the book. Until now, Shlomo HaMelech followed a continuous progression of thought, but from here on, the style changes. We will study this chapter according to the Malbim, accompanied by the teachings of the Midrashim and commentaries, beginning with the first verse: "A good name is better than good oil."
The Malbim's Introduction: A Chapter of Wisdom Aphorisms
The Malbim provides an overarching introduction to the chapter: In the seventh chapter, the Sage pauses from his general theme and presents fourteen proverbs of wisdom in brief adages. Therefore, one should not seek a sequential continuity among them, and anyone who struggles to find such continuity misses the mark. There is no continuous thread in short proverbs of wisdom, as we see in all books of the wise across all languages; indeed, the entire Book of Mishlei, authored by the very same King Solomon, is structured this way. Until now, we sought to connect verse to verse and trace a complete conceptual progression - much like the Malbim's approach in the Book of Iyov, where he constructs a unified response for Iyov and a unified response for his companions. From here on, however, these are wisdom aphorisms: sometimes a single verse, sometimes two verses together, each expressing an independent idea without a direct connection to what preceded it. Just as someone listening to a collection of maxims does not search for a bridge between one saying and the next - at times they are organized merely alphabetically - so too here: discrete segments, individual proverbs, each standing on its own.
A Good Name is Better than Good Oil
טוֹב שֵׁם מִשֶּׁמֶן טוֹב וְיוֹם הַמָּוֶת מִיּוֹם הִוָּלְדוֹ׃ - A good name is better than fragrant oil, and the day of death than the day of one's birth.
"Good oil" refers to fine, precious oil - balsam oil used for fragrance, oil used to anoint the body, or the anointing oil (*shemen hamishchah*) with which kings and high priests were anointed. They asked Shlomo: In what way did you find that a good name is superior to fine oil? He replied: When a person is born, no one knows what will become of him; but when he passes away with a good name and good deeds, the Jewish people come, attend to him, and perform acts of lovingkindness on his behalf. Thus, the day of death is greater than the day of one's birth: at birth, his soul's capacities are hidden and no one knows what will become of him, whereas at his passing, people come, care for his burial, and eulogize him.
The Midrash asks: Why did he not say "a good name is better than good wine" or "better than good honey"? He set aside all other fine liquids and mentioned only oil. Just as with oil, if you pour water into it, the oil floats to the top - meaning its distinct quality is that it floats upon water and is immediately noticeable. With wine, one cannot easily tell if it is mixed, whereas oil always reveals itself. Thus, one might have thought oil is the most distinguished. Therefore, the verse comes to teach that a good name is even greater: though fine oil is unmistakable, a good name stands out and leaves a far deeper impression.
Another explanation: Fine oil descends, as it says, "Like the fine oil upon the head, running down upon the beard," whereas a good name ascends, as it says, "And I will make you a great nation and make your name great" - "make great" implies growing and ascending. Fine oil lasts only for a short time; how long does it take before oil evaporates and fades away? But a good name endures forever, as it says, "May his name endure forever." Fine oil is consumed, but a good name is never consumed, as it says, "I will give them an everlasting name that will not be cut off." Fine oil belongs to the rich, for only the wealthy can afford exquisite oil, whereas a good name belongs equally to the poor and the rich; even an impoverished person can possess a good name.
Fine oil applies only during life, being rubbed upon the living, whereas a good name endures both in life and in death: a person possesses a good name during his lifetime, and even after death he remains known for the good name he earned. Fine oil travels only from an inner chamber to the parlor - and one Midrash says it travels four cubits, which is as far as its fragrance reaches - whereas a good name travels from one end of the world to the other, making a person's reputation known across the earth.
Fine oil placed upon a corpse turns foul, as it says, "Dead flies cause the perfumer's oil to ferment and stink," whereas a good name placed upon the dead does not turn foul, as it says, "And he put his mouth upon his mouth" - a person of good name has the power even to revive the dead, whereas fine oil applied to a corpse will merely rot. Fine oil cast into the water is dispersed and lost, but a good name is never lost, as it says, "And the Lord spoke to the fish" - even though Yonah was in the depths of the water, his good name preceded him and the fish spewed him onto dry land. Fine oil placed upon fire burns up, but a good name does not burn, as it says, "Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego came forth from the midst of the fire" - Chananyah, Mishael, and Azaryah emerged unscathed from the flames. Thus, those who possess a good name surpass fine oil, for fine oil burns in fire, while a good name endures forever and even fire has no dominion over it.
The Pesikta Zutreta teaches: Rabbi Yehudah bar Simon said, those anointed with fine oil entered a place of life and came out burned, while those possessing a good name entered a place of death and came out alive - these being Chananyah, Mishael, and Azaryah. It is the same theme, but here he contrasts them with two righteous individuals who were anointed with fine oil: Nadav and Avihu were anointed as Kohanim and entered a place meant to foster life - the Mishkan, the sanctuary of holiness which is the source of vitality - yet came out burned. In contrast, those possessing a good name entered a fiery furnace, a place of death, and came out alive.
The Midrash also says: The fine oil with which Aharon the Kohen was anointed was needed for the names of the tribes, as it says, "And Aharon shall bear the names of the Children of Israel upon his heart." Thus, the anointing with fine oil was for the sake of the good name - the names of the tribes upon the chest of the Kohen Gadol are the essential thing, and for that purpose he was anointed.
"And the Day of Death than the Day of One's Birth"
The Midrash states: When someone is born, who knows what he will become, whether righteous or wicked? When he dies, everyone knows he was righteous, having departed the world in peace. We have previously mentioned the story of the parents who argued over what to name their son. The father said, "Let us name him Avraham, after my father." The mother said, "Avraham after my father." They went to ask the rabbi, and he said to them, "In my opinion, name him Avraham." He asked the father, "Why do you object?" He replied, "Because her father was wicked, and I want Avraham after my father." The rabbi told them, "Name him Avraham, and when he grows up you will know after whom he was named - whether he turns out like your father or like her father, you will see for yourselves." This is what the Midrash means: when one is born, who knows what he will be, righteous or wicked, which Avraham he will turn out to be. And when he dies, everyone knows that he departed the world in peace. Thus, the day of death is better than the day of one's birth, for on the day of death one can know what truly became of him.
The author of the Yismach Moshe cites a wonderful teaching in the name of Sefer HaIkkarim: Regarding everything created in the world, it is said "that it was good" (ki tov), and even concerning the animals at their creation it says "that it was good." Yet when man was created, it does not say "that it was good." And why? Because it is not yet known whether he will be good or not. And when will it become known? On the day of death. Only then can it be known whether his name is truly good, or whether, Heaven forbid, he was wicked. Man is the only creature about whom it cannot be determined at the time of his birth that he is good; one must wait until he completes his course, and only then do we see if he is truly good.
The Midrash further says: When a righteous person is born, the world does not take notice of him, but when he dies, everyone feels it. When Miriam was born, Israel did not notice her, but when she died, the well was taken away - and everyone knew that Miriam had died. When Moshe was born, he was born in hiding, and although the house was filled with light, no one knew. And when Moshe died, the manna ceased, and from this they knew that the manna had been in his merit; and along with it, the Clouds of Glory and the well, which had returned in his merit, were also removed. So too with Aharon: when he was born, who knew? But when he died, the Clouds of Glory immediately departed and the nations came to attack. Thus, at the time of death a person is recognized and felt, and the day of death is more significant than the day of one's birth.
And in the Gemara in Berachot (17a) it is brought: When Rabbi Yochanan would finish the Book of Iyov, he would say: The end of man is to die, and the end of an animal is for slaughter, and all are destined for death. Fortunate is he who was raised in Torah and whose labor is in Torah and who gives satisfaction to his Creator, and grew up with a good name and departed from the world with a good name. Concerning him, Shlomo said in his wisdom, "Better is a name than fine oil, and the day of death than the day of one's birth." Concerning whom was this said? Concerning one who grew in Torah and whose toil was in Torah and who gave pleasure to his Creator - for him, the good name that precedes him is superior to fine oil, and the day of death is superior to the day of his birth; for on the day of his birth, he was still an enigma and it was not known what would become of him, while on the day of death, we see the spiritual heights he attained.
The Midrash also says: What is the reason that "the day of death than the day of one's birth"? Because when a person is born, they count toward his death, and when he dies, they count toward his life. This phrasing is difficult, and two explanations are offered. The Radal explains: when a person is born, they count toward his death - one year passed, two years passed, "the days of our years are seventy years," and the count is how much remains until the day of death. And when he dies, they count toward his life, meaning monin in the sense of recounting - recounting the good deeds he did during his lifetime. But this is somewhat difficult, as this is not the same kind of "counting" used regarding birth. On the other hand, the Matnot Kehunah explains that both parts of the statement share the same meaning: people say so-and-so died twenty years ago, thirty years ago - and why do they count? Because from then on, the count is toward the Resurrection of the Dead, how close he is drawing to resurrection. That is "they count toward his life," whereas at birth they count how much longer until he dies, when he will approach seventy or one hundred and twenty - they count toward his death.
Furthermore, the Midrash says: When a person is born, everyone rejoices; when he dies, everyone weeps. But it should not be so. Rather, when a person is born, one should not rejoice over him, for it is not known whether he will be righteous or wicked; when he dies, one should rejoice, for he departed with a good name and left the world in peace. This is what is written, "Better is a name than fine oil, and the day of death than the day of one's birth." We have already seen the Midrash's parable: when a ship sets sail and departs into the sea, everyone weeps, for you do not know if it will reach its destination, and all the sailors are anxious and distressed over whether they will survive the storm, and the sea is the largest cemetery for sunken ships. But when the ship returns and reaches dry land, they rejoice. So it should be: when a person departs with a good name, that is the time to rejoice, "and she laughs at the final day"; yet when a person is born, we rejoice, whereas according to the Midrash it would be proper to feel concern and worry about what will become of him.
The Rama of Fano explains: The day of one's birth is a cause for sin. As long as the person was not in the world, there is no one to sin; once he is born, "sin crouches at the entrance," and there is the possibility of sinning. The day of death is precisely the opposite: the Gemara states that the day of death purifies, for there is no suffering without sin and no death without iniquity, and as the four categories of atonement list - including suffering, Yom Kippur, and the day of death. It turns out that the day of death has an advantage over the day of birth: from the day of birth, the potential to sin begins, while from the day of death, purification for sin takes place.
The Yismach Moshe expresses a similar thought, though phrased slightly differently: when a person is born, he actually moves further away from spirituality. Where was he until now? Beneath the Throne of Glory. Once born, he enters a physical body, and the body acts as a sort of barrier against spirituality; as long as a person is inside a physical body, he is distant from Hashem. On the day of death, the soul leaves the body, and on the contrary - through this, he draws closer to spirituality, for "no man can see Me and live," and Chazal taught: in their lifetime they do not see, but after their death they see. Thus, the day of death is superior to the day of one's birth, for at that point he draws closer to spirituality.
Therefore, the book Yachin U'Voaz cites, and the author of Me'am Lo'ez likewise brings, that it is customary to commemorate the day of death - a yahrzeit - whereas in Judaism, one does not commemorate a birthday. And if you see those who do, know that it was borrowed from Pharaoh: "Pharaoh's birthday" is the only birthday mentioned in Tanach, and when children once asked their parents to celebrate a birthday, they would reply, "Pharaoh's birthday." If anything, the Ben Ish Chai says that there is significance to the day of circumcision, the day on which one was circumcised. Even that is not a day for cakes, songs, and dancing, but rather a day of introspection: another year has passed, a person draws closer to his death - have I progressed? Am I more spiritual, serving Hashem more, or have I deteriorated and my spiritual state declined compared to last year? A birthday is a day for soul-searching, not a day for blowing out candles. Furthermore, one should know that extinguishing a candle with one's mouth - the Midrash states that this poses a danger to life, regardless of birthdays: one should not extinguish a candle with the mouth, nor blow on it to extinguish it. Presumably this is a segulah-related matter; and although some have said that since it is not mentioned in the Talmud there is no need for concern, nevertheless, it is mentioned in the Midrash, and therefore one should be mindful of it. One should act as is customary with Havdalah candles, which are dipped into water or a bit of wine, or one may moisten his fingers slightly with water and extinguish the candle with them, rather than extinguishing it by blowing with his mouth.
The Malbim's Explanation of the Verse
The Malbim explains: Fragrant oil can only be smelled as long as it exists, whereas a good name continues to emit its fragrance even after the person is no longer here - his reputation precedes him. This is similar to what the Midrash says, that good oil carries only from the parlor to the bedchamber, while a good name reaches to the ends of the earth. From here, you can also understand the continuation of the verse: "better is the day of death than the day of one's birth." For when a person is born, he is plunged into the depths of the world, and who knows if he will sink in the mud, who knows if he will indeed remain a servant of Hashem. But when he passes away in good old age and with a good name - fortunate is he, and good is his lot.
And so the commentators explain that this is not said of every person, but only of one who serves Hashem. For if a person is not a servant of Hashem, how could one say of him that the day of death is better than the day of birth? On the contrary, the day of death is the day he goes to give an accounting for all his wrongdoing, whereas on the day of his birth he was still an unknown; it was impossible to know what would become of him, and he held the potential for good. But on the day of death, it is already clear how much wickedness he committed in his life. It turns out that what is said here, "better is the day of death than the day of one's birth," applies only to those of whom Shlomo says, "A good name is better than fragrant oil" - those who possess a good name, for whom on the day of birth it was unknown what would become of them, and on the day of death it became clear that they are righteous. But for someone whose situation is the opposite, the day of his birth was certainly better, for at least then he had not yet sinned, compared to the day of death when it became clear that he was wicked.
In summary: Chapter 7 opens a series of short, independent maxims of wisdom, led by the comparison between a good name and good oil. Oil descends, is temporary, diminishes, belongs to the wealthy, exists in life alone, travels only from the bedchamber to the parlor, turns foul on the deceased, washes away in water, and burns in fire - whereas a good name ascends, endures forever, belongs to both the poor and the rich, exists in life and in death, travels from one end of the world to the other, and even fire has no power over it. From this we turn to the day of death: at birth it is not yet known whether one will be righteous or wicked, which is why "that it was good" was not said about man at Creation, and only at the end of the journey does it become clear what came of him. Therefore, for one who grew in Torah, labored in it, and brought pleasure to his Creator - the day of death, in which his good name is fully revealed, in which he is atoned for and purified, and in which his soul draws close to the spiritual realm, is better than the day of his birth. From here also stems the Jewish practice to commemorate the day of passing, and to make a birthday - if marked at all - a day of introspection rather than a day of celebration.