Kohelet 7.1

 קהלת 7.1

1. ‘Better a [good] name than good oil; and the day of death than the day of one's birth- טוֹב טוֹב שֵׁם מִשֶּׁמֶן טוֹב וְיוֹם הַמָּוֶת מִיּוֹם הִוָּלְדוֹ (1464+8 words=1472=14=8).

The verse can be divided so:

·         Better a [good] name- טוֹב שֵׁם (357+2 words=17=8 or 917=17=8 or + 2 words = 19 = 10=1 counting final Mem as 600);

·         Than good oil- מִשֶּׁמֶן טוֹב(447+2 words=17=8 or 1097=17=8or + 2 words=19=10=1 counting final Nun as 700);

·         And the day of death- וְיוֹם הַמָּוֶת(513=1+8);

·         Than the day of one's birth- מִיּוֹם הִוָּלְדוֹ (147+2 words=14=8or 707=14=8 counting final Mem as 600).

Rashi explains that a good name is better for a person than good oil, and on the day of death the name is better than on the day of his birth. For this reason a good name is compared to good oil more than to other liquids for if you put water on oil it floats and rise and is recognizable but other liquids are absorbed by water. God oil runs down (Psalms 133.2) while a good name ascends and lasts forever (Beraishit 12.2; Psalms 72.17). When Miriam was born no one knew who she was but when she died the Well disappeared; when Aaron died the Pillar of Cloud disappeared; when Moses died the Manna ceased.

A good name burns longer than good oil. This conclusion is reflected in the following division of the verse:

Better a [good] name than good oil

טוֹב שֵׁם מִשֶּׁמֶן טוֹב

804+4 words=808

And the day of death than the day of one's birth

וְיוֹם הַמָּוֶת מִיּוֹם הִוָּלְדוֹ

660

Abraham

אַבְרָהָם

808 (Mem 600)

Son of David

בֶּן דָּוד

66

Abraham had the best name of all. He shall return at the end as the Son of David as His name burns longer than all oil.