Midras Mazmur 106:23: Vayikra Rabbah, Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition), Kohelet Rabbah & Midrash Tanchuma

Rabbi Avin began in the name of Rabbi Berekhya the Elder: “You then spoke in a vision to Your pious ones, [saying: I aided the mighty one; I raised the one chosen from the people]” (Psalms 89:20) – this is speaking of Abraham, to whom He spoke with speech and in vision. That is what is written: “After these matters, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying” (Genesis 15:1). “To Your pious ones [laḥasidekha]” – “give truth to Jacob, kindness [ḥesed] to Abraham” (Micah 7:20). “Saying: I aided the mighty one” – as he killed four kings in one night. That is what is written: “He deployed against them at night…[and smote them and pursued them until Ḥova]” (Genesis 14:15). Rabbi Yitzḥak said: Do you have a person who pursues the dead, as it is stated: “And smote them and pursued them until Ḥova”? Rather, it teaches that the Holy One blessed be He was killing and Abraham was pursuing. “I raised the one chosen from the people” – this is Abraham, who was chosen by the Holy One blessed be He, as it is stated: “Who has chosen Abram” (Nehemiah 9:7).
Another matter: “You then spoke in a vision to Your pious ones” (Psalms 89:20) – this is speaking of David, to whom He spoke with speech and in vision. That is what is written: “In accordance with all these matters, and in accordance with this entire vision, so Natan spoke to David” (II Samuel 7:17). “To Your pious ones [laḥasidekha]” – as it is stated: “Protect my soul, for I am pious [ḥasid]” (Psalms 86:2). “Saying: I aided the mighty one” (Psalms 89:20) – Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: David waged thirteen wars, and the Rabbis say: Eighteen, and they do not disagree. The one who said thirteen, they were for the needs of Israel. The one who said eighteen, they were five for his own needs and thirteen for the needs of Israel. “I raised the one chosen from the people” (Psalms 89:20) – as it is stated: “He chose David His servant…” (Psalms 78:70).
Another matter: “You then spoke in a vision” (Psalms 89:20) – this is speaking of Moses, to whom He spoke with speech and in vision, as it is stated: “Mouth to mouth I will speak to him, [and a vision]” (Numbers 12:8). “To Your pious ones” (Psalms 89:20) – because he was from the tribe of Levi, as it is stated: “Your Tummim and Your Urim for Your pious one” (Deuteronomy 33:8). “Saying: I aided the mighty one” (Psalms 89:20) – this accords with that which Rabbi Tanḥum bar Ḥanilai said: The way of the world is that a burden that is difficult for one is easy for two; [one that is difficult] for two is easy for four. But can a burden that is difficult for six hundred thousand be easy for one? All of Israel was standing before Mount Sinai and saying: “If we continue to hear [the voice of the Lord our God any more, we will die]” (Deuteronomy 5:22), and Moses was hearing the voice of the divine speech himself, and he lived. Know that it is so, as from all of them, the divine speech called only to Moses, as it is stated: “He called to Moses.” “I raised the one chosen from the people” (Psalms 89:20) – as it is stated: “Were it not for Moses His chosen one” (Psalms 106:23).

R. Jochanan said in the name of R. Jose b. Zimra: "He who depends [for God's help] upon his own merits will [finally] be raised through the merits of others, but he who depends upon others' merits will [finally] be helped because of his own merits. Moses, who depended upon the merits of others, as it is said (Ex. 32, 13.) Remember Abraham, Isaac and Israel, Thy servants, was raised because of his own merits, as it is said (Ps. 106, 23.) He therefore spoke of destroying them, had not Moses, his chosen, stood in the breach before Him. Hezekiah depended upon his own merits, as it is written (Is. 38, 3.) Remember now that I have walked before Thee, but was [finally] raised through the merits of others, as it is said (II Kings 19, 34.) And I will shield the city to save it, for my own sake, and for the sake of David, my servant." And this is [the interpretation] of R. Joshua b. Levi. For R. Joshua b. Levi said: "What is the meaning of the passage (Is. 38, 17.) Behold, for in peace I had great bitterness, i.e., even when the Holy One, praised be He! sent peace unto him, yet he felt bitter [since it was done because of the merits of others] ."

“Better than both of them is one who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil actions that are done under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 4:3).
“Better than both of them is one who has not yet been” – these are the one thousand generations that were in God’s mind to have created. How many of them were eliminated? Rabbi Yoḥanan says in the name of Rabbi Eliezer son of Rabbi Yosei HaGelili: Nine hundred and seventy-four generations, as it is stated: “He commanded the matter for one thousand generations” (Psalms 105:8).⁷God intended to give the Torah after one thousand generations, but He actually gave the Torah after just twenty-six generations.
Rabbi Yehoshua interpreted the verse regarding the Israelites at the time that they stood before Mount Sinai. Once they performed that act,⁸The sin of the Golden Calf Moses did not leave any corner of the ground on the mountain upon which he did not prostrate himself in prayer asking for mercy upon Israel, but he was not answered. Five angels of destruction harassed him: Anger, Destruction, Annihilation, Wrath, and Fury. Moses was fearful of them. What did he do? He relied on the actions of the patriarchs, and immediately mentioned them and said: “Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel Your servants” (Exodus 32:13). The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Moses, what claims do the patriarchs of the world have against Me? If I come to be exacting with them, I have claims against them. I have a claim against Abraham, who said: “How will I know that I will inherit it” (Genesis 15:8)? I have a claim against Isaac, as it is stated: “Isaac loved Esau” (Genesis 25:28), but I hated him, as it is stated: “And Esau I hated” (Malachi 1:3). I have a claim against Jacob, who said: “My way is hidden from the Lord” (Isaiah 40:27).’ Once [Moses] said: “To whom You took an oath by Yourself” (Exodus 32:13), for the sake of Your name, at that moment, the Holy One blessed be He was filled with mercy, as it is stated: “The Lord reconsidered…” (Exodus 32:14). Immediately, three of the angels of destruction, Anger, Destruction, and Annihilation, departed, and two remained: Wrath and Fury. That is what is written: “For I was in dread due to the Wrath and the Fury” (Deuteronomy 9:19). He said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, am I able to withstand the two of them? You bear one and I will bear one.’ That is what is written: “Arise, Lord, in Your wrath [be’appekha]…” (Psalms 7:7).⁹This is expounded to mean that God will arise against His angel, Wrath [af]. From where is it derived that Moses withstood one, the angel of Fury [Ḥema]? It is as it is stated: “He said He would destroy them, were it not for Moses, His chosen one, who stood before Him in the breach to turn back His fury” (Psalms 106:23).¹⁰This is expounded to mean that Moses stood in the breach against the angel of destruction, Fury [Ḥema]. It is regarding that moment that he said: “I praise the dead […more than the living]” (Ecclesiastes 4:2), like me and my associates.¹¹Solomon thus states from the perspective of Moses: The dead, namely Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, were able to have a greater effect than the living, namely my associates and me.
Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman interpreted the verse regarding David. When Solomon built the Temple, he requested that fire descend from the heavens, but it did not descend. He sacrificed one thousand burnt offerings, but it did not descend. He prayed twenty-four prayers, but it did not descend, until he said: “Remember the good deeds of David your servant” (II Chronicles 6:42), [and then] it descended immediately, as it is stated: “When Solomon concluded praying, the fire descended” (II Chronicles 7:1). Rabbi Yuda ben Rabbi Le’ai and the Rabbis: Rabbi Yuda ben Rabbi Le’ai said: David came to life at that time. The Rabbis say: He brought his coffin. They do not disagree;¹²They do not disagree based on their own reasoning but based on verses (Etz Yosef, citing Yefe To’ar). the one who said David came to life at that time, that is what David himself said: “Lord, You have raised my soul from the grave…” (Psalms 30:4), and another verse says: “Lord God, do not reject the face of Your anointed” (II Chronicles 6:42), as he is alive before You. The one who said: He brought his coffin, that is what is written: “Remember the good deeds of David Your servant” (II Chronicles 6:42). It is regarding that moment that he said: “I praise the dead […more than the living]” (Ecclesiastes 4:2), like me and my associates.
Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon interpreted the verse regarding Ezekiel. When he stood in the valley and said: “Dry bones, heed the word of the Lord” (Ezekiel 37:4), immediately, “the bones came together, each bone to its bone…” (Ezekiel 37:7). He said to them: ‘Initially I said to you: “Heed the word of the Lord, house of Jacob” (Jeremiah 2:4), but you did not heed; and now you are heeding. During your lifetimes you did not heed; after your deaths you heeded.’ Regarding that moment it is stated: “I praise the dead […more than the living]” (Ecclesiastes 4:2), like me and my associates.¹³The generation of Ezekiel did not heed the word of God, but those who had already died were heeding His word after death.