Midrash su Daniele 3:26

“A good name is better than fine oil, and the day of death than the day of one's birth” (Ecclesiastes 7:1).
“A good name is better than fine oil.” Fine oil descends,¹See Psalms 133:2. a good name ascends.²See Genesis 12:2. Fine oil is temporary, a good name is eternal. Fine oil is finite, a good name is infinite. Fine oil costs money, a good name is free. Fine oil is for the living, a good name is for the living and for the dead. Fine oil is for the wealthy, a good name is for the poor and the wealthy. Fine oil wafts from the inner chamber to the banquet hall, a good name carries from one end of the world to the other end. Fine oil falls on a corpse and putrefies, as it is stated: “Flies of death putrefy and ferment blended oil” (Ecclesiastes 10:1). A good name falls on the dead and does not putrefy, as it is stated: “He went up and stretched himself upon the boy […and the lad opened his eyes]” (II Kings 4:35).³Elisha’s righteousness, which earned him a good name, allowed him to revive the dead. Fine oil falls on water and disperses, a good name falls on water and does not disperse, as it is stated: “The Lord said to Jonah and it spewed Jonah out” (Jonah 2:11). Fine oil falls onto fire and burns, a good name falls on fire and does not burn, as it is written: “Then…they emerged [from within the fire]” (Daniel 3:26).⁴The reference is to Ḥananya, Mishael, and Azarya.
Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon said: We have found those with fine oil who entered a place of life and emerged burned, and those with a good name who entered a place of death and emerged alive. Nadav and Avihu⁵They had been anointed with the anointing oil. entered a place of life and died.⁶Nadav and Avihu, who had been anointed to the priesthood with the anointing oil, entered the Tabernacle and were killed (see Leviticus 10:1–2). Ḥananya, Mishael, and Azarya entered a fiery furnace and emerged alive. Therefore, it is stated: “A good name is better than fine oil…”

Precious oil is possessed by men of wealth, but a good name may be attained by poor and rich alike. A good name adheres to the living and the dead, while precious oil exists for the living alone. The scent of precious oil may travel from the sleeping chamber to the anteroom, but a good name travels from one end of the earth to the other. When precious oil falls upon a corpse, it become putrid, as it is said: Dead flies make the oil of a perfumer fetid and putrid (Eccles. 10:1), but when a good name is possessed by a deceased person, it does not deteriorate, as is said: And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands, and he stretched himself out upon him; and the flesh of the child waxed warm (II Kings 4:34). Another explanation. When precious oil falls into water it floats away, but a good name does not float away, as is said: And the Lord spoke unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land (Jonah 2:11). Another explanation. When precious oil falls into a fire, it is consumed, but when a good name falls into fire, it is not consumed, as is said: Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego came forth out of the midst of the fire (Dan. 3:26).

R. Judah the son of Simon stated: We find that one who possesses precious oil may enter a healthy place and come out a corpse, while the owner of a good name can enter a place of death and come out alive: Nadab and Abihu approached the altar to offer sacrifices, but they were consumed even though they were anointed with it, as is written: And there came forth fire from before the Lord and devoured them (Lev. 10:2). Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, on the other hand, went into the fire and came out alive, as it is said: Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego came forth out of the midst of the fire. And the day of death rather than the day of one’s birth (Exod. 7:1). When a child is born, no one can foresee the vicissitudes that may befall him, but at the time of his death everything about his life is known. When Miriam was born, no one was aware of it, but at her death the well disappeared.⁴See Taanit 4a. The well in the desert was given for Miriam’s sake. When Aaron was born, no one knew but when he died, the cloud of glory was removed;⁵Indicating that he had died and that his soul was lifted up by the cloud. when Bezalel was born, nobody knew but (before he died) he was called to build the Tabernacle. (After their deaths,) everyone knew these things. A good name is better than precious oil. Bezalel’s good name was more helpful to him than anointing oil to the sons of Aaron, for in the case of Bezalel, the Holy One, blessed be He, declared: See, the Lord hath called by name Bezalel.