Мидраш к Шмот 35:3

It is written: “For he who is joined [yeḥubar] [to all of the living has hope, for a live dog is better than a dead lion]” (Ecclesiastes 9:4) – there¹²⁶There, meaning the Land of Israel. This tradition was brought from the Land of Israel to Babylonia. See Tosefta Berakhot 6:2. we learn: One who sees an idol, what blessing does he recite? Blessed…who shows patience to violators of His will. A place from which idol worship has been uprooted? Blessed…who uprooted idol worship from our land; and may it likewise be Your will O Lord our God that You uproot it from all places and restore the hearts of their worshippers to worship You wholeheartedly. Is he not praying on behalf of the wicked? Rabbi Yoḥanan said: “[For he who is] chosen [yevuḥar]” is written.¹²⁷The Masoretic spelling [ketiv] is yevuḥar, while the Masoretic reading [keri] is yeḥubar. Rabbi Yoḥanan claims that this spelling serves to teach that even the wicked have choice [beḥira], and they can forsake evil and repent. Even those who raised their hand against the Temple have hope. To revive them [in the afterlife] is impossible, as they already raised their hand against the Temple. To eliminate them is impossible, as they have already repented. In their regard it is stated; “They will sleep an eternal sleep, and they will not awaken” (Jeremiah 51:39) – it is taught: Gentile minors and the troops of Nebuchadnezzar¹²⁸Because they were following orders and had little choice, or because they repented. are not revived [at the end of days], but are not condemned. In their regard it is stated: “They will sleep an eternal sleep and they will not awaken.”
“For a live dog is better than a dead lion” (Ecclesiastes 9:4) – in this world, one who is a dog can become [strong as] a lion, and one who is a lion can become a dog. However, in the future, one who is a lion cannot become a dog, and anyone who is a dog cannot become a lion. Hadrian, may his bones be crushed, asked Rabbi Yehoshua ben Ḥananya: He said to him: ‘I am better than Moses, your master.’ He said to him: ‘Why?’ ‘Because I am alive and he is dead, and it is written: “For a live dog is better than a dead lion.”’ He said to him: ‘Are you able to issue a decree that no man shall light a fire for three days?’ He said to him: ‘Yes.’ In the evening, both of them climbed to the wall of the palace and saw smoke rising at a distance. He said to him: ‘What is that?’ He said to him: ‘The governor is ill, and a doctor went in and visited him. He said to him: You will not be cured until you drink hot water.’ He said to him: ‘May his spirit be blasted.¹²⁹He said this to Hadrian, using the third person out of deference to the emperor. While you are still alive, your edict is void. Moses our master, from the moment that he decreed upon us: “You shall not kindle fire in all your habitations on the day of Shabbat” (Exodus 35:3), no Jew has ever kindled fire on Shabbat, and his edict has not been voided even now. And you say: I am better than he is?’
“Lord, make my end known to me, and the measure of my days, what it is; [I would know how impermanent I am]” (Psalms 39:5) – David said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the universe, make known to me when I will die.’ He said to him: ‘It is a secret that is not revealed to a person, and it is not possible for it to be revealed to you.’ “And the measure of my days, what it is” – He [God] said to him: ‘Seventy years.’ “I would know how impermanent I am” (Psalms 39:5) – make known to me on which day I will die. He said to him: ‘On Shabbat.’ He [David] said to Him: ‘Subtract one day for me.’ He said to him: ‘No.’ He said to Him: ‘Why?’ He said to him: ‘One prayer that you are destined to pray before Me is more precious to Me than a thousand burnt offerings that Solomon your son is destined to sacrifice before Me, as it is stated: “One thousand burnt offerings Solomon offered upon that altar”’ (I Kings 3:4). He said to Him: ‘Add one day for me.’ He said to him: ‘No.’ He said to Him: ‘Why?’ He said to him: ‘The dominion of your son is pressing, as Rabbi Shimon bar Abba said in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan: There are many dominions, and one of them does not enter into the dominion of another even a hair’s breadth.’ He died on Shavuot that coincided with Shabbat. The Sanhedrin entered to pay their respects to Solomon. He said to them: ‘Can I move him [the body] from place to place?’ They said to him: ‘Is it not a mishna: One may rub with oil and wash [a corpse], provided that he does not move a limb?’¹³⁰Mishna Shabbat 23:5.
He [Solomon] said: ‘The dogs of father’s house are hungry.’¹³¹He feared they would desecrate the corpse. They said to him: ‘Is it not a mishna: One may cut pumpkins before an animal and an animal carcass before dogs?’¹³²Mishna Shabbat 24:4. What did he do? He took a curtain and spread it over him [David’s body], so the sun would not beat down on him. Some say that he summoned the eagles and they spread their wings over him, so the sun would not beat down on him.

“As a living dog is better than a dead lion” – Hadrian, may his bones be crushed, asked Rabbi Yehoshua ben Ḥananya, he said to him: ‘I am better than Moses your master.’ [Rabbi Yehoshua] said to him: ‘Why?’ [Hadrian answered:] ‘Because I am alive and he is dead, and it is written: “As a living dog is better than a dead lion.”’ [Rabbi Yehoshua] said to him: ‘Are you able to decree that no person may kindle a fire for three days?’ [Hadrian] said to him: ‘Yes.’¹²Hadrian issued the decree. At nightfall of the [first] day, the two of them rose and ascended to the roof of the palace. They saw smoke rising at a distance. [Rabbi Yehoshua] said to him: ‘What is that?’ [Hadrian] said: ‘The governor is ill and a doctor entered to visit him and said to him: You will not be cured until you drink hot water.’ [Rabbi Yehoshua] said to him: ‘Let despair come upon him;¹³You, Hadrian, should be in despair. even while you are still alive your decree is voided. Moses our master, ever since he decreed upon us: “You shall not kindle fire in all your dwellings on the Sabbath day” (Exodus 35:3), a Jew does not kindle a fire on Shabbat in his life, and [Moses’s] decree has not been voided for all these years until now; yet you said: ‘I am better than he’?’

"Ye shall keep the Sabbath, for it is holy unto you" (Ex. 31:14). What is the keeping of the Sabbath? Neither to do any work thereon, nor to kindle fire thereon, neither to take forth nor to bring in beyond the Techum (limit) of the Sabbath even one foot, nor to fetch in his hand something which is not his food nor the food for his cattle. This is the keeping of the Sabbath, as it is said, "Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath" (Ex. 31:16).