Midrash sa Jonas 2:11: Kohelet Rabbah, Midrash Tanchuma, Devarim Rabbah & Midrash Tehillim

“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).

What did Moses see that led him to devote himself to [designating] the cities of refuge? Rabbi Levi said: One who ate the dish knows its taste. How so? When Moses killed the Egyptian, he went out on the second day and found Datan and Aviram quarreling with one another, as it is stated: “He emerged on the second day, [and behold, two Hebrew men were fighting, and he said to the wicked one: Why do you strike your neighbor?]” (Exodus 2:13). Rabbi Aivu said: This [wicked one] was Datan. [Datan] began demeaning him: “Do you propose to kill me?” (Exodus 2:14). When Pharaoh heard this, he said: ‘How many things have I heard and been silent. Now that he has arrived at bloodshed, apprehend him.’ How did he flee from Pharaoh, as it is written: “Moses fled from Pharaoh” (Exodus 2:15)? Rabbi Yannai said: The executioner came to place the sword on his neck; the sword was blunted on his neck, which turned into marble. Solomon lauded him: “Your neck is like an ivory tower” (Song of Songs 7:5). Rabbi Evyatar said: Moreover, the sword caromed off his neck and it turned onto the executioner. From where is this derived? As it is stated: “He delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh” (Exodus 18:4) – Moses said: The Holy One blessed be He delivered me but not the executioner. Bar Kappara said: An angel descended in Moses’s image and facilitated his flight. They thought the angel was Moses. Rabbi Yehoshua said: See the miracles that the Holy One blessed be He performed on behalf of Moses: All of Pharaoh’s scholars, some of them became mute, some of them became deaf, some of them became blind, and Moses fled and they did not see him. Know that when the Holy One blessed be He sought to send him on a mission, he began hesitating. The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Do you not recall what I did to Pharaoh’s scholars,’ as it is stated: “The Lord said to him: Who gives a mouth to a person, [or who renders one mute, or deaf, or sighted, or blind]” (Exodus 4:11)? ‘At that time I stood with you, and now, will I not stand with you?’
Rabbi Yitzḥak said: Come and see that the actions of the Holy One blessed be He are not like the actions of mortal man. The way of the world is that mortal man procures himself a patron who protects him. If he is apprehended and placed on trial, [his friends] go and find his patron and say to him: ‘A member of your household has been apprehended.’ He says to them: ‘I will protect him.’ But if he is taken out to be executed, where is he and where is his patron? But the Holy One blessed be He is not so. The ministering angels said to Him: ‘A member of your household, Moses, has been apprehended.’ He said to them: ‘I will protect him.’ They said to Him: ‘He is standing before Pharaoh; his sentence is being read; he is being taken out for execution.’ He said to them: ‘I will protect him.’ He was taken out for execution, and the Holy One blessed be He delivered him. From where is this derived? As it is stated: “He delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh” (Exodus 18:4).
Another matter: A person who has a patron and he is apprehended in his sin and cast to a place of beasts – where is he and where is his patron? Daniel was cast into the lions’ den, and the Holy One blessed be He delivered him. From where is this derived? As it is stated: “My God sent His angel, and he shut the lions’ mouths” (Daniel 6:23).
Another matter: If a person procures himself a patron and performs a sin, and the judge decrees upon him that he is to be burned, where is he and where is his patron? But the Holy One blessed be He is not so. The ministering angels said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘A member of Your household, Abraham, was apprehended.’ He said to them: ‘I will protect him.’ They said to Him: ‘He is standing before Amrafel, his sentence is being read, and he is about to be burned.’ He said to them: ‘I will protect him.’ [Abraham] was cast into the fiery furnace, and the Holy One blessed be He descended and delivered him. From where is this derived? As it is stated: “He said to him: I am the Lord, who took you out of Ur of the Chaldeans” (Genesis 15:7).⁶³The word Ur can also be translated “fire,” as in Isaiah 47:14.
Another matter: If a person procures himself a patron and he is apprehended in his sin, and the judge decrees upon him that he is to be cast into the sea, where is he and where is his patron? But the Holy One blessed be He is not so. Jonah was cast into the sea, and the Holy One blessed be He delivered him. From where is this derived? As it is stated: “The Lord spoke to the fish, and it spewed Jonah [upon the dry land]” (Jonah 2:11).
Another matter: “Then Moses designated” – Rabbi Aivu said: When Moses fled, he began to sing a song [of praise], as it is stated: “And he settled in the land of Midian, and he sat at the well” (Exodus 2:15). Just as Israel sang a song at the well,⁶⁴See Numbers 21:17. so Moses sang a song at the well. Rabbi Levi said: [He sang] because the portion of the murderer in the city of refuge took effect through him.⁶⁵The portion begins: “Then [az] Moses designated,” indicating that he sang, just as the song at the sea begins: “Then [az] Moses and the children of Israel sang” (Exodus 15:1). The reason he sang is that he himself had been rescued after having killed someone.