Choose Ethics Over Fame

Rabbi Moshe Ben-Chaim & Howard Salamon

A good name is better than fine oil, and the day of death [is better] than the day of birth (Koheles 7:1).

Ibn Ezra says the day of death is better than the day of birth because at birth, it is not yet known whether the person will turn out good or evil. But when a person dies, we see he has lived a good life. So the day of death is better as one has earned goodness by following God. Now let's focus on the first half of the verse.

A good name being “better” means one has a barometer of good vs. evil, where “better” refers to what partakes more of that good, as compared to fine oil. So what is Torah’s definition of “good”?  

You have been told mortal, what is “good” and what God requires of you: do justice and to love goodness, and to walk modestly with your God” (Micha 6:8)

The “good” refers to God’s ethics and is tied to walking “modestly” which means the poor man cares nothing for public acclaim. Ibn Ezra comments: “The poor man who knows his proper actions, has greater honor than the pleasure of physical pleasures (fine oil).” But the poor righteous man cares nothing for honor or public acclaim. Therefore “a good name” really refers to his good acts, which parenthetically result in a good reputation. Meaning, he values proper ethics for the ethics alone: “He performs the good because it is good, and not for any other purpose” (Maimonides, Laws of Repentance 10:2). Ibn Ezra’s statement “He knows his proper actions” refers to “his” internal knowledge, not to public acclaim. Choosing a good name means he chose what results in a good name—proper ethics—but not hat he wanted at the good name per se. 

Therefore we explain “A good name is better than fine oil” as referring to a poor man who acts properly as his mind agrees with truth and Torah morality. His good name refers to his internal knowledge of the self, “He knows his proper actions”—knowledge of himself. He is attached to truth and morality, unconcerned with fame, and this far outweighs physical pleasures like fine oil. 

“Better” means his good actions are in line with truth, whereas physical pleasures—fine oil—are merely preparatory for man to be in the state of mind to acquire greater wisdom. Pleasures are a means while knowledge and morality our true objectives, as they perfect our true essence, our soul. And this is because the “good” refers to God’s truths.