Three Talmudic Texts on Martyrdom
Babylonian Talmud Mas. Sanhedrin
74a
R. Johanan said in the name of R. Simeon b. Jehozadak: By a majority vote, it was resolved in the upper chambers of the house of Nithza in Lydda that in every [other] law of the Torah, if a man is commanded: "Transgress and suffer not death" he may transgress and not suffer death, excepting idolatry, incest, and murder. Now may not idolatry be practised [in these circumstances]? Has it not been taught: R. Ishmael said: whence do we know that if a man was bidden, "Engage in idolatry and save your life," that he should do so, and not be slain? From the verse, Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgements, which if a man do he shall live in them: but not die by them. I might think that it may even be openly practised, but Scripture teaches, Neither shall ye profane my holy name; but I will be hallowed? They ruled as R. Eliezer. For it has been taught, R. Eliezer said: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. Since with all thy soul is stated, why is with all thy might stated? Or if with all thy might be written, why also write with all thy soul ? For the man to whom life is more precious than wealth, with all thy soul is written; whilst he to whom wealth is more precious than life is bidden, with all thy might [i.e., substance].
Babylonian Talmud Mas. Berakhot 61b
Our rabbis taught: Once the wicked government issued a decree forbidding the Jews to engage in the study of the Torah. Pappus ben Judah came and found Rabbi Aqiva publicly holding meetings and engaging in the study of Torah. He said to him: "Aqiva, are you not afraid of the government?" He replied: "I will tell you a parable. A fox was once walking alongside a river, and he saw fish darting in shoals from one place to another. He said to them: "From what do you flee?" They replied: "From the nets which men cast out for us." He said to them: "Would you like to come up on to dry land so that you and I can live together in the way that my ancestors lived with your ancestors?" They replied: "Are you the one men call the cleverest of animals? You're not clever; you're stupid. If we are afraid in the element in which we live, how much more should we be afraid in an element in which we would die!" So it is with us. If we are in our present plight while sitting and studying Torah, of which it is written, it brings you life and longevity, how much worse off would we be if we were to go and neglect it." They say that a few days later, Rabbi Aqiva was arrested and thrown into prison, and Pappus ben Judah was also arrested and thrown into prison beside him. He said to him: "Pappus, who brought you here?" He replied: "Happy are you, Rabbi Aqiva, for you have been arrested for busying yourself with Torah! But alas for Pappus, who has been arrested for busying himself with trivial things!" When Rabbi Aqiva was taken out for execution, it was the time for reciting the Shema. While they combed his flesh with combs of iron, he was taking upon himself the yoke of the kingdom of heaven. His students said to him: "Our teacher, are you prepared to go this far!" He said to them: "All my life I have been troubled by the words with all your soul, which I understand to mean "Even if God takes your soul." I said: "When shall I ever have an opportunity of fulfilling this?" Now that I have an opportunity, shall I not fulfill it?" He prolonged the word "one" [echad] and expired while saying it. A bat qol went forth and said: "Happy are you, Rabbi Aqiva, because you expired with the word "one" on your lips!"
Babylonian Talmud Mas. Gittin 57b
Rab Judah said in the name of Rab: What is meant by the verse, By the rivers of Babylon there we sat down, yea, we wept when we remembered Zion? This indicates that the Holy One, blessed be He, showed David the destruction both of the first Temple and of the second Temple. Of the first Temple, as it is written, By the rivers of Babylon there we sat, yea we wept ; of the second Temple, as it is written, Remember, O Lord, against the children of Edom the day of Jerusalem, who said, raze it, raze it, even unto the foundation thereof.
Rab Judah, however, said that this refers to the woman and her seven sons. They brought the first before the Emperor and said to him, Serve the idol. He said to them: It is written in the Law, I am the Lord thy God. So they led him away and killed him. They then brought the second before the Emperor and said to him, Serve the idol. He replied: It is written in the Torah, Thou shalt have no other gods before me. So they led him away and killed him. They then brought the next and said to him, Serve the idol. He replied: It is written in the Torah, He that sacrifices unto the gods, save unto the Lord only, shall be utterly destroyed. So they led him away and killed him. They then brought the next before the Emperor saying, Serve the idol. He replied: It is written in the Torah, Thou shalt not bow down to any other god. So they led him away and killed him. They then brought another and said to him, Serve the idol. He replied: It is written in the Torah, Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. So they led him away and killed him. They then brought the next and said to him, Serve the idol. He replied; It is written in the Torah, Know therefore this day and lay it to thine heart that the Lord He is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is none else. So they led him away and killed him. They brought the next and said to him, Serve the idol. He replied: It is written in the Torah, Thou hast avouched the Lord this day . . . and the Lord hath avouched thee this day; we have long ago sworn to the Holy One, blessed be He, that we will not exchange Him for any other god, and He also has sworn to us that He will not change us for any other people. The Emperor said: I will throw down my seal before you and you can stoop down and pick it up, so that they will say of you that you have conformed to the desire of the king. He replied; Fie on thee, Caesar, fie on thee, Caesar; if thine own honour is so important, how much more the honour of the Holy One, blessed be He! They were leading him away to kill him when his mother said: Give him to me that I may kiss him a little. She said to him: My son, go and say to your father Abraham, Thou didst bind one [son to the] altar, but I have bound seven altars. Then she also went up on to a roof and threw herself down and was killed. A voice thereupon came forth from heaven saying, "A joyful mother of children."