Small tidbits and Sparks of wisdom

Introduction: The Cry of Cedars

Among the most stirring kinnot recited on Tishah B’Av is “אֵלֶּה אֶזְכְּרָה – These I Shall Recall”, also known by its introductory phrase “אֲרָזֵי הַלְּבָנוֹן – Cedars of Lebanon”. This piyut (liturgical poem) mourns the brutal execution of ten great Torah sages by the Roman Empire. Though their deaths spanned decades — from before the destruction of the Second Temple to the Bar Kochba revolt — they are grouped together in one harrowing narrative, symbolizing the collective loss of Torah leadership and the agony of Jewish exile.

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1. Who Were the Ten Martyrs?

Various sources list slightly different names, but commonly included are:

1. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel

2. Rabbi Yishmael Kohen Gadol

3. Rabbi Akiva

4. Rabbi Chanina ben Teradyon

5. Rabbi Yehudah ben Bava

6. Rabbi Elazar ben Shamua

7. Rabbi Chutzpis the Interpreter

8. Rabbi Yeshevav the Scribe

9. Rabbi Chanania ben Chachinai

10. Rabbi Yehudah HaNachtom or Rabbi Elazar ben Dama (depending on version)

Their martyrdom was not only an attack on individuals — it was a Roman war against the transmission of Torah.

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2. Tishah B’Av and the Theology of Loss

The Talmud (Rosh Hashanah 18a) teaches:

> “The death of the righteous is as devastating as the burning of the Beis HaMikdash.”

This is why their story is central to Tishah B’Av, the day both Temples were destroyed.

Likewise, the Yom Kippur liturgy recalls them again — not to reopen wounds, but to stir the heart to teshuvah. The Talmud (Moed Katan 28a) states:

> “The death of the righteous atones.”

Some traditions even say the Ten Martyrs died as atonement for the ancient sin of the ten brothers selling Yosef — a betrayal that fractured unity and sowed disunity for centuries.

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3. When a Nation Rejects Its Scholars

When the majority of a nation looks down upon its Torah scholars — when they are not consulted, honored, or respected — the outcome is tragically predictable. Though Torah sages always exist, Hashem has warned:

> “If the nation proves unworthy, I will remove My Torah leaders and bring upon them destruction.”

The removal of righteous leadership is not merely a sociological decline — it is a heavenly decree. Every generation must be vigilant to show honor (kavod) and awe (yirah) to its talmidei chachamim. Without them, the nation is leaderless, the halachic path is obscured, and Divine protection is weakened. This neglect of the sages is often the hidden cause behind many national tragedies.

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4. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel: Royalty in Shackles

A descendant of Hillel and the House of David, Rabban Shimon was the first to die. Before his death, he asked Rabbi Yishmael:

> “Why do I deserve such a shameful death?”

Rabbi Yishmael answered that perhaps he took too much joy in preaching to the public — not a punishment, but a refinement. When the Romans sought to decide who would die first, each martyr asked to go first to avoid witnessing his colleague’s torture. They cast lots out of mutual love.

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5. Rabbi Yishmael Kohen Gadol: The Silent Scream

Rabbi Yishmael accepted his death with silence — until they tore the skin from his face, the place where tefillin rested. Then he let out a terrifying scream.

Midrash explains this act as Rome’s spiritual assault on Israel’s crown of holiness. The Talmud (Avodah Zarah 11b) describes Rome as “Esav riding a cripple,” i.e., Yaakov — illustrating their stolen dominance over the spiritual world.

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6. Rabbi Akiva: Shema Until the End

Sixty years later, after the Bar Kochba rebellion, Rabbi Akiva defied Roman bans and continued to teach Torah publicly.

During his execution, his flesh torn with iron combs, he recited the Shema with joy. When asked how he could do so, he answered:

> “All my life I wondered: When will I fulfill the mitzvah of loving Hashem ‘with all your soul’? Now that I have the chance, shall I not rejoice?”

As he reached the word “Echad”, his soul departed. A heavenly voice proclaimed:

> “Fortunate are you, Rabbi Akiva, for your soul left in complete purity!”

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7. Rabbi Yehudah ben Bava: Defender of Semichah

At age seventy, he ordained five students in defiance of a Roman decree. When Roman troops approached, he told them to flee and stood like a boulder, absorbing over 300 spear thrusts before dying.

His sacrifice preserved the unbroken chain of rabbinic ordination — ensuring that the voice of Torah would not be silenced.

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8. Rabbi Chanina ben Teradyon: Torah in Flames

Condemned for teaching Torah publicly, the Romans wrapped him in a Torah scroll, stuffed it with wet wool to prolong his death, and burned him alive.

Even in the fire, he proclaimed:

> “The parchment burns, but the letters ascend to Heaven.”

His Roman executioner, moved by his holiness, asked if he would merit the World to Come. Rabbi Chanina assured him. The executioner then removed the wool, jumped into the flames, and died with him. A heavenly voice declared:

> “Rabbi Chanina and his executioner are destined for Olam HaBa.”

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9. Rabbi Yeshevav the Scribe: A Second Moshe

Known as Rabbi Akiva’s colleague, it was said of Rabbi Yeshevav that he was like Moshe Rabbeinu in all but prophecy. The Romans mocked this claim.

They cut out his tongue, revered for its Torah, and threw it in the trash heap — an assault on Torah itself.

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10. Rabbi Chutzpis the Interpreter: Tongue of Gold

Famed for his eloquence, Rabbi Chutzpis served as meturgeman — the voice of the Beis Midrash. At 130 years old, he requested one more day to recite the Shema.

He was denied.

The Romans cut out his tongue and discarded it as garbage — showing their hatred for Torah speech and the sages who delivered it.

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Conclusion: Martyrs as Eternal Pillars

The Ten Martyrs represent the full spectrum of Jewish spiritual leadership:

Kohen and prince

Teacher and judge

Preacher and scribe

Elder and youth

They were not just victims of brutality; they were sacrifices on behalf of Klal Yisrael — preserving the light of Torah in the darkest of nights. Their deaths sanctified Hashem’s Name, and their stories remain etched into our tefillos on both Tishah B’Av and Yom Kippur.

Even as they burned, they called out:

> “Shema Yisrael… Hashem Echad.”

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Postscript: Like Cedars of Lebanon

> “The righteous shall flourish like a date palm; like a cedar in Lebanon he shall grow tall.”
— Psalms 92:13

These sages were called “Cedars of Lebanon” not only for their stature, but for their endurance — towering above the generations, rooted in holiness, unshaken by the tempests of history.