"Destined for the World-to-Come": The Trial and Martyrdom of R’ Ḥanina ben Teradyon by Burning at the Stake (Avodah Zarah 18a)
Intro: The Ten Martyrs Executed by the Romans in the Period Following the Destruction of the Second Temple; Appendix: Other Talmudic Stories of Bat Kol Proclaiming One’s Destiny for Olam Haba
Intro: The Ten Martyrs Executed by the Romans in the Period Following the Destruction of the Second Temple
See Wikipedia, “Ten Martyrs“:
The Ten Martyrs (Hebrew: עשרת הרוגי מלכות […]) were ten rabbis living during the era of the Mishnah who were martyred by the Roman Empire in the period after the destruction of the Second Temple […]
Although not killed at the same time (since two of the rabbis listed lived well before the other eight), a dramatic poem (known as Eleh Ezkera) tells their story as if they were killed together. This poem is recited in the Eastern Ashkenazic rite in Musaf on Yom Kippur (and at other times in the various Western Ashkenazic rite).
A different poem about the Ten Martyrs is recited on Tisha B'Av, and still a third poem is recited in Western Ashkenazic rites on other occasions […]
Listed Martyrs
Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel
Rabbi Haninah ben Teradion2
Rabbi Hutzpit the Interpreter
Rabbi Elazar ben Shamua
Rabbi Hanina ben Hakinai
Rabbi Yesheivav the Scribe
Rabbi Judah ben Dama
Rabbi Judah ben Baba
[…]
Ultimately, despite contemporary sources maintaining that ten great scholars had been martyred by the Romans, only six of the traditional martyrs seem to have been genuinely martyred.
The identities of some of the lesser known martyrs are also inconsistently reported. In some sources, Jose ben Halafta, Rabbi Tarfon, or Elazar ben Ḥarsum are listed in place of Elazar ben Shamua, Simeon ben Azzai is listed in place of Hanina ben Hakinai, and Judah the Baker or Hanina Segan ha-Kohanim are listed in place of Judah ben Dama.
Outline
Intro: The Ten Martyrs Executed by the Romans in the Period Following the Destruction of the Second Temple
The Passage
The Trial of R’ Ḥanina ben Teradyon and the Sentencing Imposed on Him and His Family
The Graceful Gait of R’ Ḥanina ben Teradyon’s Daughter: Admiration By Roman Nobles, Carefulness, and Divine Retribution
Martyrdom by Fire: R' Ḥanina ben Teradyon’s Execution and Prolonged Suffering
The Roman Executioner (Quaestionarius) Mercifully Hastens R' Ḥanina ben Teradyon’s Death, Takes His Own Life, and a Bat Kol Proclaims Their Entry to the World-to-Come
Appendix: Additional Talmudic Stories of Bat Kol Proclaiming One’s Destiny for Life in the World-to-Come
Eliezer ben Durdaya, the Infamous Patron of Prostitutes (Avodah Zarah 17a)
The Martyrdom of R’ Akiva (Berakhot 61b)
The Roman Hegemon in the Story of the Aborted Execution of Rabban Gamliel (Taanit 29a)
The Launderer and the Attendees at the Funeral of R’ Yehuda HaNasi (Ketubot 103b)
Solomon and the Israelites at the Time of the Dedication of the First Temple (Moed Katan 9a)
Table Summarizing
The Passage
The Trial of R’ Ḥanina ben Teradyon and the Sentencing Imposed on Him and His Family
R' Ḥanina ben Teradyon3 was brought before the Romans for judgment due to his involvement with Torah (אורייתא) study.
When questioned, he cited a verse from Deuteronomy as his reason for doing so.
The Romans sentenced him to death by burning (שריפה),4 his wife to be decapitated (הריגה), and his daughter to be placed in a brothel.5
אתיוהו לרבי חנינא בן תרדיון
אמרו ליה: אמאי קא עסקת באורייתא?
אמר להו: כאשר צוני ה' אלהי
מיד, גזרו
עליו -- לשריפה
ועל אשתו -- להריגה
ועל בתו -- לישב בקובה של זונות
[...]
The Romans brought R' Ḥanina ben Teradyon for judgment,
and they said to him: Why did you occupy yourself with the Torah?
R' Ḥanina ben Teradyon said to them, citing a verse: “As the Lord my God commanded me” (Deuteronomy 4:5).
They immediately sentenced
him to death by means of burning,
and they sentenced his wife to execution by decapitation,
and his daughter was condemned to sit in a brothel [kubba shel zonot].
[...]
The Graceful Gait of R’ Ḥanina ben Teradyon’s Daughter: Admiration By Roman Nobles, Carefulness, and Divine Retribution
R’ Yoḥanan recounts that R' Ḥanina ben Teradyon's daughter was once admired by Roman nobles (גדולי רומי) for her graceful gait, stating: “How beautiful (נאות) are the steps (פסיעותיה) of this young woman (ריבה)!“
She subsequently was careful with (דקדקה) her steps to maintain their admiration. (This divinely led to her punishment.)
אמר ר' יוחנן:
פעם אחת היתה בתו מהלכת לפני גדולי רומי
אמרו: כמה נאות פסיעותיה של ריבה זו!
מיד דקדקה בפסיעותיה
[...]
As R' Yoḥanan says:
Once, the daughter of R' Ḥanina ben Teradyon was walking before the nobles of Rome,
and they said to each other: How pleasant are the steps of this young woman.
Upon hearing this, she immediately took care to keep walking in such a fashion that her steps would continue to be pleasing to them.
[...]
Martyrdom by Fire: R' Ḥanina ben Teradyon’s Execution and Prolonged Suffering
As sentenced previously, R' Ḥanina ben Teradyon was burned alive. He was wrapped in a Torah scroll, and his suffering prolonged:
They surrounded him with bundles (חבילי) of branches (זמורות), which were set alight. To prolong his suffering, tufts6 of wool soaked in water were placed on his heart to prevent a swift death, ensuring a slow and painful demise.
תנו רבנן:
[...]
הביאוהו וכרכוהו בספר תורה
והקיפוהו בחבילי זמורות
והציתו בהן את האור
והביאו ספוגין של צמר
ושראום במים
והניחום על לבו
כדי שלא תצא נשמתו מהרה
[...]
The Sages taught:
[...]
They brought him to be sentenced, and wrapped him in the Torah scroll,
and encircled him with bundles of branches,
and they set fire to it.
And they brought tufts of wool
and soaked them in water,
and placed them on his heart,
so that his soul should not leave his body quickly, but he would die slowly and painfully.
[...]
The Roman Executioner (Quaestionarius) Mercifully Hastens R' Ḥanina ben Teradyon’s Death, Takes His Own Life, and a Bat Kol Proclaims Their Entry to the World-to-Come
The Roman executioner7 offered to hasten R' Ḥanina ben Teradyon’s death—by increasing the flame and removing the wet wool from his heart—in exchange for a share in the World-to-Come.
R' Ḥanina agreed, he died, and the executioner committed suicide by jumping into the fire,8 with a bat kol (Divine Voice) affirming their place in the World-to-Come.9
אמר לו קלצטונירי:
רבי, אם אני מרבה בשלהבת,
ונוטל ספוגין של צמר מעל לבך
אתה מביאני לחיי העולם הבא?
אמר לו: הן
השבע לי
נשבע לו
מיד, הרבה בשלהבת, ונטל ספוגין של צמר מעל לבו
יצאה נשמתו במהרה
אף הוא קפץ, ונפל לתוך האור
יצאה בת קול ואמרה: רבי חנינא בן תרדיון וקלצטונירי מזומנין הן לחיי העולם הבא
[...]
The executioner [kaltzatoniri] said to him:
My teacher, if I increase the flame
and take off the tufts of wool from your heart, so that you will die sooner and suffer less,
will you bring me to the life of the World-to-Come?
R' Ḥanina ben Teradyon said to the executioner: Yes.
The executioner said: Take an oath for me, that what you say is true.
R' Ḥanina ben Teradyon took the oath for him,
and the executioner immediately increased the flame and took off the tufts of wool from his heart,
causing his soul to leave his body quickly.
The executioner too leaped and fell into the fire and died.
A Divine Voice emerged and said: R' Ḥanina ben Teradyon and the executioner are destined for the life of the World-to-Come.
[...]
Appendix: Additional Talmudic Stories of Bat Kol Proclaiming One’s Destiny for Life in the World-to-Come
The story of the trial and martyrdom of R’ Ḥanina ben Teradyon by burning at the stake concluded with:
אף הוא קפץ, ונפל לתוך האור
יצאה בת קול ואמרה:
רבי חנינא בן תרדיון וקלצטונירי מזומנין הן לחיי העולם הבא
The executioner too leaped and fell into the fire and died.
A Divine Voice emerged and said:
R' Ḥanina ben Teradyon and the executioner are destined for life in the World-to-Come.
A similar occurrence—a bat kol proclaiming that someone is “destined for life in the World-to-Come“ (מזומן לחיי העולם הבא)—appears in five additional Talmudic stories.
In five of these six stories (all except the one involving R’ Akiva), the characters have either sinned, come close to sinning, or appeared to have sinned, but at the final moment, they perform a dramatically righteous act. A bat kol then affirms their worthiness for the World-to-Come. In five of the six cases, the bat kol about the person occurs immediately after their death. In three of the cases (and possibly in the story of Eliezer ben Durdaya), the individual had taken their own life.
Eliezer ben Durdaya, the Infamous Patron of Prostitutes (Avodah Zarah 17a)
At the conclusion of the story of Eliezer ben Durdaya (אלעזר בן דורדיא), following his repentance (as dramatically recounted in an earlier section of our sugya), Avodah_Zarah.17a.15:
הניח ראשו בין ברכיו,
וגעה בבכיה,
עד שיצתה נשמתו
יצתה בת קול ואמרה:
רבי אלעזר בן דורדיא מזומן לחיי העולם הבא!
He placed his head between his knees
and cried loudly (געה בבכיה)
until his soul left his body.
A Divine Voice emerged and said:
R' Elazar ben Durdayya is destined for life in the World-to-Come.
The Martyrdom of R’ Akiva (Berakhot 61b)
At the end of the martyrdom story of R’ Akiva (mentioned in an earlier footnote), Berakhot.61b.9-10:
היה מאריך ב״אחד״,
עד שיצתה נשמתו ב״אחד״.
יצתה בת קול ואמרה:
״אשריך רבי עקיבא
שיצאה נשמתך באחד״.
[…]
יצתה בת קול ואמרה:
״אשריך רבי עקיבא
שאתה מזומן לחיי העולם הבא״.
He prolonged his uttering of the word “One” [in Shema]
until his soul left his body as he uttered his final word: “One”
A voice descended from heaven and said:
Happy are you (אשריך), R’ Akiva,
that your soul left your body as you uttered: One.10
[…]
a Divine Voice emerged and said:
Happy are you, R’ Akiva,
as you are destined for life in the World-to-Come
The Roman Hegemon in the Story of the Aborted Execution of Rabban Gamliel (Taanit 29a)
At the end of the story of the Roman hegemon and Rabban Gamliel (mentioned in an earlier footnote), Taanit.29a.15:
סליק לאיגרא, נפיל, ומית
[…]
יצתה בת קול ואמרה:
אותו הגמון מזומן לחיי העולם הבא.
The hegemon ascended to the roof, fell (i.e. jumped), and died.
[…]
A Divine Voice emerged and said:
That hegemon is designated for the life of the World-to-Come.
The Launderer and the Attendees at the Funeral of R’ Yehuda HaNasi (Ketubot 103b)
At the end of the story of the death and funeral of R’ Yehuda HaNasi, Ketubot.103b.4:
ההוא יומא דאשכבתיה דרבי
נפקא בת קלא ואמרה:
כל דהוה באשכבתיה דרבי, מזומן הוא לחיי העולם הבא.
ההוא כובס כל יומא הוה אתי קמיה, ההוא יומא לא אתא.
כיון דשמע הכי, סליק לאיגרא, ונפל לארעא, ומית.
יצתה בת קול ואמרה:
אף ההוא כובס מזומן הוא לחיי העולם הבא.
On the day of the funeral of R’ Yehuda HaNasi,
a Divine Voice emerged and said:
Whoever was present at the funeral of R’ Yehuda HaNasi is destined for life in the World-to-Come.
There was a certain launderer (כובס) who would come before R’ Yehuda HaNasi every day. On that particular day, he did not come and was therefore not present at the funeral.
When he heard this, that R’ Yehuda HaNasi had died, he was so full of grief that he ascended to the roof and fell (i.e. jumped, to commit suicide) to the ground and died.
A Divine Voice emerged and said:
That launderer too is destined for life in the World-to-Come.
Solomon and the Israelites at the Time of the Dedication of the First Temple (Moed Katan 9a)
At Solomon’s dedication of the First Temple, Moed_Katan.9a.8:
אמר רבי פרנך, אמר רבי יוחנן:
אותה שנה לא עשו ישראל את יום הכפורים.
והיו דואגים ואומרים: שמא נתחייבו שונאיהן של ישראל כלייה,
יצתה בת קול ואמרה להם:
כולכם מזומנין לחיי העולם הבא.
R’ Parnakh said that R’ Yoḥanan said:
That year, the Jewish people did not observe Yom Kippur, as the seven-day celebration of the dedication of the Temple coincided with Yom Kippur and all seven days were celebrated with feasting.
And the people were worried and said: Perhaps the enemies of the Jewish people, a euphemism for the Jewish people themselves, have become liable to be destroyed for the transgression of eating on Yom Kippur, which is punishable by karet.
A Divine Voice issued forth and said to them:
All of you are designated for life in the World-to-Come.
Table Summarizing
On the talmudic story of the martyrdom of R’ Akiva, see Wikipedia, “Rabbi Akiva“, section “Death“:
The death of Akiva is usually rendered as some redacted form of three separate versions of the circumstances. Each version shares the same basic plot points: Akiva defies the Roman prohibition on teaching Torah, the consul Turnus Rufus orders his execution, Akiva is flayed alive, and his final words are the Shema prayer.
For the account in the Babylonian Talmud, see Berakhot.61b.9:
בשעה שהוציאו את רבי עקיבא להריגה
זמן קריאת שמע היה,
והיו סורקים את בשרו במסרקות של ברזל,
When they took R’ Akiva out to be executed (הריגה)
it was time for the recitation of Shema (קריאת שמע - i.e. early morning or early night, more likely the former)
And they were raking his flesh with iron combs (מסרקות)
This is the story in our sugya.
Fl. early 2nd century CE, as with the trial of R’ Eliezer, likely related to Hadrianic persecutions after the Bar Kochba revolt.
Execution by fire: Romans used fire as a public spectacle and a means to make an example of those who defied imperial authority.
Several stories of Christian martyrdom by fire during the Roman Empire are recorded in early Christian literature and tradition. (In general, see Wikipedia, “Persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire“.)
These accounts often combine historical events with hagiographical embellishments.
Here are some notable examples:
Polycarp of Smyrna (c. 69–155 CE)
Polycarp, a bishop of Smyrna, is one of the earliest and most famous Christian martyrs. According to the Martyrdom of Polycarp, an early Christian account, he was arrested and brought to the arena. When he refused to renounce his faith, he was sentenced to be burned at the stake.
Lawrence of Rome (d. 258 CE)
Lawrence, a deacon of the Roman Church, was martyred during the persecution under Emperor Valerian. Tradition holds that he was roasted alive on a gridiron.
קובה של זונות - literally: “a room of prostitutes”. The first word - kuba - is unrelated to the word cube (which appears elsewhere in talmudic literature to mean “dice”, see Hebrew Wiktionary, קֻבִּיָּה - kubya). Rather, it’s a Semitic word, that appears in the Bible, see Hebrew Wiktionary קֻבָּה. This Semtic word is the etymological source for the English word alcove, see the etymology there.
See a good popular discussion here:
כיצד התגלגלה המילה קֻבָּה כפירוש לבית בושת?
The next section in our sugya is the dramatic story of how R’ Meir rescued R' Ḥanina ben Teradyon’s daughter from the brothel, and its aftermath. I discuss this story in my piece “R' Meir's Suspicious Brushes with Sexual Indiscretions, and His Encounters with Roman Troops, as Depicted in the Talmud (Avodah Zarah 18a-b; Sanhedrin 11a; Kiddushin 81a)“, sections:
Avodah Zarah 18a-b - Sister-in-law in a brothel; Escaping by going into a brothel
Part Two - R’ Meir at the Brothel, and the aftermath for the Roman Guard
Part Three - Aftermath - R’ Meir as a Man Wanted by Rome; Pursued by Roman Soldiers; Suspicious Actions; and Eventual Move to Mesopotamia
ספוגין - literally: “sponges”, from Greek.
קלצטונירי. Jastrow: “(corrupt[ion] of questionarius) executioner.“
See Wiktionary, “quaestionarius“:
Found in post-Augustan or Late Latin. From quaestiōnō, from quaestiō.
(Late Latin) a torturer or executioner
The Latin term questionarius originally referred to someone involved in interrogation (quaestio in Latin means "inquiry" or "investigation"). Over time, it came to signify a torturer or executioner, as such individuals were often tasked with extracting confessions through torture or carrying out punishments.
Compare also the quaestor, from the same root. Wikipedia, “Quaestor“:
A quaestor […] Latin: […] "investigator") was a public official in ancient Rome.
There were various types of quaestors, with the title used to describe greatly different offices at different times […]
Quaestor derives from the Latin verb quaero, quaerere, meaning "to inquire” […]
The earliest quaestors were quaestores parricidii, chosen to investigate capital crimes, and may have been appointed as needed rather than holding a permanent position. Under the Republic, these quaestores parricidii persisted, as prosecutors for capital cases in trials before the people. They disappear, however, by the second century BC […]
The classical quaestors with financial responsibilities may be unconnected with the older questores parricidii.
The quaestor is mentioned in the context of a discussion about the halachic laws of mezuza in public spaces, Yoma.11a.6, as a kasdor (קסדור):
ואמר רבי יהודה:
מעשה בארטבין אחד,
שהיה בודק מזוזות בשוק העליון של צפורי,
ומצאו קסדור אחד,
ונטל ממנו אלף זוז.
And R' Yehuda said:
There was an incident involving an examiner (ארטבין - from Latin tribunus),
who was examining mezuzot in the upper marketplace of Tzippori during a period when decrees were issued against the Jewish people,
and a Roman official [kasdor] found him
and collected a fine of one thousand zuz from him.
The “upper marketplace of Tzippori” (שוק העליון של צפורי; i.e. the Upper Souk of Sepphoris, in the Galilee) was apparently a well-known public location, is mentioned elsewhere in the Talmud, see for example my recent piece here, section “A Follower of Jesus and His Teaching on Using Prostitute's Earnings to Fund a Temple Bathroom (Deuteronomy 23:19; Micah 1:7)“:
פעם אחת, הייתי מהלך בשוק העליון של ציפורי
ומצאתי אחד ומתלמידי ישו הנוצרי, ויעקב איש כפר סכניא שמו
Once I [=R' Eliezer] was walking in the upper marketplace of Tzippori,
and I found a man who was one of the students of Jesus the Nazarene, and his name was Ya’akov of Kefar Sekhanya.
And see also Eruvin.54b.4:
אמרו עליו על רבי (אליעזר)
שהיה יושב ועוסק בתורה בשוק התחתון של ציפורי,
וסדינו מוטל בשוק העליון של ציפורי.
אמר רבי יצחק בן אלעזר: פעם אחת בא אדם ליטלו, ומצא בו שרף.
They said of him [=R’ Elazar ben Pedat]
that he would sit and engage in Torah study in the lower marketplace of Tzippori,
and his cloak (סדינו) was lying in the upper marketplace of Tzippori. His mind was so focused on Torah study that he would act in this unusual manner.
R’ Yitzḥak ben Elazar said: One time a person came to take this cloak for himself and found a serpent (שרף) on it guarding it.
אור.
See the similar story a Roman persecutor committing suicide after being promised the World-to-Come for assisting a sage to escape execution, in my piece on Rabban Gamliel: ““The Man with the Nose is Wanted”: The Talmudic Story of Tineius Rufus and Rabban Gamliel (Taanit 29a)“:
[…]
נגזרה גזרה על רבן גמליאל להריגה.
בא אותו הגמון
[…]
אמר ליה: אי מצילנא לך מייתית לי לעלמא דאתי?
אמר ליה: הן.
[…]
סליק לאיגרא נפיל ומית.
[…]
a decree was issued against Rabban Gamliel for execution.
A certain (Roman) hegemon (הגמון) came
[…]
He [=the Roman hegemon] said to him [=Rabban Gamliel]: If I save you from death, will you bring me into the World-to-Come?
Rabban Gamliel said to him: Yes.
[…]
The hegemon ascended to the roof, fell (i.e. jumped), and died.
[…]
See also the account of a sage who attempts suicide by burning rather than succumbing to the pressure of having sex with a Roman noblewoman, in my piece “Tales of Temptation: Sages' Encounters with Roman Noblewomen (Kiddushin 39b-40a)“, section “R' Tzadok“, where I summarize:
R' Tzadok was propositioned by a married Roman noblewoman, and claimed he was too weak to have sex. When she offered him non-kosher food to regain strength, he equated the sin with eating non-kosher food and climbed into a lit oven, demonstrating his willingness to endure extreme measures (i.e. suicide) to avoid sin.
The noblewoman, realizing the seriousness of his conviction, ceased her advances.
The same thing (a bat kol announcing that someone is “destined for life in the World-to-Come“ - מזומן לחיי העולם הבא) is used in number of other talmudic stories, see the appendix.
See the similar statements immediately after death in these talmudic stories:
By a bat kol about Rabba bar Naḥmani, in my piece “Pt2 Sage on the Run: The Fleeing and Death of Rabba bar Naḥmani (Bava Metzia 86a)“, section “Death“:
כי הוה קא ניחא נפשיה, אמר: טהור, טהור.
יצאת בת קול ואמרה:
אשריך רבה בר נחמני שגופך טהור, ויצאתה נשמתך בטהור.
As he was dying, he said in response to the dispute in heaven: It is pure; it is pure.
A Divine Voice emerged from heaven and said:
Happy are you (אשריך), Rabba bar Naḥmani,
as your body is pure and your soul left you with the word: Pure.
By R' Yishmael about his nephew Ben Dama, in my piece “Of Serpents and Sages: The Stories of the Snakebite Deaths of Ben Dama and the Pumbedita Official (Avodah Zarah 27b; Shabbat 109b-110a)“:
ולא הספיק לגמור את הדבר, עד שיצתה נשמתו ומת
קרא עליו ר' ישמעאל:
אשריך בן דמא!
שגופך טהור, ויצתה נשמתך בטהרה
He [=Ben Dama] did not manage to complete the statement before his soul departed from his body and he died.
R' Yishmael recited with regard to him:
Fortunate are you (אשריך), Ben Dama,
as your body is pure and your soul departed in purity
As I note there, this line is presumably based on that of the Mishnah, end of Tractate Kelim (Mishnah_Kelim.30.4), my translation:
אמר רבי יוסי:
אשריך כלים,
שנכנסת בטמאה, ויצאת בטהרה
R’ Yosei said:
Fortunate are you (אשריך), [Tractate] Kelim,
for you began with impurity [but] ended with purity.