Living to Die: Theo-Political Interpretations

Abstract

The story of R. Chananya ben Teradyon’s fiery death is relatively well known. Certainly its popularity derives from the bioethics literature, but we will discuss that in the next chapter. Here we focus on its significant theo-political familiarity. This is because it is recalled every year during the most solemn of holy days in the Jewish calendar. Inserted into the Yom Kippur “Martyrology” service is a liturgical piyut (poem), Eleh Ezkarah (These I Remember), originally composed in medieval times.² This poem is a list of ten sages brutally killed by Rome, among them Chananya. It includes details echoing those found in the four versions of Chananya’s demise, such as a remonstrating daughter (albeit here she is a Roman legion’s daughter pleading for leniency toward the victims), the rhetorical question “is this the reward for Torah?!” (albeit now spoken by seraphim [burning angelic guards] and not Chananya’s daughter), and those wet tufts of wool affixed to Chananya’s chest that are meant “to restrain himself” (l’akev ‘atzmo). A version of this prayer, Arzey Halevanon (The Land of Lebanon) is recited on Tish B’Av, the holiday upon which, legend has it, many tragic events occurred to Jews, such as the decimation of both Temples, the decimation of Jerusalem, the failure of the Bar Kokhba revolt against Rome, and even more recent events like the expulsion from England, and the cleansing of the Warsaw Ghetto.

The tyrant dies and his rule is over; the martyr dies and his rule begins.¹