10 Tishrei · Yahrzeit
Yahrzeit/Hillula of Rabbi Akiva – “Asara Harugei Malchut”
Rabbi Akiva ben Yosef was one of the Ten Martyrs – the “Asara Harugei Malchut.” “Asara Harugei Malchut”
Yahrzeit – Yom Kippur – the 10th of Tishrei;
Burial place – Tiberias;
Rabbi Akiva was a pillar of the Oral Torah.
Rabbi Tzadok HaKohen of Lublin explains (Pri Tzadik, Lag BaOmer) that it was forbidden to establish a hillula celebration on the day of Rabbi Akiva's death, because the Romans put him to death in a cruel manner. Therefore, the hillula was established instead on the day of the passing of his student, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. Thus, Rabbi Shimon's hillula includes Rabbi Akiva's hillula as well, and therefore on Lag BaOmer one should also recall the greatness of Rabbi Akiva and his teachings.
Perhaps no one in the world began studying Torah under more difficult circumstances than Rabbi Akiva. And yet, through diligence and great faith, he reached the highest level (see Avot d'Rabbi Natan, ch. 6). This was due, in large part, to his wife Rachel, daughter of the wealthy landowner Kalba Savua. Rachel recognized the greatness of Rabbi Akiva's soul when he worked as a shepherd for her father, and she promised to marry him if he would go and study Torah. For this, her wealthy father disinherited her, but she did not go back on her word and married the shepherd Akiva. They lived in poverty, and yet she selflessly continued to insist that her husband study Torah. Having become the greatest sage of his generation, Rabbi Akiva said to his students about Rachel: "All that is mine and all that is yours belongs to her" (Babylonian Talmud, Ketubot 63a).
"Rabbi Yehuda said in the name of Rav: At the hour when Moshe ascended to heaven (to receive the Torah), he saw the Holy One, blessed be He, adorning the letters [of the Torah] with crowns. He said to Him, 'Master of the universe, who needs these crowns?' He answered, 'There is a man who will live several generations from now, Akiva ben Yosef by name, who will derive mountains of laws from each and every crownlet.'… [Moshe] said before Him, 'Master of the universe! You have such a man, and yet You wish to give the Torah through me?!' He said to him, 'Be silent, for such is My plan' (Babylonian Talmud, Menachot 29b).
From the fact that, among all the sages of Israel, the Almighty showed Moshe specifically Rabbi Akiva, it follows that he is considered the greatest sage of the Oral Torah (Sanhedrin 86a), where it is stated:
"Every anonymous [teaching] in the Mishnah is from Rabbi Meir, every anonymous [teaching] in the Tosefta is from Rabbi Nechemya, every anonymous [teaching] in the Sifra is from Rabbi Yehuda, and every anonymous [teaching] in the Sifrei is from Rabbi Shimon; and they all follow the views of Rabbi Akiva."
He was infinitely devoted to Torah and to the Jewish faith, and even after twenty-four thousand of his students died, he did not lose his faith.
He ordained new students, through whom Torah spread among the people of Israel. And when he saw a fox running out of the Holy of Holies of the Jerusalem Temple, and the sages accompanying him wept, he laughed, for he was full of faith that just as the prophecies of calamity had been fulfilled, so too would the prophecies of comfort and redemption be fulfilled (see Babylonian Talmud, Makkot 24b).
When the Romans issued a decree forbidding the teaching of Torah, he, at the risk of his life, continued to teach Torah to the Jewish masses. The Romans seized him, imprisoned him, and sentenced him to a cruel death. Our Sages said (Berachot 61b):
"When Rabbi Akiva was executed, it was time for the reading of the Shema Yisrael. [The executioners] tore his flesh with iron combs, while he accepted upon himself the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven. His students said to him, 'Our teacher, is this not enough?'
[Rabbi Akiva] said to them: 'All my days I have been troubled by the verse: "...with all your soul" – even if He takes your soul. I said, when will I have the opportunity to fulfill this? Now that I have the opportunity, shall I not fulfill it?!' And he prolonged the word "echad" until his soul departed. Then a Heavenly Voice (Bat Kol) went forth: 'Happy are you, Rabbi Akiva, that your soul departed with the word "echad"!... Happy are you, Rabbi Akiva, for you are destined for the World to Come!'
The Hidden Meaning of “Ad Kan”
Tractate Berachot, page 66, describes the final hours of Rabbi Akiva's life and how, during his torture, he recited the Shema. His students, seeing this terrible sight, ask their teacher: "Rabbeinu, ad kan"?
Rabbi Akiva answered that all his life, while reciting these words, he had longed to fulfill them: "to love G-d with all your heart."
Why did the students ask Rabbi Akiva: "ad kan" – (until now)?
Rabbi Shimshon of Ostropol revealed that in fact Rabbi Akiva had only recited the first part of the Shema, ending with the words "Baruch Shem Kevod."
Rabbi Akiva – the teacher of the great Rashbi, who revealed the entire hidden Torah – knew the secrets of the Shema and knew that in the next line of the Shema: "Ve'ahavta et Ad-nai Elohecha" – את יהוהאלהיך – the final letters of the three words form the Name of the Almighty – כהת.
With this Name, Rabbi Akiva could have freed himself and put his executioners to death, but Rabbi Akiva knew that the sentence had to be carried out – he knew that he was a gilgul (reincarnation) of one of the ten brothers of Yosef.
(Based on a lesson by Rav Yisrael Yakobov)