27 Sivan · Yahrzeit
Rabbi Chanina Ben Teradion - "Asara Harugei Malchut"
Rabbi Chanina Ben Teradion - a Tanna of the third generation of Tannaim - was one of the Ten Martyrs - the "Asara Harugei Malchut."
Yahrzeit - 27 Sivan
Resting Place - near Tzippori
He lived in Sikhnin, in the Lower Galilee. His friend and colleague was Rabbi Chalafta. Rabbi Chanina was punished for pronouncing one of the Names of Ha-Shem in public, and his wife was punished for not stopping him from doing so.
Rabbi Chanina had 2 sons and 2 daughters. One of his sons was involved with thieves and was sentenced to death (Eicha Rabbah 3:16, 6, Semachot 12:13), while his other son studied Torah (Tosefta Keilim 4:9).
His famous daughter was Bruria - the wife of Rabbi Meir Baal HaNes.
His other daughter was sent to a brothel when Rabbi Chanina was killed, because she had once walked past Roman aristocrats who remarked, "How beautiful this girl's steps are," after which she became especially conscious of the way she walked.
She was later rescued from the brothel by Rabbi Meir Baal HaNes, who married her sister Bruria. The story of her rescue made the prayer "Elokah D'Meir Aneni" famous.
(Avodah Zarah 18a)
Rabbi Chanina was in charge of charitable funds. He was quite well known for his reliability, and Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov said of him: "A person should not give money for charity unless it is under the control of a scholar like Chanina ben Teradion." (Avodah Zarah 17b)
When he once received money for Purim together with regular charity funds and distributed it without specifying its purpose, he took his own money and distributed it as the Purim funds. In this way, says the Talmud, he practiced charity, though not as much as he could have. (Avodah Zarah 17b)
Rabbi Chanina used a ram's horn and trumpets in Sikhnin on Rosh Hashanah, but the Sages disagreed, maintaining that this was only done in the Temple service. (Rosh Hashanah 27a)
He taught: "If two people sit together and there are no words of Torah between them, this is a session of scoffers. But if two people sit together and there are words of Torah between them, the Divine Presence rests between them." (Avot 3:2)
The Roman emperor Lupinus studied Torah and asked the 10 great sages of that time: "According to your Torah, what is the law for a Jew who sells another Jew into slavery?" (referring to the sale of Yosef by his brothers).
— "The ultimate punishment," answered Rabbi Akiva and his colleagues.
— "But Yosef's brothers were never punished for their crime!" exclaimed the Roman, and began to prepare a deadly trap.
— "Justice must prevail, and there are no other leaders to take their place except you ten!"
When Rabbi Nechunya ben HaKanah heard of this decree, he said to his student Rabbi Yishmael Ben Elisha: "Ascend to the Heavens to verify that this was the decision of the Heavenly Court." Rabbi Yishmael purified himself, whispered the secret Name of Ha-Shem, and ascended to the Heavens. He asked the angel Gavriel about the decree, and Gavriel answered: "Accept it upon yourselves, righteous ones, for I have heard from behind the curtain that this must be your fate," and Rabbi Yishmael was told that the 10 sages would be handed over to the evil angel Samael as punishment for the sale of Yosef.
Rabbi Yishmael conveyed this to his colleagues, and they accepted the decree.
Rabbi Chanina was sentenced to death by the Romans for teaching Torah and holding public gatherings, in defiance of the government's ban.
The Prediction of Rabbi Yossi ben Kisma
When Rabbi Yossi ben Kisma fell ill, he was visited by Rabbi Chanina ben Teradion. Rabbi Yossi took the opportunity to rebuke Rabbi Chanina for his open defiance of the Roman ban on studying Torah, for giving public lectures while holding a Torah scroll. Rabbi Yossi pointed out that at present the Romans had been given divine dominion over the nation, which was evident from the fact that they had been able to destroy the Beit HaMikdash and kill many righteous Jews. To this Rabbi Chanina replied that Heaven would show him mercy. But Rabbi Yossi answered: "I speak words of logic, and you say that Heaven will show mercy - I would not be surprised if they burned you together with the Torah scroll."
A few days later, Rabbi Yossi ben Kisma passed away. All the important Romans attended his funeral in Meron and greatly praised him. On their way back, they caught Rabbi Chanina ben Teradion, who was publicly teaching Torah with a scroll in his hands, and sentenced him to be burned.
On the 27th of Sivan, tufts of wool soaked in water were placed on his heart to prolong his suffering. His daughter Bruria cried out: "Father, why must I see you like this!" He answered: "If I were burning alone, it would be hard for me. But since I am with a Torah scroll, He Who avenges the Torah will also avenge me."
His grief-stricken students asked him: "What do you see, teacher?" "I see," he answered, "the parchment burning while the letters of the Torah rise up to heaven." "Open your mouth," his students advised him, "so that the fire may enter there and put an end to your suffering." But he replied: "It is better that He Who gave the soul should Himself take it back; no one should hasten his own end."
At this point, even the executioner himself could no longer bear to watch his suffering, and he asked Rabbi Chanina:
- Rabbi, if I remove the wet wool and intensify the flame, will you bring me into eternal life?
- Yes, - answered Rabbi Chanina.
- Swear it to me.
- I swear.
The executioner did so. And the soul of the martyr flew off into eternity. At that same moment, the executioner too threw himself into the fire.
And a Bat Kol rang out:
"Rabbi Chanina and his executioner are entering eternal life together!"
Regarding this, Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi] spoke with tears in his eyes:
- One man acquires eternal life in a single moment, while another must endure the most agonizing trials for many long years.
(Shear HaPesukim, p. 83)
May the merit of this tzadik protect Am Yisrael!