Ten prominent Jewish martyrs were executed by the Roman government in the years preceding and following the destruction of the Second Temple. The most famous of them was Rabbi Akiva, who continued to teach Torah publicly even when doing so endangered his life. He was apprehended and executed while being horrifically tortured. Yet, at the moment of his death, he sanctified the name of God by reciting Shema.

Once, the evil Roman Empire decreed that Israel may not engage in the study and practice of Torah. Pappos ben Yehuda came and found Rabbi Akiva convening public assemblies and engaging in Torah study. Pappos asked him: Akiva, don’t you fear the authorities?

Rabbi Akiva said to him: I will relate a parable. To what can this matter be compared? It can be compared to a fox walking along a riverbank who saw fish gathering and swimming from place to place. The fox said to them: What are you fleeing from? They said to it: We are fleeing from the nets that people cast upon us. The fox said to them: Do you wish to come up onto dry land, and we will reside together, just as my ancestors resided with your ancestors? The fish said to him: Are you the one of whom they say that he is the cleverest of animals? You are not clever; you are a fool. If we are afraid in the water, which is our natural habitat and keeps us alive, then in a habitat that causes our death, all the more so do we have what to fear.

Rabbi Akiva continued: So too, we Jews, if we fear for our lives now, when we are sitting and engaging in Torah study, about which it is written: “For it is your life and the length of your days” (Deuteronomy 30:20), then if we proceed to remain idle from its study, all the more so should we fear for our lives.

The Sages said: Only a few days passed before they seized Rabbi Akiva and incarcerated him in prison, and they also seized Pappos ben Yehuda and incarcerated him alongside him. Rabbi Akiva said to him: Pappos, who brought you here? Pappos said to him: Happy are you, Rabbi Akiva, that you were arrested for engaging in Torah study. Woe unto Pappos, who was arrested for engaging in idle matters.

When they took Rabbi Akiva out to be executed, it was the time for the recitation of Shema. While they were raking his flesh with iron combs, he was reciting Shema, thereby accepting upon himself the yoke of Heaven. His students said to him: Our teacher, even now, when you are suffering so greatly, can you recite Shema? He said to them: All my days I have been troubled by the verse from Shema: “With all your soul” (Deuteronomy 6:5), which the Sages interpret to mean: Even if God takes your soul. I said to myself: When will the opportunity be afforded me to fulfill this? Now that I have the opportunity, shall I not fulfill it? He prolonged the word: One [ehad], until his soul left his body as he uttered: One. A divine voice descended and said: Happy are you, Rabbi Akiva, that your soul left as you uttered: One.

The ministering angels said before the Holy One, blessed be He: This is Torah and this is its reward? This is as the verse states: “From death, by Your hand, Lord, from death from the world” (Psalms 17:14). God told them the end of the verse: “Whose portion is life.” A divine voice subsequently emerged and announced: Happy are you, Rabbi Akiva, as you are destined for life in the World to Come. (Berakhot 61b)