Martyrs Who Gave Up Their Lives in Thought

The seforim teach that a tzaddik of Rebbi Akiva's stature could not have suffered such a death, Heaven forbid. Rather, the Romans executed someone from their own ranks who appeared to them to be the tzaddik, and he was killed in his place (Noam Elimelech, Chukas). The Emek HaMelech (Rav Naftoli Hertz Bachrach, Sha'ar Olam HaTohu, Gate 68) cites the Midrash Pirkei Heichalos Rabbosi (Chapter 6), which teaches that none of the ten martyrs known as asoro harugei malchus were physically executed. Hashem tricked the wicked Romans by sending malochim to switch the captives for Romans. Lupianos, for example, was given the appearance of Rav Chanina ben Tradyon and executed in his place, while Rav Chanina went and ruled in his place. The same was done with all ten. Their willing self-sacrifice still counts, since the Romans carried out the execution and the martyrs gave up their lives in their minds. The Emek HaMelech explains in this light the answer Hashem gave Moshe and the malochim (Menachos 29b), when they saw Rebbi Akiva's cruel execution and asked, "Is this the reward for Torah?" Hashem said, "This is what came to mind." That is the literal answer: the execution happened in Rebbi Akiva's mind alone, a willing sanctification of Hashem's name. Since Hashem joins a good thought to a deed, it is considered as if the tzaddikim gave their actual lives.