The Martyrdom of Hannah and Her Seven Sons

As for Your sake we are killed all the day long; we are reckoned as sheep for the slaughter (Psalm 44:23). And R. Judah said: This [verse applies to the] woman and her seven sons [who died as martyrs for the sake of the sanctification of God’s name. The incident occurred as follows:] They brought [in] the first [of the woman’s sons] before the emperor [and] said to him, “Worship the idol.” He said to them, “[I cannot do so, as] it is written in the Torah: I am the Lord your God (Exodus 20:2).” They [immediately] took him out and killed him. They [then] brought [in] another [son] before the emperor [and] said to him, “Worship the idol.” He said to them, “[I cannot do so, as] it is written in the Torah: You shall have no other gods beside Me (Exodus 20:3).” [And so] they took him out and killed him. They [then] brought in [yet] another [son before the emperor and] said to him: “Worship the idol.” He said to them: “[I cannot do so, as] it is written in the Torah: He that sacrifices to any god, [save to the Lord only,] he shall be utterly destroyed (Exodus 22:19).” [And so] they took him out and killed him. They [then] brought [in] another [son and] said to him, “Worship the idol.” He said to them, “[I cannot do so, as] it is written in the Torah: You shall not bow down to any other god (Exodus 34:14).” [And so] they took him out and killed him. They [then] brought [in yet] another [son and] said to him, “Worship the idol.” He said to them, “[I cannot do so, as] it is written in the Torah: Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One (Deuteronomy 6:4).” [And so] they took him out and killed him. They [then] brought [in] another [son and] said to him, “Worship the idol.” He said to them, “[I cannot do so, as] it is written in the Torah: Know therefore this today, and consider it in your heart, that the Lord, He is God in heaven above and upon the earth beneath; there is no other (Deuteronomy 4:39).” [And so] they took him out and killed him. They [then] brought [in yet] another [son, and] said to him, “Worship the idol.” He said to them, “[I cannot do so, as] it is written in the Torah: You have affirmed the Lord [this day to be your God . . .] and the Lord has affirmed you this day [to be a people for His own possession] (Deuteronomy 26:17–18).” We already took an oath to the Holy One that we will not exchange Him for a different god, and He too has taken an oath to us that He will not exchange us for another nation. [It was the youngest brother who had said this, and the emperor pitied him. Seeking a way to spare the boy’s life,] the emperor said to him, “I will throw down my seal before you; bend over and pick it up, so that [people] will say [that] he has accepted the king’s authority.” [The boy] said to him, “Woe to you, Caesar, woe to you, Caesar. [If you think that] for the sake of your honor [I should fulfill your command and do] this, [then] for the sake of the honor of the Holy One, all the more so [should I fulfill His command.” As] they were taking him out to be killed, his mother said to them, “Give him to me so that I may give him a small kiss.” She said to him, “My son, go and say to your father Abraham, ‘You bound one [son to the] altar, but I bound seven altars.’” She too [in the end] went up to the roof, fell, and died.