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Comments on Have other great Rabbis followed Rebbi Akiva's example for dying as a martyr?
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Have other great Rabbis followed Rebbi Akiva's example for dying as a martyr?
The Talmud (Berachos 61b.9) relates the holy incident regarding Rebbi Akiva's martyrdom. He proclaimed "all my days I have been pained, waiting for this moment of fulfillment".
Seeing as his comment is regarding one of the intentions behind the twice-daily recitation of this prayer, coupled with the turbulent history of the Jewish people persecution, have there been other such incident with Rabbis of towering stature in their generation to have notably proclaimed the same ideas [to their disciples or otherwise] as a successor for the example Rebbi Akiva set?
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I think there have been many rabbis over the generations who have done so.
One particular example which comes to mind is Rav Elchanan Wasserman, Hy"d. He was visiting the United States just before WWII broke out to fundraise. People there begged him not to return to Europe, but he insisted on going back to share whatever fate would befall his yeshiva.
You can read here the account of how he prepared to die al kiddush Hashem. Likewise there is an account there of how Rav Avraham Grodzensky did so too.
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