Q&A: Maimonides: Those Killed by the Government
Maimonides: Those Killed by the Government
Question
Question — Maimonides, in Laws of the Foundations of the Torah, chapter 5, halakhah 5, writes: “And if it was in the presence of ten Jews, then he sanctified the Name in public, like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, and like Rabbi Akiva and his colleagues; *and these are those killed by the government*, than whose level there is none higher…” How does this fit with the Talmud in Bava Batra 10, which clarifies that “those killed by the government” refers to those killed in Lod? One can indeed understand from there that Rabbi Akiva and his colleagues are also included in this, but they are not the “novel” example of the matter. A friend asked me—does the Rabbi have a satisfactory answer? (There is an answer from the Pri Chadash, but it is rather forced.)
Answer
Why should one contradict the other? All of them are those killed by the government.
Discussion on Answer
Because he wasn’t coming to introduce a novelty but to give an example. He chose the well-known example.
Right, but do you maybe have an idea why Maimonides mentioned Rabbi Akiva and his colleagues, who are the less novel example, rather than mentioning those killed in Lod, who are the Talmud’s novel case?