The Unfathomable Reward for Sanctifying God's Name

In a profound teaching, Rav Berland of Shuvu Banim delves into the immense spiritual reward for those who sanctify God's name (Kiddush Hashem), drawing lessons from the humility of Moses and the martyrdom of Rabbi Akiva.

Moses's Humility and the Burden of Leadership

Rav Berland begins by illustrating Moses's profound humility. When tasked with leading the Jewish people, Moses did not question the nature of the mission but immediately sought to defer, saying, "Send through whom You will send." He felt unprepared, suggesting others like Aaron, Miriam, or Hur. However, the Almighty insisted, "Only you." Moses, in his humility, believed there must be someone more suitable. Yet, he ultimately succeeded in proving that indeed, he was the chosen one.

Moses Encounters Rabbi Akiva

The Midrash recounts a remarkable event: a minute before Moses received the Tablets of the Law, he was shown a vision in the heavens. There, he encountered Rabbi Akiva, a sage who would live many generations later. Moses saw Rabbi Akiva teaching Torah, expounding on every jot and tittle, revealing profound meanings that Moses himself had not known. When Moses expressed his bewilderment, a heavenly voice (Bat Kol) instructed him, "Go back 98 rows," implying that Moses needed to humble himself further to grasp the depth of Rabbi Akiva's Torah.

The Ultimate Sacrifice: Rabbi Akiva's Reward

Moses then heard Rabbi Akiva declare, "This is a law given to Moses at Sinai (Halakha L'Moshe MiSinai)." Astonished, Moses asked the Master of the Universe to show him Rabbi Akiva's reward. He was shown Rabbi Akiva's flesh being weighed in the market, a reference to his eventual martyrdom, where his flesh was scraped with iron combs. Moses, seeking to understand the *reward* and not the *suffering*, questioned, "Such a person, to him You give the Torah?" The Almighty replied, "Yes, this is his reward!"

Rabbi Akiva, in turn, expressed his lifelong yearning for this moment of ultimate sacrifice. He declared that all his life he had been distressed, waiting for the verse "with all your soul" (Deuteronomy 6:5) – which implies giving one's life for God – to come to his hand so he could fulfill it. He had waited from the day he was born, from the age of 40, for the moment his flesh would be scraped with iron combs.

The Unimaginable Reward of Kiddush Hashem

Rav Berland emphasizes that the reward for Kiddush Hashem is beyond human comprehension. As stated in Isaiah 64:3, "No eye has seen a God besides You." This means that no human eye can envision the immense light and reward bestowed upon those who sanctify God's name. Even if a person was secular their entire life, the moment they make the ultimate sacrifice for Kiddush Hashem, all their sins are forgiven. They are elevated to a state where they learn Torah directly from the Holy One, blessed be He, and enjoy the radiance of the Shechinah.

This profound reward is so great that "no creature will merit" such a level, "even in the resurrection of the dead." Rav Berland connects this ancient teaching to contemporary events, reminding us that those who fall for Kiddush Hashem, like the soldiers we hear about daily, achieve an unimaginable spiritual height, a reward that transcends all earthly understanding.