Rabbi Judah ben Baba

The wicked Roman Empire issued a decree after the destruction of the Temple: “Anyone who ordains sages to be rabbis shall be killed.” “The area of two thousand cubits around the city where ordinations take place—anyone who is ordained shall be killed.” “A city where ordinations take place shall be destroyed,” and “its borders shall be uprooted.”

What did Rabbi Judah ben Baba do so that ordination would not cease from Israel? He went and sat between two great mountains and between two great towns, between two Sabbath boundaries, between the city of Usha and the city of Shfaram, so that the Romans would not destroy the city, nor uproot the boundary, and there he ordained five sages. These are they: Rabbi Meir, Rabbi Judah ben Ilai, Rabbi Jose ben Halafta, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, and Rabbi Elazar ben Shamua. Auiya adds to this report: also Rabbi Nehemia.

When the Roman enemies heard of this, Rabbi Judah ben Baba said to the sages: “My sons, run and flee from the Roman soldiers.” They said to him: “Rabbi, what will become of you?” He said to them: “I cannot flee, but behold, I lie before them like an immovable stone.”

The sages said: The Roman soldiers did not depart from there until they thrust three hundred iron spears into the body of Rabbi Judah ben Baba, making his body perforated like a sieve. [ע"ז ח:]

Why was Rabbi Judah ben Baba not eulogized? Because there was concern that if the martyrs were eulogized, the king would not permit their burial, so they hastened to bury him without delay. [סנהדרין יא.]