Page "Akiva ben Joseph" Paragraph 58

The version in the Babylonian Talmud ( Berachot 61b ) tells it as a response of Akiva to his students, who asked him how even now — as he is being tortured — he could yet offer prayers to God.

He says to them, " All my life I was worried about the verse, ‘ with all your soul ’ ( and the sages expounded this to signify ), even if He takes away your soul.

And I said to myself, when will I ever be able to fulfill this command?

And now that I am finally able to fulfill it, I should not?

" Then he extended the final word Echad (" One ") until his life expired with that word.

A heavenly voice went out and announced: " Blessed are you, Rabbi Akiva, that your life expired with " Echad ".

Pure monotheism was for Akiba the essence of Judaism: he lived, worked, and died for it.