In the poem, the Roman emperor Hadrian decides to martyr ten rabbis as 'punishment' for the ten brothers listed in the Torah who sold their brother Joseph to Ancient Egypt. He justifies this by saying that the penalty for this was death. Though this crime took place almost 2000 years earlier, and Jewish law does not allow for the descendants of sinners to be punished, the Roman commander goes ahead with the executions because there are 'none like you' ten who are capable of rectifying this crime. The poem lists the first two to be executed: Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel and Rabbi Yishmael ben Elisha ha-Kohen Gadol. Rabban Shimon Ben Gamliel was beheaded, and while Rabbi Yishmael grieved, weeping over his severed head, the Roman ruler's daughter coveted Rabbi Yishmael for his physical beauty. When she was told that he would have to be executed as well, she asked that the skin of his head be flayed while he was alive, so she could stuff the skin and look at his face. When the servants began to strip away the skin on the forehead where the phylactery is placed, Yishmael cried aloud and died. Next to die was Rabbi Akiva, whose skin was raked with iron combs. Despite the pain consuming him, he was still able to proclaim God's providence in the world by reciting the Shema, drawing out the final Echad - "One". The next sage martyred was Rabbi Haninah ben Teradion, who was wrapped in a Torah scroll and burned alive. Wet sponges of wool were placed on his chest to ensure he would not die quickly. When he was being burnt, he told his students that he could see the letters of the sacred Torah "flying up" to heaven. The next martyrs listed are Hutzpit the Interpreter, Elazar ben Shamua, followed by Hanina ben Hakinai and then Yesheivav the Scribe. The last two are Rabbi Judah ben Dama and Judah ben Baba.
Contrary to the accounts given in the Talmud and in Midrash Rabbah, which clearly state that there were intervals between the executions of the ten teachers, the poem Eleh Ezkerah describes their martyrdom as occurring on the same day, probably in order to produce a greater effect upon the mind of the reader. Popular imagination seized upon this episode in Jewish history, and embellished it with various legends relating the virtues of the martyrs and the fortitude shown by them during their execution. These legends became in the Geonic periodthe subject of a special midrash—the Midrash 'Asarah Haruge Malkut, or Midrash Eleh Ezkerah. The deaths are described therein as being gruesome.
Use in ritual
The poem Eleh Ezkerah is best known as part of the Yom Kippur mussaf recital in the Ashkenazi ritual. This was made part of these services because of the impact losing so many pillars of Judaism would have to the masses. As such, it has become one of the 'highlights' of the day, marking a point when the congregation should reflect on their own lives and the sacrifices that were made for their sake. A similar poem Arzei haLevanon is recited as one of the Kinot on Tisha B'Av. The Tisha B'av text, which is shorter than Yom Kippur's Eleh Ezkerah
places Judah ben Baba and Yesheivav the Scribe in a different order
says that there are ten, but omits Judah ben Dama and Hanina ben Hakinai
and adds that
* the body of Yesheivav the Scribe was fed to dogs; he "was not buried in a proper grave."
* Elazar ben Shamua was killed while, on a Friday night, he was saying Kiddush.
