Chazal learn (Sanhedrin 74a) from the passuk “Venikdashi besoch Bnei Yisrael” that a person has to be moser nefesh and not transgress a sin, in cases where the din is “yehareg v’al ya’avor, he should be killed but not transgress.”
Like many of the mitzvos, before doing this mitzvah, Chazal instituted that a brachah be recited, as Harav Menachem Rekanati wrote (Pesakim 70): “Those who are mekadesh Hashem must make a brachah on the awesome and dignified Kiddush Hashem, because it is a mitzvas aseh d’Oraisa, as it says “Venikdashti besoch Bnei Yisrael.’”
Regarding the obligation to make the brachah before fulfilling this mitzvah, the Shelah Hakadsoh asks (Sha’ar Ha’osiyos Ma’areches 1, 57-59): Didn’t the Rishonim determine (Shu”t HaRashba 1 18; Avudraham Sha’ar Gimmel – Birchas Hamitzvos Umishpeteihem) that one does not make a brachah on a mitzvah that is not dependent entirely on the one performing it? Likewise, doesn’t the mitzvah of Kiddush Hashem also depend on the one who is carrying out the execution?
He explained: The moment a person expresses willingness to be moser nefesh to die al Kiddush Hashem, he has already fulfilled this mitzvah, even if ultimately there is a miracle and he is spared, such as happened with Daniel and his friends. In Sefer Chassidim (222) it says that Rav Shabsi, a person who was killed, appeared in a dream and said that those who resolve to be killed al Kiddush Hashem, “their share is with us in Gan Eden,” even if they are ultimately spared.
In Shu”t Ma’aneh Eliyahu (30), the Aderes writes that he was asked about this subject after it is mentioned in the Rishonim on the subject of Birchas Hamitzvos (ibid). The question was that it is known that one does not make a brachah on a mitzvah that also has a punitive angle, such as a mitzvah that is imposed on the Beis Din to kill someone who is deserving of death by Beis Din. So it would seem that with the mitzvah of Kiddush Hashem there is a punitive side as well, does it not?
The Aderes responded to the person who posed this query as follows: “One is mistaken for calling Kiddush Hashem a puranus, a punishment, chas veshalom...one should not say this. The tzaddikim and chassidim who were moser nefesh for Hashem’s Name had no greater pleasure in this world than the moments of their death, so how can we call that punitive, chas veshalom?!”
Regarding the nusach of the brachah, the Shelah writes that it should be: “Baruch Atah...Melech Ha’olam Asher Kidshanu...Lekadesh Shemo Berabbim.” But the Korban Nesanel (Pesachim Ch. 1, 10:20) wrote that one should recite “Al Kiddush Hashem.”
In sefer Yosef Ometz (Dinei Hamekadesh Hashem 483), there is a long nusach for this brachah: “Baruch Atah...Asher Kidshanu...Le’ehov Shem Hanechbad Vehanora, HeHayah Vehahoveh Veha’asid Lihiyos Bechol Levaveinu uvechol nafsheinu ulekadesh Shemo berabbim, Baruch Atah Hashem Mekadesh Shimcha Berabbim.”
Harav Ephraim Oshri testified in the name of the kadosh Harav Eliyahu of Warsaw, Hy”d, that before the kedoshim Harav Elchanan Wasserman and his son Harav Naftali, Hy”d, were killed, Rav Elchanan conveyed to his son that he heard from the Chofetz Chaim during World War I, that when a person is zocheh to sacrifice his life al Kiddush Hashem, he should make the brachah as brought by the Shelah (Shu”t Mima’amakim Vol. II, 4).
It is known that the Yesod Veshoresh Ha’avodah was moser nefesh to push himself into a bloodthirsty crowd in order to answer amen to the brachah of Kiddush Hashem of the kadosh Rav Eliezer ben Rav Moshe of Werblow, Hy”d, who was sentenced to death in a terrible blood libel. Even though he was offered to redeem his soul if he converted his religion, Rav Eliezer refused and was moser nefesh al Kiddush Hashem on the second day of Shavuos in the year 5650.
Introduction to the Will of the Yesod Veshoresh Ha’avodah, Vilna Edition 5689
