“But if we had a choice we would avoid being killed al Kiddush Hashem..
Right. Not a stirah, as I said.”
This IS a direct stirah to what Joseph said.
This is my point of Contention. He said “We all should hope that we, like Rabi Akiva wished for himself, when our time to leave this world arrives we should be killed al kiddush Hashem.”
to which I say NO! if we had a choice we would avoid it we hope we are not killed al Kiddush Hashem.
I grant if given no choice we should accept it (that wasn ever the argument). But We hope NOT to be killed al kiddush Hashem.
In fact even when the killer is killing us. We STILL hope to get out of it afilu cherev munach al tzavarecha….
Again if no choice we accept it , Veahavta es Hashem ….bachol nafshecha afilu hu notel es nafshecha. (note: Not hallevai shehu notel es nafshecha r”l). But until faced with that position R”l we hope (and arguably daven) that it never comes.
Joseph said the exact opposite of the above