What is considered religious persecution vis-a-vis giving up one’s life?

Question

According to an alternate reading of Sanhedrin 74a cited by Mesoras HaShas §20 ad. loc., in a time of religious persecution, one must give up his life even for a “light mitzvah.” The Gemara 74b identifies this, according to Rashi’s explanation, as wearing one’s shoes in the manner of the non-Jews when the Jews had a different way of wearing them.

What is considered “persecution” to fulfill this criterion? Must it be widespread to the point that if practically any non-Jew sees a Jew on the street he’ll attack him? Or a majority? Or even a decent percentage? At what point is it considered “a time of persecution” that a Jew would be required to give up his life rather than even dress like a non-Jew?

Answer 1

My understanding is that the two terms are synonymous, as per Talmud Bavli, Rosh Hashanah 19a and Taanis 28a, which both have versions that replace "גזירה" with "שמד."

According to Rambam in Mishne Torah,Yesodei HaTorah 5:3

It depends if it is state sponsored persecution designed to force Jews to abandon their faith.

See also Shulchan Aruch, Yorah Deiah 157:1 that it must be legislation specifically targeting Jews to transgress a negative prohibition.

If, however, it is a time of legislation (only against Jews) (Beis Yosef in the name of the Nimukei Yosef), even about the strap of one’s shoes he should be killed rather than transgress. Rama: And this is only if they wish to make him violate a negative commandment; if they made a law that one should not fulfill positive commandments, however, he does not need to fulfill it if he will be killed (Ran Shabbos Perek BaMeh Tomnin and Nimukei Yosef Sanhedrin Perek Sorer uMoreh). Nonetheless, if the hour requires it and he wishes to fulfill it and be killed, he may do so (Maharik Shoresh 88).

Answer 2

I'd like to make a humble attempt at an answer based on reason. I believe I have based this thinking on what I learned in yeshiva. Let me know what you think.

The mitzva is to die 'al pi kiddush Hashem' - in order to make Hashem's name holy. In most times, if one were to die for the sake of a minor commandment, this would not sanctify Hashem's name. In fact it might be a chillul Hashem, as Torah would be being misrepresented (because the Torah says one must break any mitzva for the sake of preserving life - except the same ones for chillul Hashem!) and make it seem unreasonable if it expected someone to die over food, or tying a left shoe before a right shoe. However, refusing to engage in any of the three obviously evil sins of adultery, idol worship and murder is always something that will demonstrate how holy Torah is and Hashem.

A time of religious persecution must mean a time when even dying for a minor sin would strengthen the name of Torah. When would that be? At a time when the authorities are specifically against that mitzva, because it is Hashem's mitzva. If they are forbidding Torah study, or mikva, or trying to ban shechita, and are doing it davka to end Judaism, and trying blot Hashem's name out of the world chas veshalom, then dying rather than break the mitzva is explicitly a kiddush Hashem.

Religious persecution is when our religion is being persecuted.