I know that many Hasidic stories contain similar themes and ideas, and was wondering if anyone had heard of something particular I came across in a story. In this story, two Hasidic Rabbis were in prison (accused of a blood libel- they did nothing wrong) and in order to get their names out, they wrote in the cover of a siddur and told the guard they were "finished" with the book and he should return it to the local Rabbi. I just want to know if anyone has heard of such a scheme in another story.
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The Alter Rebbe (first Chabad Rebbe) when he was in jail refused to eat traif, and there was no kosher food available, so he didn't eat anything until a guard asked him why he refuses to eat, considering that one who commits suicide looses his portion in the world to come. The Alter Rebbe answered that he does not care about Gan Eiden and still refused the not-kosher food.
The guard then offered to get him kosher food, and asked where he could find Kosher food in Petersburg. The Alter Rebbe told him "There is a man looking like such-and-such who is now in Petersburg and I will trust you to bring the food from him if you will not open the container". The guard asked the man for kosher food for a prisoner in jail. The man figured that it must be the Alter Rebbe and wrote a little note in the bottom of the food. The Alter Rebbe responded to the note and wrote back a response which he left in the bottom of the leftovers.
