Living Torah Archives

The founder of Chabad Chasidism, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, known as the Alter Rebbe, was arrested by the Czarist authorities in Russia. He was accused of treason, aiding the Czars enemies in the Ottoman Empire. In reality, he was simply urging his followers to send charity to the poor Jews of Israel. Spiritually speaking, there was another reason that heaven orchestrated the arrest: the Alter Rebbe was spreading the secrets of Chasidism too widely.