When Napoleon and his troops marched toward Russia the Rebbe he had a dilemma. Was he to pray for the liberators who brought freedom and equality? Or should he pray for the hated Russians? The Rebbe chose to pray that Napoleon fail. The Russian hatred of the Jew would at least shield the Jew from assimilation while Napoléon would bring with him profane influences.
When the Rebbe read the Megillah on Purim he read, nofil tipol(he will surely fail) to mean that Napoleon would fall.
"In the Jewish Pale there was light but in the gentile realm there was total darkness.”
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