One Friday night, the Rebbe found himself in great danger after fasting the entire week. The only safe way to break such a fast was with things such as milk and warm fluids. The Rebbe had not prepared anything special and no one else knew about the fast. He ate the regular, heavy, Friday evening meal and became dangerously ill. This caused a great commotion in the house.
Another time, after such a fast, the Rebbe went to the mikvah on Friday afternoon. The mikvah was extremely cold, but the Rebbe immersed himself and remained in the mikvah almost two hours. This would have been difficult even for one who was not fasting.
פַּעַם אֶחָד הָיָה מְסֻכָּן מְאֹד מְאֹד בְּלֵיל שַׁבָּת, אַחַר הַתַּעֲנִית מִשַּׁבָּת לְשַׁבָּת. כִּי לֹא הָיָה מֵכִין לְעַצְמוֹ שׁוּם דָּבָר אַחַר הַתַּעֲנִית מִשַּׁבָּת לְשַׁבָּת. כְּדֶרֶךְ הָעוֹלָם שֶׁמְּכִינִין לְעַצְמָן חָלָב וּמַשְׁקָאוֹת חַמִּין וְכַיּוֹצֵא, וְהוּא לֹא הֵכִין לְעַצְמוֹ כְּלָל, וְגַם שׁוּם אִישׁ לֹא יָדַע מִזֶּה, וְאָכַל הַמַּאֲכָלִים שֶׁאוֹכְלִים שְׁאָר בְּנֵי אָדָם. וְהָיָה פַּעַם אַחַת מְסֻכָּן מְאֹד כַּנַּ"ל. וְהָיָה רַעַשׁ גָּדוֹל.
One Friday night, the Rebbe found himself in great danger after fasting the entire week. The only safe way to break such a fast was with things such as milk and warm fluids. The Rebbe had not prepared anything special and no one else knew about the fast. He ate the regular, heavy, Friday evening meal and became dangerously ill. This caused a great commotion in the house.
וְאַף עַל פִּי כֵן אַחַר הַתַּעֲנִית מִשַּׁבָּת לְשַׁבָּת בְּיוֹם שִׁשִּׁי הָיָה הוֹלֵךְ לַמֶּרְחָץ וְשָׁם הָיָה הַמִּקְוֶה קַר מְאֹד מְאֹד, וְהָלַךְ לִטְבֹּל, וְעָמַד בְּתוֹךְ הַמִּקְוֶה זְמַן רַב מְאֹד מְאֹד בְּעֵרֶךְ שְׁתֵּי שָׁעוֹת רְצוּפִים, אֲשֶׁר אֲפִלּוּ אָדָם בָּרִיא לֹא הָיָה יָכוֹל לִסְבֹּל זֹאת.
Another time, after such a fast, the Rebbe went to the mikvah on Friday afternoon. The mikvah was extremely cold, but the Rebbe immersed himself and remained in the mikvah almost two hours. This would have been difficult even for one who was not fasting.