Rabbi Meir Escapes by Faking a Non-Kosher Meal
Hunted by the Romans after freeing his sister-in-law, Rabbi Meir dips one finger in non-kosher food and sucks another, so his pursuers decide he can't be the famous rabbi.
The Gemara (Avoda Zara 18b) recounts how Rebbe Meir rescued his sister from captivity. Afterwards, the government issued an ancient form of a wanted poster, displaying a carving of Rebbe Meir’s face in public places. Once, someone recognized him and pursued him into a non-Jewish establishment. Observers saw him eating non-kosher food and assumed he could not be the renowned rabbi. In reality, he cleverly dipped one finger into the food and sucked a different finger, giving the impression he was eating without actually transgressing. By creating this misperception of being a non-Jew, he was able to escape.