דַּע, כְּשֶׁיֵּשׁ מַחֲלֹקֶת עַל הָאָדָם, אֵין לַעֲמֹד עַצְמוֹ כְּנֶגֶד הַשּׂוֹנְאִים, לוֹמַר: כְּמוֹ שֶׁעוֹשֶׂה לִי כֵּן אֶעֱשֶׂה לוֹ כְּנֶגְדּוֹ; כִּי זֶה גּוֹרֵם שֶׁהַשּׂוֹנֵא יָבוֹא לִמְבֻקָּשׁוֹ, לִרְאוֹת בּוֹ, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, מַה שֶּׁהוּא רוֹצֶה לִרְאוֹת בּוֹ, Know! when a person encounters opposition, he should not take a stand against his enemy, saying, “Whatever he does to me I will repay in kind.” For this causes his enemy to achieve his goal; it enables [his enemy] to see happen to him, God forbid, what he wanted to see happen to him.
רַק אַדְּרַבָּא, רָאוּי לָדוּן אוֹתָם לְכַף זְכוּת, וְלַעֲשׂוֹת לָהֶם כָּל הַטּוֹבוֹת, בְּחִינוֹת: וְנַפְשִׁי כְּעָפָר לַכֹּל תִּהְיֶה – כְּמוֹ הֶעָפָר שֶׁהַכֹּל דָּשִׁין עָלֶיהָ, וְהִיא נוֹתֶנֶת לָהֶם כָּל הַטּוֹבוֹת: אֲכִילָה וּשְׁתִיָּה וְזָהָב וְכֶסֶף וַאֲבָנִים טוֹבוֹת – הַכֹּל הָיָה מִן הֶעָפָר; כְּמוֹ כֵן אַף־עַל־פִּי שֶׁהֵם חוֹלְקִים עָלָיו וּמְבַקְּשִׁים רָעָתוֹ, אַף־עַל־פִּי־כֵן יֵעָשֶׂה לָהֶם כָּל הַטּוֹבוֹת, כְּמוֹ הֶעָפָר כַּנַּ"ל. On the contrary, it is right that he judge them favorably and do for them every good. This is the aspect of “Let my soul be like earth to everyone” (Berakhot 17a)—like the earth, everyone treads on it, yet it provides them with every good: food, drink, gold, silver and precious stones; it all comes from the earth. Similarly, even though they oppose him and seek his harm, he should nevertheless do for them every good, like the earth, as explained above.
וְהוּא כְּמָשָׁל, כְּשֶׁאֶחָד חוֹתֵר תַּחַת בֵּית חֲבֵרוֹ, אִם הוּא יַעֲמֹד עַצְמוֹ וְיַחְתֹּר גַּם כֵּן כְּנֶגְדּוֹ, אֲזַי בְּוַדַּאי בְּקַל יָבוֹא הַחוֹתֵר לִמְבֻקָּשׁוֹ, אֲבָל כְּשֶׁאֶחָד חוֹתֵר וַחֲבֵרוֹ עוֹמֵד בִּפְנִים וְשׁוֹפֵךְ עָפָר וְעוֹשֶׂה תֵּל כְּנֶגְדּוֹ – אֲזַי מֵפִיר מַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ, וְאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל הַשּׂוֹנֵא לַעֲשׂוֹת מְבֻקָּשׁוֹ. This is analogous to the case of a person who digs under his neighbor’s house. If [his neighbor] positions himself so that he likewise starts digging in his direction, then the person [who began the] digging will certainly reach his goal with ease. However, if one person digs and his neighbor positions himself inside, pouring earth and creating a mound in his way, then he overturns the other’s plan. The enemy is then unable to accomplish his goal.
כְּמוֹ כֵן אֵין לַעֲמֹד כְּנֶגֶד הַשּׂוֹנְאִים לַעֲשׂוֹת כְּנֶגְדָּם, שֶׁזֶּהוּ בְּחִינַת שֶׁחוֹתֵר גַּם כֵּן כְּמוֹ הַשּׂוֹנֵא, שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה יָבוֹא לִמְבֻקָּשׁוֹ בְּקַל. אֲבָל עַל־יְדֵי בְּחִינַת עָפָר, בְּחִינַת וְנַפְשִׁי כֶּעָפָר כַּנַּ"ל, עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה מֵפִיר מַחֲשֶׁבֶת הַשּׂוֹנֵא כַּנַּ"ל, וַאֲזַי כּוֹרֶה שַׁחַת בָּהּ יִפֹּל, כִּי נוֹפֵל וְנִשְׁאָר בְּהַשַּׁחַת שֶׁכָּרָה עַל חֲבֵרוֹ עַל יְדֵי הֶעָפָר שֶׁנִּשְׁפָּךְ עָלָיו, כִּי חֲבֵרוֹ עוֹמֵד וְשׁוֹפֵךְ עָלָיו עָפָר כְּנֶגְדּוֹ כַּנַּ"ל, עַל־יְדֵי בְּחִינַת וְנַפְשִׁי כְּעָפָר כַּנַּ"ל: Similarly, one should not take a stand against one’s enemies, working against them, for this is the aspect of digging just like the enemy, making it easier for them to reach their goal. However, by means of the aspect of earth, the aspect of “Let my soul be like earth,” he overturns his enemies’ plan, as explained above. Then, “He who digs a pit will fall into it” (Proverbs 26:27). He falls and remains in the pit that he dug for his neighbor as a result of the earth that was poured on it. For his neighbor stands there pouring earth in his way, by means of the aspect of “Let my soul be like earth,” as explained above.